Adding stabilizer

[PeterDM2022]

I've had the sbut ame situation for a couple of years now: using only liquid chlorine over a 10 year period the CYA levels have gradually dropped. On opening this spring the readings were below 20. I've dissolved a couple of stabilizer pucks in the water, but CYA readings are still below 20. Are there any other (quicker) ways of adding stabilizer to the pool aside from dissolving the pucks?

On a related point, as the pool is now heating up, I'm leaving the solar blanket it on all the time. How much protection from chlorine loss does having the pool cover on create? If it is pretty effective at preventing chlorine loss, it would make it more acceptable to gradually increase the CYA level over a period of a week or more.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! See below. That should help.

Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. Squeeze the sock periodically to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.

 

[tim5055]

Pucks are a very slow way to add stabilizer. Just go buy CYA, calculate how much you need using Pool Math and add the CYA by using what we call the sock method. It's available as granules at pool stores and many big box stores like WalMart or Home Depot.

Get an old sock (no holes in the toes) and put the measured amount of CYA you need to get to your first target. Tie the sock closed and either suspend it in front of a return (hang it from your brush pole works with something weighted on the deck) OR if it still allows flow thru the skimmer, place the sock in the skimmer. Every 15/20 minutes give the sock a squeeze to speed up the process or just leave it alone, your choice.

Please DO NOT follow the directions on the container of CYA to just pour it into the skimmer and don't just toss the sock in the pool as the CYA is acidic and can bleach/stain pool finishes.

 

[PeterDM2022]

I'm familiar with the "sock method". Crushing the pucks & putting them in the socks hanging in front of a return jet ... & also crushing them in a bucket & then allowing the granules to dissolve in water in the bucket & adding the bucket to the pool. Either way, the CYA doesn't seem to be budging much. I need to go to the pool store to buy granules of CYA which will hopefully make the process easier & quicker.

My other question was: if the pool is covered by the solar blanket all the time, to what degree does that reduce the loss of chlorine?

 

[Texas Splash]

Crushing the pucks & putting them in the socks hanging in front of a return jet ... & also crushing them in a bucket & then allowing the granules to dissolve in water in the bucket & adding the bucket to the pool.

Peter, that's not what we are referring to. Don't break/crush the pucks. You need to buy some granular stabilizer for the socks. They will soak and get soft in about 20 minutes, then you can squeeze it all out. Save the pucks for later like if you're away on vacation.

For your solar blanket question, that's getting into some science above my head. Covers help no doubt, but me personally I couldn't begin to estimate the reduction of FC loss. Sorry.

 

[woodyp]

Dang you Splash.......there went our fortune on selling "Puck Crushers"! But yep........Walmart sells granular form in 4 lb. containers.

 

[PeterDM2022]

Peter, that's not what we are referring to. Don't break/crush the pucks. You need to buy some granular stabilizer for the socks. They will soak and get soft in about 20 minutes, then you can squeeze it all out. Save the pucks for later like if you're away on vacation.

For your solar blanket question, that's getting into some science above my head. Covers help no doubt, but me personally I couldn't begin to estimate the reduction of FC loss. Sorry.

Yeah - it's just that I had the stabilizer pucks at home & would have had to make a special trip to get the granular stabilizer. I've used up the stabilizer pucks now & given that the pucks don't seem to have raised the CYA over 20, I'll have to go get the granular stabilizer.

In general, I can't see the usefulness of stabilizer pucks, since, in my experience, the CYA level doesn't change much in the course of a season. I think I bought them a couple of years ago because the pool store didn't have any granular stabilizer in stock at the time. I would have thought that using regular stabilized chlorine pucks periodically would have kept the CYA level sufficiently high, but when I started using liquid chlorine exclusively, I guess the CYA level moved down slowly over the course of a few years. I've still got a bucket of stabilized chlorine pucks but I think it would take a long time for them to start pushing the CYA level up to the required level ... so time to go get some granulated stabilizer.

 

[Texas Splash]

so time to go get some granulated stabilizer.

I finally had to order from Amazon. Everywhere local was out.

 

[PeterDM2022]

I will say that my (anecdotal) observation has been that with the solar blanket permanently on, the pool does not seem to be losing chlorine quickly, even with very low CYA levels (seems to have risen a bit to 20). I still haven't been able to pick up granular stabilizer. The pucks that I had have now been mashed & dissolved into the pool. I am chlorinating the pool using only stabilized chlorine pucks for the time being. This is a reversals of the last 10 years where I only used liquid chlorine. I don't know how long this will take to raise the CYA level to above 30, but I'm thinking that if I'm not losing chlorine rapidly, it's not really a problem anyway?

 

[PeterDM2022]

4 days later & the chlorine levels still seem to be very slow to fall (with the pool cover on pretty much 24 hours). 12 days from opening slam with very green/black water, the pool is now crystal clear. I haven't added any more liquid chlorine for 6 days & no chlorine pucks for 3 days. FC was at 9 with drop test this evening. I am planning to only use stabilized chlorine pucks for a while. Any numbers on how much stabilizer a chlorine pucks adds when it dissolves?

 

[Texas Splash]

Any numbers on how much stabilizer a chlorine pucks adds when it dissolves?

The PoolMath APP's Effects of Adding can help you wit that. Depending on the puck it should be somewhere around 7 ppm give or take.

 

[duraleigh]

I always refer to this basic principle. Chlorine is consumed by two things only. Sunlight (UV) and Organics in your pool water.

If you eliminate the UV with a cover, then you eliminate virtually ALL of your FC loss in an algae free pool.

So the answer is a pool cover lowers Chlorine consumption tremendously.

 

[PeterDM2022]

I always refer to this basic principle. Chlorine is consumed by two things only. Sunlight (UV) and Organics in your pool water.

If you eliminate the UV with a cover, then you eliminate virtually ALL of your FC loss in an algae free pool.

So the answer is a pool cover lowers Chlorine consumption tremendously.

Well, your basic principle certainly seems to apply in my case! My pool water has been clear - and clear of organics - for at least 2 weeks now. I keep the solar blanket on at all times except when the pool is being used - which is only for a very short period of time. This has been in order to accelerate the natural heating of the pool, as I don't have a working heater.

The chlorine loss has been surprisingly minimal, even though the CYA levels are very low - below 20. For the last 2 weeks I have been chlorinating only using a chlorine puck. The FC levels have been coming down from an opening slam, so they have been quite high. With one puck in the skimmer, only in while the pump is running (for about 10 hours a day) the FC levels have dropped slowly from the slam levels, but the single puck (which dissolves maybe by a third each day) seems to keep the FC levels up at a relatively high level 7 - 8. This makes me less concerned about the low CYA level - I am assuming that over time the pucks will gradually raise the CYA level into the 30 - 40 range, at which point I can revert to using liquid chlorine.