Have I been overly cautious with CYA?

[QingGuy]

Today is 31 days since plaster so I can start adding salt to my pool. I'm following my plaster guys directions to the T so I don't void any warranty. He instructed me to add 5 bags (40 lbs) today and a bag a day until I'm at 3400 ppm (what Pentair recommends for their SWG).

My issue is I know I need to have my CYA at 50 - 80 per Pentair's instructions and I seem to be stuck at 30. I got to 30 by adding dry conditioner (NPS brand) in a sock to my skimmers. This was about 3 weeks ago. Totally dissolved in a matter of days. Since knowing I'd need higher CYA I've been using Trichlor pucks 3" for choline with a little bleach from time to time after/before heavy pool use. I try to keep what is the equivalent of 3 full pucks in floater at all times.

Any thoughts on why my CYA hasn't raised anymore than the point that the conditioner got me to?

I'm not in panic mode, just want to know if I should go buy additional conditioner to get me to the 50 -80 point or if another week of Trichlor pucks will start raising it.

EDIT: Also I just read about a "diluted CYA test" can someone please explain to my why I would do a diluted test vs. a standard test and should I be doing diluted vs. standard?

Today's test results (comments on my other numbers welcomed):
CYA - 30
FC - 2.4
CC - .2 to .4 (sorry for the range but I'm still getting the hang of my Taylor test kit)
pH - 7.5
TA - 80
CH - 340

 

[Richard320]

The diluted test is for when CYA is very high and beyond the tester scale. You don;t need it.

Your pool is pretty big. One 8oz trichlor puck only adds 1.2 CYA. How many have you added? That test isn't that precise; you could be +/- several ppm either way.

And I hope that's a typo on the CH reading.

 

[QingGuy]

Your pool is pretty big. One 8oz trichlor puck only adds 1.2 CYA. How many have you added? That test isn't that precise; you could be +/- several ppm either way.

And I hope that's a typo on the CH reading.

LOL, yes CH is 340 not 3400.

I'd say I've gone through about 10 - 12 trichlor pucks. Sounds like just more time/pucks. I'll stick with the pucks until I turn on the salt cell next week and then retest and see if I should add conditioner or would others recommend another course of action?

Other numbers look OK? I'm a little low on TA but figured I'm not off enough to add baking soda into the mix just yet, am I wrong here?

Thanks for the assistance.

 

[Richard320]

TA is fine. And with curing plaster, that will probably rise. It's the acidity of the pucks that's holding it down for you. Don't add baking soda. When you add salt, do you hold Diamond Day? Post 5

 

[QingGuy]

Don't add baking soda. When you add salt, do you hold Diamond Day?

Ha, thanks for the link! Actually I have my 13 yo son and my 12 yo nephew here today, I'm going to call today, "grab a brush and get brushing day" for them.

I was planning on spreading the five bags around evenly on the bottom of the pool and then brushing but then I read someone suggested pouring all five bags in the shallow end and brushing towards the deep end or does it even matter as long as your diligent in brushing until dissolved?

 

[Richard320]

Don't add baking soda. When you add salt, do you hold Diamond Day?

Ha, thanks for the link! Actually I have my 13 yo son and my 12 yo nephew here today, I'm going to call today, "grab a brush and get brushing day" for them.

I was planning on spreading the five bags around evenly on the bottom of the pool and then brushing but then I read someone suggested pouring all five bags in the shallow end and brushing towards the deep end or does it even matter as long as your diligent in brushing until dissolved?

I'd just let the boys have a salt fight. It'll get spread around.