Just fired my pool service and taking over

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Dewayne B.

Dewayne B.

0
Jul 24, 2016
77
Vacaville CA.
Hello, we bought a home with a 24,000 gallon pool about 2 years ago. I have never owned a pool so we hired a pool service to maintain the chemicals. I have been educating myself on maintaining the pool and ready to take over. Our pool service company has failed to meet our expectations far too many times and I finally gave them the boot. Our CYA levels where over 200 and we where having algee problems. They never said a word about the CYA levels and I suspect they werent even testing for it. We just had the pool replastered and I'm not trusting these pool service knuckleheads any more
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Re: Just had a big pool party

We don't recommend the use of Non-chlorine shock in pools...what you need is Chlorine! Plain old household bleach will do. Non-chlorine shock (aka MPS) also messes up testing of contaminates (CCs) and will show a higher level than actual.
We don't suggest the use of chlorine granules either unless you can take on the extra ingredients of either CYA or Calcium without problem. So many folks in CA have problems with too high CYA and an inability to drain the water and start fresh.... how's your CYA level?

How are you testing??

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
 
Dewayne B. said:
Hello, we bought a home with a 24,000 gallon pool about 2 years ago. I have never owned a pool so we hired a pool service to maintain the chemicals. I have been educating myself on maintaining the pool and ready to take over. Our pool service company has failed to meet our expectations far too many times and I finally gave them the boot. Our CYA levels where over 200 and we where having algee problems. They never said a word about the CYA levels and I suspect they werent even testing for it. We just had the pool replastered and I'm not trusting these pool service knuckleheads any more
Click to expand...

Hope you ordered test kit before that- flying blind could be worse than the service you just fired. If you haven't got the kit please do it ASAP and start adding 1/2 - 1/3 gal of bleach daily to keep whatever algae you have in check until the kit arrives. Your pool still requires maintenance, especially during summer months.
 
Re: Just had a big pool party

YippeeSkippy said:
We don't recommend the use of Non-chlorine shock in pools...what you need is Chlorine! Plain old household bleach will do. Non-chlorine shock (aka MPS) also messes up testing of contaminates (CCs) and will show a higher level than actual.
We don't suggest the use of chlorine granules either unless you can take on the extra ingredients of either CYA or Calcium without problem. So many folks in CA have problems with too high CYA and an inability to drain the water and start fresh.... how's your CYA level?

How are you testing??

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Click to expand...

thanks, I just replastered and refilled, my CYA levels are low 30. I intentionally left it low as I realize this will build up in time with use of tablets. I am testing with a Taylor test kit. I just took over maintaining my own chemicals and still have a bit to learn. I am using Lestlies power powder plus. I understand liquid chlorine has a shelf life and I dont want to visit the pool store anymore than I have to. I didn't know I could use liquid bleach to meet the chlorine demand. I am also using Lestlies perfect weekly. I will read the pool school link this evening after work.
 
Re: Just had a big pool party

Dewayne B. said:
thanks, I just replastered and refilled, my CYA levels are low 30. I intentionally left it low as I realize this will build up in time with use of tablets. I am testing with a Taylor test kit. I just took over maintaining my own chemicals and still have a bit to learn. I am using Lestlies power powder plus. I understand liquid chlorine has a shelf life and I dont want to visit the pool store anymore than I have to. I didn't know I could use liquid bleach to meet the chlorine demand. I am also using Lestlies perfect weekly. I will read the pool school link this evening after work.
Click to expand...

Pool stores are not evil- if you can find one locally which sells liquid chlorine and MA in 1 gal jugs and buy only what you need. You don't have to prove anything to them, it's your pool :). Their LC is 12.5% and while slightly more than $2.00/1gal of 8.25% I'm still buying there:
- less water to carry around
- I was unable to find 8.25% bleach at that price
- it is always very fresh as they prepare it daily
- they're closer than any WalMart
- the lines are non- existent and I don't go to WalMart often otherwise

I actually go there weekly to buy always fresh :). If you already have Power Powder Plus then you prob can use it to chlorinate and raise CYA at the same time. It requires some finesse in pool maintenance on your part to keep an eye on both parameters. I wouldn't bother though as the savings won't be that much- frequent CYA test will require CYA refill soon etc.

