Pool Eating Bleach; High pH, TA and CH; Help Appreciated!

[wooley1987]

Long time listener, first time poster!

I have been using bleach in my pool since I bought my home in Jan 2016. I did a partial drain to lower the CYA, and did all last summer with bleach, plus occasionally lowered the pH with muriatic acid (I believe my spa spillover causes the pH to creep up). We have been getting quite a bit of spring rain, and I have been bleaching the pool to combat the new rainwater. The pool is clear, but I am still using a lot of bleach. I buy the 121oz bottles of 8.25% Clorox at Sam's. I have been using more than 3 bottles/week just to keep some chlorine in the pool. When I get the chlorine up 6 ppm, my tests do not show any Combined Chlorine. I know that I need to raise my CYA to a stable level, but I am hesitant because, up until now, I have only been concerned with keeping it low. I am sure the sun and rainwater are depleting my chlorine quickly because of my low CYA. All of that being said, I would like some opinions on what to do with my pool right now. Below are my latest numbers:

FC: ~4
CC: 0
pH: 8.0 or above
TA: 200
Cal Hard: 320
CYA: 0-<20

- What's the best way to raise CYA? (I have some trichlor tabs I can put in the feeder)
- Is there anyway I can bring the pH, TA, and CH down and then stabilize those numbers?

Any help is appreciated, THANKS!

 

[Nursenini]

I believe it will take the pucks too long to raise your CYA. I would suggest you go get some granular stabilizer (Lowes carries it) and put it in a sock in front of a return to dissolve. Of course, use Pool math to determine the amount you need to add. I would also lower your pH to about 7.2 and aerate your pH back up to 7.8 and keep lowering it to that number every time it creeps up to 7.8 in order to bring your TA down, which is way too high. You really want TA around 70.

I woukd target CYA to 50-60, and bring your FC in line with your CYA according to pool math- generally between 7-10ppm.

Your CH is fine.

What are you testing with? TF-100?

 

[domct203]

You really need CYA in the pool, especially if you are running FC at 4-6ppm with hardly any CYA, that's very harsh on the pool & equipment.


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[wooley1987]

I appreciate the insight. Nursenini I am using the Leslie's FAS-DPD kit. I needed a test kit in a hurry last year, and bought this one from the pool store. I believe it is very similar to the Taylor kit.

 

[Nursenini]

I'm not familiar with the Leslie's kit, but the kits that are recommended here are the TF-100 and the Taylor K-2006C. I would encourage you to get one of those, then you (and we) can be sure of how and what you are testing.

Hopefully, you have added MA per Pool Math and your stabilizer is dissolving in front of a return currently...

 

[Richard320]

Assuming the Leslie's kit uses powder and drops to measure chlorine, it's a K-2006. If it just uses drops, it's the K-2005, which the pros at Leslie's will tell you is the same, but isn't. If you got swindled like so many, you don't need to buy a whole new kit. tftestkits sells just the FAS-DPD add-on.

You can't do anything about high CH but replace water. 320 isn't so bad. I've never seen mine that low. It's not ideal, but it's no big deal, so don't sweat it. The high pH is more worrisome.

If that was my pool, I'd drop pH to 7.5 or thereabouts with muriatic acid and load the floater with pucks. By the time 8 of them have dissolved, your CYA should be close to where you want it, and your pH and TA will be lowered.