Can I start increasing my CYA now or fix my numbers first?

[trevorfl]

Good afternoon:

I was planning today to add some granular CYA to raise my CYA level from 45-50 to 60-70.

I did some test before. Here are my numbers.

Chlorine 11

CC 0

PH 7.8 (not accurate because of the chlorine level.)

TA 60

CH 250

CYA 45-50

Water is so clear now. I just can't believe it. When I was doing it "the pool store way" it was ok but not even close to what I have now and was getting algae frequently. Not to mention buying unnecessary chemicals.

Back to my question...

Suddenly my chlorine level when up from 7.5 to 11 overnight. Now found the culprit. For the last two days I noticed a lot of FC loss. Faster than usual. I always record my results on a spreadsheet. I added extra liquid chlorine to maintain my correct FC level.

Long story short, the reagent R-0871 bottle was getting empty and the drops were “mixed” with air.

Now I have the correct reading for the chlorine. (11 FC)

Question…

Looking at my numbers above. Can I still go ahead and start adding the CYA to my pool? (using a sock)

I think the TA is getting low. Once I add the cya the PH will drop. The bottle of the CYA mention that is 100% cya.

This will drop my TA more? I am correct?

What should I do first?

Should I balance again my numbers first?

Thank you in advance.

 

[tim5055]

Are you sure you want to go that high with CYA? Even in Florida that is a little high. That screen enclosure will shield quite a bit of UV.

Yes, bring the CH up to your desired level now.

If it were me, I would not fool around with CYA or TA at this point. Let things settle for a while and see how your pH likes 60 TA. To be honest, mone likes it at 60 or even lower. MUch higher than that and I'm adding acid all the time to bring the pH in line.

I guess my point is don't rush to try to achieve a "perfect" number.

 

[RobbieH]

Agreed, unless you are depending on a SWG, your CYA is just fine and I wouldn't touch it. TA will come up through splashing.

 

[trevorfl]

Are you sure you want to go that high with CYA? Even in Florida that is a little high. That screen enclosure will shield quite a bit of UV.

Yes, bring the CH up to your desired level now.

If it were me, I would not fool around with CYA or TA at this point. Let things settle for a while and see how your pH likes 60 TA. To be honest, mone likes it at 60 or even lower. MUch higher than that and I'm adding acid all the time to bring the pH in line.

I guess my point is don't rush to try to achieve a "perfect" number.

I thought I read somewhere here that for FL it should be close to 60. I will maintain it the way it is for now and observe. I already got the CYA but it is not a waste. I will save it for the rainy season.

When you mention to "see how my PH likes my TA, what do you exactly mean by that? (still learning)

Thank you for the help.

- - - Updated - - -

Agreed, unless you are depending on a SWG, your CYA is just fine and I wouldn't touch it. TA will come up through splashing.

Thank you!

 

[tim5055]

TA is a moderator of pH swings. Take the TA too high and the pH will move quicker. How high is too high? hard to say, every pool is a little different.