- Jun 27, 2015
- 24
- Pool Size
- 21600
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
First, I just want to say, thank god for this site!!!!!!!!! I have been "pool-stored" for the last 27 years, and I am ashamed to say I didn't do enough to educated myself before about a month ago. I knew enough to avoid "The Pool Store" like the plague, I hated how I was treated like an idiot there, but needed to venture there now and again when things got out of my control. Of course, then I would really get "pool stored" as I was at their mercy.
I got my brand new TF test kit recently. (I had only been using 4-way test strips the last few years.) Researching on here, I know now why I was always fighting a low pH. Chlorine pucks!!!!! pH is good now (7.5), free and combined chlorine is good (4/4.5). However, no one ever, in 27 years, told me about the build up of CYA from using the tablets and powdered "shock." I feel so stupid. My CYA is off the scale (I'm guessing approximately 130-135). I am only using bleach now, nothing else will ever be added chlorine-wise. I know I must drain the pool most of the way and re-add new H2O to get rid of the built up CYA. However, currently we are in an epic drought here (the drought isn't just in California, although they get all the attention) and I don't feel comfortable morally or ethically using approx 15,000 gallons of water right now to refill my swimming pool.
My question is, if I drain down the water in the fall for closing (and then refill to proper levels in the spring of next year), is all that stabilizer going to hinder this TFP method to close, using only the bleach and the PolyQuat (edited). For the last 27 winters, I have only added copious amounts of powdered chlorine to hold me over the winter and never had the slightest problem with algae in the spring. I am starting to worry that the new method is not going to work as well as it should with all the CYA in my water.
Any advice/comments will be appreciated!
I got my brand new TF test kit recently. (I had only been using 4-way test strips the last few years.) Researching on here, I know now why I was always fighting a low pH. Chlorine pucks!!!!! pH is good now (7.5), free and combined chlorine is good (4/4.5). However, no one ever, in 27 years, told me about the build up of CYA from using the tablets and powdered "shock." I feel so stupid. My CYA is off the scale (I'm guessing approximately 130-135). I am only using bleach now, nothing else will ever be added chlorine-wise. I know I must drain the pool most of the way and re-add new H2O to get rid of the built up CYA. However, currently we are in an epic drought here (the drought isn't just in California, although they get all the attention) and I don't feel comfortable morally or ethically using approx 15,000 gallons of water right now to refill my swimming pool.
My question is, if I drain down the water in the fall for closing (and then refill to proper levels in the spring of next year), is all that stabilizer going to hinder this TFP method to close, using only the bleach and the PolyQuat (edited). For the last 27 winters, I have only added copious amounts of powdered chlorine to hold me over the winter and never had the slightest problem with algae in the spring. I am starting to worry that the new method is not going to work as well as it should with all the CYA in my water.
Any advice/comments will be appreciated!