New Pool Owner Making the Switch

[Baker18]

Hi Everyone
I'm a new pool owner and have had it open about a week or so. I've been monitoring my levels daily with both test strips and a Taylor test kit. My Fc and TC levels are even but fairly high, but I think that is ok since my CYA is 80 which already seems high to me. I've had 3" pucks in there since its been open but want to make the switch to bleach to avoid having the CYA levels continue to rise. I also have a sand filter which will be back washed every week. Will that help to keep the CYA levels constant or even lower a bit? Is there any special way to start using bleach and should I completely stop with the pucks? Any advice would be great.

 

[Frankhugus]

Stop the pucks now. You're already too high with CYA. Experts will reply to you soon. Thanks for joining in.

 

[woodyp]

Please list all your levels for us so we can help.

A TC level being high could be very bad-break it down for us by FC and CC. Those together comprise TC.
Do you have a salt water generator?

 

[Jezza]

It would help us if you post your numbers like this

FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

All the numbers from the TF -100 are important before advising next steps.

 

[Baker18]

So here are my levels as of this morning
FC 5.5
CC 0
pH 7.4
TA 90
CH 200
CYA 75-80

My main concern is not having that CYA going up all summer. I really would like to switch to bleach as my main source of sanitizer. I'm totally new to all of this so just not sure how to make the switch, how to add the bleach and how often. Thanks so much.

 

[Jezza]

Yes your CYA is really too high so ideally you should consider a partial drain of your water to bring the CYA level down to about 50. This will allow you to manage the pool more effectively. You could manage the recommended FC level with this high a level of CYA with extreme vigilance but if algae gets in then your going to need a lot of chlorine to get rid of it. As it stands now you are just below the minimum for your current CYA level and so you want to get it up to 9 FC ASAP.

The best thing about adding bleach is that it doesn't add CYA. As to how often it depends on how your FC holds up as it is a consumable and will need regular replenishment. The most important thing is that you keep the FC level above the minimum at all times. This comes back to getting to know how your pool behaves and also daily testing of FC especially in Summer. Check out the Chlorine/CYA chart. The best way to add bleach is in front of a return slowly. Feel free to ask any further questions.

 

[MarianParoo]

Also, here is a link to a PoolMath tutorial. It can help you know how to adjust your chemistey. It can also help you know how much to drain to get your CYA down (if you go that route).
Pool School - PoolMath

 

[Baker18]

Thanks for the advice. I actually had to do an almost complete drain at the end of the season last year as the previous owners had the pool in rough shape. I really don't want to do that again as it was a giant pain. If I backwash regularly and switch to bleach right away do you think I can manage with the current cya level. The pool is only open from June to September.

 

[MarianParoo]

How does the water look now?

Yes, you can "manage". See Jezza's post.

 

[proavia]

Backwash your sand filter when the pressure rises 20-25% above clean pressure. You should be able to manage through your short season, but will need to remain diligent on the chlorine level. For a CYA of 80 (always round CYA up), you will need to keep chlorine at 6 minimum. The range is 6-9 - but never let it get below 6. If you take chlorine level anywhere above 10, your pH test result becomes unreliable. If you get an algae outbreak, it's going to take copious amounts of bleach to get to SLAM level of 31. If you do need to SLAM, it may just be better to drain to get the CYA level back to a more reasonable number.

No need to wait to switch to bleach. Start using it now. And no more pucks.

 

[Baker18]

The pool water is actually crystal clear right now. I will be starting with bleach tomorrow and try to get that FC up to 9. This may be a silly question but does plain old Clorox do the trick? Do I need a certain concentration? Also I assume you use quite a bit throughout the season. Any rough estimates on gallons for a Northeast summer? One last question, does bleach effect PH or any other levels that I would have to compensate for? Thanks for the help.

 

[Mr Bruce]

Clorox is fine but WalMart Great Value Concentrated or "Pool Chlorinating Liquid" is a usually a better value. The pool calculator has drop-downs to accommodate whatever % you end up with. Chlorine affects pH a little but not enough to worry about.

 

[Baker18]

Thanks everyone for your help. Bleach is going in the pool today as my new sanitizer. Hopefully it will truly be a trouble free pool. One last question, is there any lag time between adding the bleach and going into the pool? How long does it take to cycle through the filter?

 

[MarianParoo]

There can be "hot spots" of chlorine. Wait a half hour or brush to mix it up if you're in a hurry.

- - - Updated - - -

And never say, "one last question". Hahaha!

 

[Baker18]

Maybe I should have said my last question for today. Haha. Hopefully this will become easy and will avoid any issues. You guys are a great resource.

 

[Baker18]

Hey Everyone. So I've made the switch to bleach and so far so good. Ive been trying to keep my FC levels around 9 to counter act my fairly high cya. The only thing is that I seem to lose about 3ppm each day. The pool is in sun all day. Is this normal?