I cannot get my CYA up!!!

[thefloatqueen]

I bought a cheap bottle of Robelle stabilizer granules from Amazon and used PoolMath to figure out how much I need for the sock method to raise my CYA by 10 ppm. I bust out the kitchen scale and start weighing it out. Then the sock method begins (tied in front of jet return with frequent squeezing lol). As soon as the sock is flat, I remove and throw it away. Run the pump and test about 3 days later. CYA is the same or slightly higher. I do the CYA test exactly as the instructions on my TF-100 say.

Maybe the black dot just plays tricks on me and I’ve been thinking my CYA is higher than it actually is? I don’t know. I think I was being generous by “rounding up” when opening my pool and after adding stabilizer a couple times with sock method. I am THISCLOSE to just using a small amount of dichlor or some pucks (using PoolMath and being very careful, obviously) instead of stabilizer because this is so frustrating. I know my current CYA of 40 ppm is ideal, but in the past I liked it to be at 50 ppm for some reason when the temperatures really start to warm up. If it means anything, I use LC/bleach only — no SWG. Any tips?

 

[koffey]

Stabilizer can go 'bad' or degrade like LC so therefore you may have purchased an expired product.

 

[Texas Splash]

Some potential variables in your situation:
1. The CYA test can be a bit frustrating. There is a 10-15 ppm variance in the results on a good day.
2. Some stabilizer, even if labeled as 99%-100% pure cyanuric acid, may prove to show varying results.
3. While you may add some stabilizer, some CYA is slowly disappearing as well.

I would give it another day or two and retest the CYA. If you are still confident in your testing and the average results of the reading, then either add another 10 ppm or sure, go ahead and use a couple tablets for the time being. As long as you are monitoring your CYA level there's nothing wrong with that either.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Stabilizer can go 'bad' or degrade like LC so therefore you may have purchased an expired product.

I just bought it a couple weeks ago. Expiration date is 03/2024. I bought it because I didn’t think I needed much (it’s like 2 lbs) and the other stabilizers were expensive and I’d have a lot leftover. Which, in hindsight, would be quite nice right now.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Some potential variables in your situation:
1. The CYA test can be a bit frustrating. There is a 10-15 ppm variance in the results on a good day.
2. Some stabilizer, even if labeled as 99%-100% pure cyanuric acid, may prove to show varying results.
3. While you may add some stabilizer, some CYA is slowly disappearing as well.

I would give it another day or two and retest the CYA. If you are still confident in your testing and the average results of the reading, then either add another 10 ppm or sure, go ahead and use a couple tablets for the time being. As long as you are monitoring your CYA level there's nothing wrong with that either.

I actually secretly like using a couple tablets if I’m going to be out of town for a couple days or something (obviously I monitor my CYA before and after use) because it’s adding CYA and chlorine. Plus they help with my high pH. I’m also lazy and prefer not to do the sock method 2-3x in a month and a half lol. I guess I kind of answered my own question. But thank you for your tips! I didn’t realize how much the difference can be in testing. I will retest it tomorrow since it isn’t supposed to be rainy or overcast.

 

[Texas Splash]

While the most common theme on TFP is that many pool owners experience an alarmingly high CYA level, we also have to remember that it does degrade and slowly go away in the water. Not real fast, and it can vary, but some pools see their CYA drop by 5-10 ppm per month.

 

[Newdude]

Then the sock method begins (tied in front of jet return with frequent squeezing lol).

Let it sit for a day. I can't be bothered fooling with it and whether it takes 2 hours to mush up, or 14 hours, it comes out easy peasy tomorrow.

CYA is rarely an emergency add and can usually wait.

Maybe the black dot just plays tricks on me and I’ve been thinking my CYA is lower than it actually is. I don’t know.

Establish dominance. Toss a bunch of googely eyes on the patio and crush them with your heel, one by one. Mr Funnyman won't be laughing at you for long.

 

[koffey]

2lbs=900grams. I buy 1800g of stabilizer once a season. I use approx 1400g of that to reach my target of 50. If I don't use the remaining bits, I only have to buy one next year.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Let it sit for a day. I can't be bothered fooling with it and whether it takes 2 hours to mush up, or 14 hours, it comes out easy peasy tomorrow.

CYA is rarely an emergency add and can usually wait.

Establish dominance. Toss a bunch of googely eyes on the patio and crush them with your heel, one by one. Mr Funnyman won't be laughing at you for long.

