I thought I was doing Ok until ...

[mknauss]

TC is a pool store term. We do not use it. All it is is FC plus CC. The individual tests mean something. The addition of them mean nothing.

 

[giant_donut]

I have read this but the CC, FC and TC have me so confused. haha!!! I'm reading the other stuff now, but I'm still confused.... If CC doesn't need to be tested as regularly, do I need to test Total Chlorine? Or am I only to worry with FC?

FC is the most important measurement. You want the FC to be at the level of your CYA. Once you use Pool Math app, you can log your results. You don’t need to test TC. I just spot check CC every so often to ensure there is nothing eating the FC.
TC = FC + CC

 

[newdude]

I'm so mad at myself. I wouldn't be having these issues if it weren't for the pool store

Chin up Jenn !!! You’ve been here *4* days. It takes a minute.

You’re also better off in the long run. Many folks get here before they hit rock bottom. They try to quasi treat between us and the pool store for a good chunk of time before finally realizing the same about the ‘pros’.

Things are only looking up for you.

 

[jennikz]

Chin up Jenn !!! You’ve been here *4* days. It takes a minute.

You’re also better off in the long run. Many folks get here before they hit rock bottom. They try to quasi treat between us and the pool store for a good chunk of time before finally realizing the same about the ‘pros’.

Things are only looking up for you.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Thing is, I read through a bunch of this stuff here before I ever actually joined ... so that's why I just want to kick myself for actually listening to the pool store. It's also a smaller, local place, so I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt ... thinking they aren't a "Leslies" or chain thats just trying sell me stuff but ... LESSON LEARNED! lol, never again.

 

[giant_donut]

While it is not recommended, with your CYA at 80, you can still work with what you have. Just add more Liquid Chlorine to keep your FC at the ideal level. You don’t necessarily have to drain and refill your pool especially if you are under water restrictions.
I had a high CYA but didn’t drain. Over the summer it rained a ton and the sun evaporated a lot of the water so it was cyclical. My CYA dropped from 70-40 ppm during that time. I now have a Salt water pool so had to bring my CYA back up.

 

[jennikz]

While it is not recommended, with your CYA at 80, you can still work with what you have. Just add more Liquid Chlorine to keep your FC at the ideal level. You don’t necessarily have to drain and refill your pool especially if you are under water restrictions.
I had a high CYA but didn’t drain. Over the summer it rained a ton and the sun evaporated a lot of the water so it was cyclical. My CYA dropped from 70-40 ppm during that time. I now have a Salt water pool so had to bring my CYA back up.

That is my hope .. I'm in Pennsylvania and this is the hottest time of year for us so some was evaporating. I actually drained some water out this morning and I'm currently in the process of adding more water throughout the day today. I have a well and don't want to run it nonstop for fear of it drying up.

So later this afternoon, I'll test the water again and see where its at and what I can do with it.

I also ordered a new taylor kit because the one I have is older. Not terribly old, but I want it to be accurate so I just said eh, what's another $80. haha!!! So it should be here tomorrow (hopefully) and I'll test again.

Any ideas what to do with my wayyy overpriced pucks that I bought at a highly overpriced pool store?

 

[DorsalSpine]

I'm assuming you can't return them. Keep the pucks for vacation. A puck or two in a floater is fine if you are going to be away for more than a couple of days. They will raise your CYA level slightly which you need to be aware of. I believe the pool app will tell you how much. Depending on how much my CYA drops over the winter, I'll use granular CYA for big changes and pucks for fine tuning when I open in the spring. I too had a big bucket of pucks when I realized I'd been pool schooled by my local store.

 

[jennikz]

I'm assuming you can't return them. Keep the pucks for vacation. A puck or two in a floater is fine if you are going to be away for more than a couple of days. They will raise your CYA level slightly which you need to be aware of. I believe the pool app will tell you how much. Depending on how much my CYA drops over the winter, I'll use granular CYA for big changes and pucks for fine tuning. I too had a big bucket of pucks when I realized I'd been pool schooled by my local store.

Good idea! That's what I'll do.

No, not returnable. I called and asked because I hadn't used any of them at that point and they gave me some BS reply. I know it's because I WAYYYY overpaid for them!

 

[giant_donut]

Any ideas what to do with my wayyy overpriced pucks that I bought at a highly overpriced pool store?

I’d keep a few for when you’re away on vacation. With there being a shortage, try selling on FB Marketplace. Most places are sold out due to the current shortage of pucks. The previous owner had left almost 30 pucks and I have only used a handful. Comes in handy just to keep the pool dialed in.

 

[DorsalSpine]

FB Marketplace and a neighbor with a pool is a good way to sell the pucks. I forgot about that. I had 1.5 buckets of pucks when I switched to LC. One of my neighbors thought I was crazy when my wife told her we had to drain the pool and start over with new water. I sold them the unopened bucket of pucks and kept the half bucket. Still have it eight or nine years later.

 

[newdude]

I inherited several opened boxes of ‘Blue’ powdered shock when we moved. They perfectly made a new full $100 box and I sold them for $50 on the OfferUp app.

I did struggle for a minute with the moral side of it pawning them off on an unsuspecting pool owner, but after meeting him, he didn’t care to learn and was buying the shock one way or another. So we both made out.

 

[V___25]

You can do this! Don't beat yourself up over being "pool-stored." Lots of people have but it's fixable

I'm in PA too and am working with a similar CYA to yours. It was at 80 and just a couple of weeks ago with all the rain, I drained a bunch of water out several times and it's down to 70. CYA doesn't leave the pool water quickly and I believe it doesn't evaporate with the water (smarter people - correct me if that's wrong). Which is why drain and refill is recommended. You can work with your CYA being that level, just know that you're going to use more bleach or chlorine and that if you have to SLAM, you'll need a way higher level to kill algae. Because my CYA is what it is, I'm diligent about testing and adding chlorine without using a floater so I don't end up in a SLAM situation.

