Green swamp and want to get it fixed ASAP

Jul 30, 2007
70
Austin, TX
Pool Size
26000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I've got a green swamp and want to get it fixed ASAP. My current readings are:

FC 0
CC 0
TC 0
pH 7.5
T/A 110
CYA 0

When I started last night my pH was over 8.2 so I'm working to get it down to 7.2. Meanwhile I want to get my CYA up to 30 ASAP so I can begin shocking the pool. The article states, "If your CYA level is below 20 you should add at least 20 ppm of CYA/stabilizer in a sock in the skimmer (or you can use dichlor if you have some on hand and know what you are doing)." I've got both CYA/stabilizer and dichlor. What do I need to know about about using dichlor to get my CYA up? Will it get my CYA up faster? It seems like using dichlor has the added benefit of starting the shock process sooner. Otherwise I may have to wait up to a week to get my CYA up before I can begin the shock process.

Thanks for the help.
 
Re: Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis

Regarding my post above, I don't have any dichlor after all. I need 6 lbs 8 oz of stabilizer. I don't want to run it through my filter because all the algea will clog it very quickly. So, I plan to put 3 lbs 4 oz of stabilizer in two skimmer socks, put one in each skimmer and run my pump continuously on recycle to bypass the filter. I'd appreciate comments/confirmation of my plan.
 
Re: Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis

You don't need to add the CYA before starting to shock the pool. As a matter of fact, the shock is more effective without the CYA.
 
Re: Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis

I prefer to shock when CYA is around 20, rather than at zero. There are a couple of problems with CYA being around zero. The first is that with CYA at zero it doesn't take too much extra chlorine to get the chlorine level too high and risk corrosion. Secondly, when CYA is near zero you lose all of your chlorine to sunlight very very quickly. After the first few hours you need the FC level to hold to finish off the algae. With CYA around zero you will lose all your chlorine to sunlight, instead of algae. Third, CYA levels that read zero are often actually higher than that. CYA at zero and CYA at ten are totally different situations. By raising the CYA level into the range that can be measured, it is possible to figure out the correct shock level much more accurately.

cbelle, that sounds like a fine plan. You will need to switch to filtering after a day or two so the water can get cleaned up, but by then the majority of the CYA should be in the water.
 
Re: Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis

Thanks for the confirmation, JasonLion. I've been reading and re-reading your original post to guide me through the process.

I have one question and one comment for you.

1. Regarding getting the CYA back up ASAP; what do you think of the idea of liquidating dry CYA by dissolving it in boiling water then adding it to the skimmers with the pump running on recycle? This would seem to accomplish (almost) the same effect of buying liquid CYA at a fraction of the price and get the CYA up faster.

2. I have a recommendation for enhancing your original post. You state in one paragraph, "If the pool has been sitting unattended for longer than one winter you should also spend some time in advance pulling everything solid you can get hold of out of the water. Using a skimmer net on a pole you should be able to fish out most of what is in the water, even if you can't see what you are doing." I recommend adding a comment about the option of vacuuming to waste the algea sitting on the bottom of the pool. I did this before anything else, and, while it used a lot of water, it worked really well and saved me countless numbers of backwash/recharge cycles on my DE filter.
 
Re: Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparking Oasis

I haven't tried it, but five out of six people who report trying it said that dissolving CYA in very hot water doesn't work. Of course the sixth person said that it does work, so who knows.
 
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.