Being told to NOT add CYA

You should consider taking over your own pool care. Your service is correct that pucks add cya with each one. We suggest pucks be used only when you can't get to your pool such as when on vacation. Liquid chlorine or conversion to saltwater are the best choices.

Claygirl74 said:

What should I do?

Click to expand...

What method are you using to put CYA in the pool? Sock in the skimmer? It can take upwards of 48 hours to fully dissolve in the water especially if it's being sucked directly into the filter. You're right about the sunlight; if you don't get enough CYA in the pool you're just throwing away chlorine. FC levels like you're seeing are a danger zone for bacteria and algae growth.

The calculator suggests that 4 lbs of dry stabilizer should raise your CYA around 12ppm. If that didn't do enough to get you to 30ppm after 48 hours, I'd recommend putting at least 2lbs more in immediately and rechecking. Try to sneak up on a good number like 40ppm for now, with as large as your pool is, you might even want to go higher so you're not spending a fortune on chlorine.

The tabs will slowly raise your CYA, but it's imperative that you get enough chlorine in the pool to keep an algae bloom from forming as the CYA raises. Liquid chlorine is best for that because it doesn't have other chemicals like CYA in it and it dissolves immediately. Tabs take a long time to fully release their product.

Our methods are different then Pool Stores.

You need to decide who to follow. Trying to mix and match or ask the Pool Store about what you learn here will just confuse you. They don't understand the science we use.

Either follow your Pool Store and we wish you luck with them, or work with us here and we will help you like we have hundreds of thousands of other pool owners.

So, recapping..
1- Don’t trust pool companies (except for non-chemical winterization)
2- Don’t trust pool store tests and recommendations
3- Don’t add any chemicals directly to the skimmer.
4- Bring your CYA to at least 30ppm. For CYA put is inside a sock either hanging (away from walls) in front a return or in the skimmer basket, and squeeze from times to times.
5- Get some LC (10/12.5% Pool LC is best, but plan unscented non-Clorox bleach also work) and add at LC every evening (use PoolMath to get the quantity). See FC/CYA Levels
6- Get a good reliable test kit… oh you have one… that is a great start.

Claygirl74 said:

Thank you for all of the bits of wisdom. I will work on it and let you know how it goes. I would prefer to learn to do all of this myself without the pool service.

Click to expand...

Fear not. You will get the assistance your need around here.