 

[jennikz]

You can do this! Don't beat yourself up over being "pool-stored." Lots of people have but it's fixable

I'm in PA too and am working with a similar CYA to yours. It was at 80 and just a couple of weeks ago with all the rain, I drained a bunch of water out several times and it's down to 70. CYA doesn't leave the pool water quickly and I believe it doesn't evaporate with the water (smarter people - correct me if that's wrong). Which is why drain and refill is recommended. You can work with your CYA being that level, just know that you're going to use more bleach or chlorine and that if you have to SLAM, you'll need a way higher level to kill algae. Because my CYA is what it is, I'm diligent about testing and adding chlorine without using a floater so I don't end up in a SLAM situation.

I am in central PA too! I'm really just praying that my taylor kit is "too old" and the pool store was WAYYY off (they said my cya was 107 -- taylor said about 80).

I think you're right on evaporation ... so I guess that may not be helping. Perhaps I should have the kids do a major splash battle instead!!!!

 

[Lilypad]

CYA does not evaporate but we have seen it degrade over time and in hot weather you can
lose a few PPM per month. Good to check it monthly in the summer.

 

[Northrider]

What I'd really wished I'd have done was NOT LISTENED to to pool store when the guy told me to add the WHOLE bottle of the stablilizer ... I came home, and thought to myself "I know I can't have a high cya" but I also told myself the pool place is the "pro", so listen to them... and that's what I did. NEVER AGAIN because now my cya is high and I'm mad at myself for not adding just a little at a time.

ALSO, my husband thinks I'm crazy because I told him we need to drain some and he doesn't understand the chemistry at all ... he just looks at me like I need committed when I tell him there is no other way to lower it. I'm so mad at myself. I wouldn't be having these issues if it weren't for the pool store.

A lesson we all learn the hard way....pool store's like to add/sell things you don't really need! Save your money and keep asking!

 

[DorsalSpine]

I have seen CYA degrade over the winter as well as during summer heat. Until I started following TFP it was not unusual for me to have ammonia in the spring and little to no CYA left. If you can wait it out this year you may have an easier time next spring. Fall rains and any snow melt would help with changing out water.

 

[jennikz]

I have seen CYA degrade over the winter as well as during summer heat. Until I started following TFP it was not unusual for me to have ammonia in the spring and little to no CYA left. If you can wait it out this year you may have an easier time next spring. Fall rains and any snow melt would help with changing out water.

Sounds good. I think that's what I'm going to do... I am in PA and the season will be over soon. I'll stick it out this year and figured I'd drain come spring if needed, before I even deal with anything else, so it would be just like opening it from new!

 

[jennikz]

So, for everyone that uses liquid chlorine ... can you give me an idea of exactly how and when you add it? Show me your "regimen" so to speak?

Yesterday, I tested all. Used pool math, and it said I need 1.4 gallons of liquid. I added that, left the pump run a few hours and retested ... my FC was at about 15 (so a bit high for my cya/FC ratio, but i was ok with that because I constantly have kids and people in and out of the pool).

This morning, I went out and tested again, just for fun ... my pump hasn't run all night (its on a timer) and I got a FC of 11.5. I plan on testing again after the pump kicks on and is running for a little while.

Edited to add ... does adding liquid equate to "shocking"? I'm totally new to liquid ... I had a pool growing up and helped my parents take care of it somewhat, but we NEVER got this technical so it's like a foreign language to me with liquid. We did the typical powder shock every two weeks, puck in the floater, and that was all.

 

[DorsalSpine]

Chlorine is chlorine. The liquid has the benefit of not adding CYA to the pool like the tri-chlor pucks do. We don't shock a pool necessarily. The goal is to keep a steady level of FC in the range appropriate for your CYA level. Pool School has links on the SLAM process instead of shocking a pool. You might read up on that as well as the overnight chlorine loss test (OCLT).

You seem to have consumed a lot of chlorine over night. I said consume since if the sun is off the pool the only loss would be to consuming algae or other organics. In your case you really need to be diligent in monitoring your FC level and your water quality. With a high CYA clearing an algae outbreak would be tough.

I usually test daily and log my results so I have a history to fall back on. Every other day if I'm busy. Depending on if the cover is off, if my wife is swimming, etc., I usually add enough LC to raise my FC by 2 points every day. More if the pool is being used a lot.

 

[jennikz]

Chlorine is chlorine. The liquid has the benefit of not adding CYA to the pool like the tri-chlor pucks do. We don't shock a pool necessarily. The goal is to keep a steady level of FC in the range appropriate for your CYA level. Pool School has links on the SLAM process instead of shocking a pool. You might read up on that as well as the overnight chlorine loss test (OCLT).

You seem to have consumed a lot of chlorine over night. I said consume since if the sun is off the pool the only loss would be to consuming algae or other organics. In your case you really need to be diligent in monitoring your FC level and your water quality. With a high CYA clearing an algae outbreak would be tough.

I usually test daily and log my results so I have a history to fall back on. Every other day if I'm busy. Depending on if the cover is off, if my wife is swimming, etc., I usually add enough LC to raise my FC by 2 points every day. More if the pool is being used a lot.

Thanks for the info. It was actually yesterday morning when I added the liquid, so it was all day and all night that the chlorine level fell. It was also rather hot throughout the day ... so do you think is that acceptable for the day and over the night?