As you got the kit I'd perform OCLT first to make sure you have no leftovers from your 'algae problems'.
 

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Re: Just had a big pool party

max2k said:
Pool stores are not evil- if you can find one locally which sells liquid chlorine and MA in 1 gal jugs and buy only what you need. You don't have to prove anything to them, it's your pool :). Their LC is 12.5% and while slightly more than $2.00/1gal of 8.25% I'm still buying there:
- less water to carry around
- I was unable to find 8.25% bleach at that price
- it is always very fresh as they prepare it daily
- they're closer than any WalMart
- the lines are non- existent and I don't go to WalMart often otherwise

I actually go there weekly to buy always fresh :). If you already have Power Powder Plus then you prob can use it to chlorinate and raise CYA at the same time. It requires some finesse in pool maintenance on your part to keep an eye on both parameters. I wouldn't bother though as the savings won't be that much- frequent CYA test will require CYA refill soon etc.

As you got the kit I'd perform OCLT first to make sure you have no leftovers from your 'algae problems'.
Click to expand...

Im in luck, there is a pool supply store in town that sells liquid chlorine and I picked up 2 gal. I can also get 8.25% bleach at Sams Club. I'm wondering does bleach degrade in strength at the same rate as chlorine? My CYA is at 30 and I'd like to keep it low as long as possible. Would you advise not floating tabs provided I am able to test and adjust chlorine daily?
 
For pool maintenance intents and purposes, bleach and chlorinating liquid are the same thing (other than % strength) so degradation is the same as well (other than % strength). The stronger the brew, the faster it degrades, especially when poorly stored.

CYA at 30 ppm is barely enough. You'll consume less chlorine daily at 40, and less than that at 50.
 
Dewayne:

Welcome to TFP! I'm a few hours south of you here in the Central Valley and I can feel for the frustration you've encountered. I bought a home with a lovely pool.....but the water - NOT so lovely. As warm weather came on, I had problems with algae and finally figured out that a flush and refill was the only way I was going to make it. So, a weekend project, and it was done.....so very glad I did it, and the cost was reasonable even here between Fresno and Bakersfield!

Like you, I want to keep my CYA down, so I eliminated the store shock treatments and pulled the tab chlorinator from the pool. However, my latest test numbers still indicate my CYA is around 30 (maybe below) and I've noted that I do use quite a bit of liquid chlorine (10% found at Home Depot) as a result, and if I don't pay attention to the pool daily, that green monster seems to want to find his way into the shallows of my pool. With that in mind, I am looking to let my CYA creep up closer to 40 - I don't see how it will hurt and it will leave room for those times (vacation) when I need to let the tabs do their thing when I can't.

With that said, allow me to piggy back this question on your introduction.....will the use of tablets hurt me where CH is concerned? Here are my latest numbers:
FC 4
CC 0.5
TC 4.5
CH 300
TA 80
CYA 30 (maybe a bit less)
PH 7.8
 
CYA by itself is actually required FC buffer: with CYA below recommended levels your pool might get below min FC by the end of day due to breakdown from the Sun.
It only creates problems if you put too much of it either by mistake or by using solid forms of chlorine for chlorinating. It also tends to fall with time so please pay attention to its level.
 
Hello Bnilsin, I have brought my CYA up to 40 and have been adding liquid chlorine and testing daily. On average I am loosing 1 PPM chlorine daily and I'm also floating 2 tablets. I have been able to keep TC above 2 but testing and adding daily is a bit of a pain. I have been reading up on SWG pools and have questions about how it may effect the life expectancy of my equipment, new plaster and tile. I'm currently very pleased with how my pool looks and it's sparkle and clarity have never been better.
 
For CYA at 40 ppm, be sure to keep your FC at 3 and above. Think of the 3 ppm FC as a bare minimum. You may be adding once per day to take it up to 5 or 6 ppm FC in order to be sure you don't fall down to less than 3.
 
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