Sir, with all due respect, I am not sticking my red Christian Louboutin heel in cyanuric acid.

 

[thefloatqueen]

2lbs=900grams. I buy 1800g of stabilizer once a season. I use approx 1400g of that to reach my target of 50. If I don't use the remaining bits, I only have to buy one next year.

Good to know! I see our pools are pretty much the same number of gallons and you also use LC. I’m going to have to buy another small bag of it regardless, unless I go the route of adding a couple pucks in a floater lol

 

[zimdogg]

I'm also on the "get my CYA up" train. Which is funny, because last year I had to do a 10k gallon exchange because it was so high. I guess I'd rather have this problem.

I just put a little over a pound in a sock this morning and stuck it in my skimmer. I could still see the dot pretty easily at the 30 mark, so I guesstimated 20 for the time being, added a pound and will see where I end up later this week, and go from there.

The CYA test is easily the hardest test to get correct. Hard to know the correct amount of ambient light there should be, and how disappeared the dot actually is. Good luck to ya!

 

[thefloatqueen]

I'm also on the "get my CYA up" train. Which is funny, because last year I had to do a 10k gallon exchange because it was so high. I guess I'd rather have this problem.

I just put a little over a pound in a sock this morning and stuck it in my skimmer. I could still see the dot pretty easily at the 30 mark, so I guesstimated 20 for the time being, added a pound and will see where I end up later this week, and go from there.

The CYA test is easily the hardest test to get correct. Hard to know the correct amount of ambient light there should be, and how disappeared the dot actually is. Good luck to ya!

Yesssss. I hate the CYA test lol. And battling too low of CYA is far better than the opposite, like you said! I think I’m overshooting my CYA by 10 ppm. It’s like the dot completely disappears and then I see it slightly again. I think I’m going to order a cheap 1.5 lb bag of dichlor and do it that way (with close monitoring and using PoolMath, of course). I like that dichlor adds CYA instantly and can be tested hours (probably much sooner) later the same day. I also like that it adds chlorine and helps drop my high pH. Pucks are another option, but I like instant gratification!! With the sock method and regular CYA granules, I have to wait several days for my “new” CYA to show up on tests. I’ll keep you updated since you feel the pain lol. I’m trying to get mine to 50 ppm. I haven’t been able to get it that high since years ago when I used, you guessed it, dichlor.

 

[zimdogg]

Yesssss. I hate the CYA test lol. And battling too low of CYA is far better than the opposite, like you said! I think I’m overshooting my CYA by 10 ppm. It’s like the dot completely disappears and then I see it slightly again. I think I’m going to order a cheap 1.5 lb bag of dichlor and do it that way (with close monitoring and using PoolMath, of course). I like that dichlor adds CYA instantly and can be tested hours (probably much sooner) later the same day. I also like that it adds chlorine and helps drop my high pH. Pucks are another option, but I like instant gratification!! With the sock method and regular CYA granules, I have to wait several days for my “new” CYA to show up on tests. I’ll keep you updated since you feel the pain lol. I’m trying to get mine to 50 ppm. I haven’t been able to get it that high since years ago when I used, you guessed it, dichlor.

FWIW, I believe the pucks add about 3 CYA per puck if I'm remembering correctly, but I don't know how many gallons that relates to (I'm probably thinking someone told me it adds that much to my 12k gallon pool). I'm sur someone smarter than I could give you a real good idea of how much CYA each puck would add, and they're usually gone within a week anyway.

 

[thefloatqueen]

FWIW, I believe the pucks add about 3 CYA per puck if I'm remembering correctly, but I don't know how many gallons that relates to (I'm probably thinking someone told me it adds that much to my 12k gallon pool). I'm sur someone smarter than I could give you a real good idea of how much CYA each puck would add, and they're usually gone within a week anyway.

My pool is only 7500 gallons, so it only takes a couple of them. But they’re slooooow. I went ahead and ordered the 1.5 lb bag of dichlor. It’s pretty much instant. This isn’t an emergency by any means lol I’m just impatient and it’s supposed to be warm and sunny and swimming should begin next week! I’m adding 7.5% bleach all the time and prefer my CYA to be 50 ppm. 60 would be the absolute maximum. I do not recommend the Robelle brand granule stabilizer for adding CYA. Way, way too slow. The HTH and Clorox brand stabilizers worked much better for me. I just don’t feel like doing yet another sock dangling session lol