Dilution is the Solution

[AV8TOR]

Okay so I did the 50% drain this weekend to get my CYA down. For those that may not remember we took possession of our new house back in November. This pool has had a long and steady diet of Trichlor tabs. I have and will continue to follow the BBB method. Here are my numbers now after the pumps have been running for 3-hours. Looks pretty good to me but I am interested in what the BBB pros think.

FC 5.5
CC 0
TC 5.5
pH 7.5
TA 110 (same as our tap water - sometimes 100)
CH 270
CYA 50

Would you work to get the TA down any considering my tap water level? (lowering sounds like a pain)

Since November the only number I have had to work on is pH. It creeps up to 7.8 at which point I add MA, it averages creeping up to 7.8 maybe 2 times a month and once I adjusted it 3 times.

As always thanks.

 

[JohnT]

I wouldn't worry about the TA, at least not to the point of making any effort to lower it. Maintaining your pH on the lower end of the range will gradually lower your TA with very little effort on your part. If you live where there is more rain during the year than evaporation, it will probably tend downward anyway.

 

[gtm]

My experience agrees with JohnT's advice. When I took over last August my TA was about 100 and the pH was creeping up at about the same rate you're seeing. I didn't do anything but add acid as necessary to keep the pH at 7.5-7.6, and in 2-3 months the TA had dropped to 80 and the pH stabilized at 7.5-7.6. Concerning the TA of the tap water, mine has a TA of 140, but the acid required seemed to drop TA faster than the fill water could raise it, at least for the amount of fill water I used.

 

[Wes45]

AV8TOR,
Any idea how old your pool is? I had mine built 3 1/2 yrs ago and surprised to see my CYA is 100+ already after a diet of Trichlor tabs. I thought I was using the "good ones", but it didn't seem to matter. I'm going on the BBB plan and draining mine next week-end.

 

[AV8TOR]

AV8TOR,
Any idea how old your pool is? I had mine built 3 1/2 yrs ago and surprised to see my CYA is 100+ already after a diet of Trichlor tabs. I thought I was using the "good ones", but it didn't seem to matter. I'm going on the BBB plan and draining mine next week-end.

The house is 10 years old and they put the pool soon after they moved in but I do not know much of the pool history except they had a pool service. From the several questions I asked he did not have a clue.