Upping CYA through ProTeam High Tech pucks?

[dw886]

OK, so a few questions here. Pardon my ignorance on this topic: I know NOTHING about pucks, since I've been reading TFP since prior to purchasing the pool and know that they are a bad idea as a maintenance plan as they UP CYA. My pool maintenance plan is completely TFP...

Reasoning: My CYA is 0. I need it to be about 30 for an attempt to use my IntelliChem. I happen to have a bucket of pucks, so this is more convenient than going out and buying stabilizer. My SWG is also offline since my water temp is 47 degrees, so I'm manually chlorinating right now.

Pool company inadvertently sent me a bucket of ProTeam 3" High Tech Tabs even though my pool is salt water. They look to be mostly trichlor, SDS located here: http://www.proteampoolcare.com/images/uploads/proteam_3in_high_tech_tabs_1.pdf Website with description here: ProTeam Pool Care

Website mentions that they add Borates: "Advanced borate technology, produces higher chlorine efficiency".

So here's my questions:
1.) What's the method of using pucks if I choose to move forward with this? Do I just drop one in my skimmer? How often do I do this, or do I just rely on my testing? If I'm relying on testing, is there a starting point that someone can offer based on my pool size? Here's my numbers from last night in case it helps:

FC: 2.5
CC: 0.5
PH: 7.3
TA: 70
CH: 175
CYA: - not registering at all
Salt: 4000​

2.) How many pucks will it take to raise my CYA to 30? From pool math, with an assumption of an 8 oz puck of trichlor, it would seem that it would take over 23 pucks. Depending on the answers to #1 above, this could take a really long time?
3.) It seems that Borates are a good thing, but I haven't read enough. Is the fact that these pucks contain borates a reason to go down this route?

 

[Donldson]

The pucks are 8 ounces, but since those pucks contain the borates each one only has about 5 ounces of trichlor in it, so you are closer to 35 or so pucks. That is going to take quite a while to dissolve, and you are going to have trouble keeping your FC in line during the day without adequate CYA in your water. Also trichlor is acidic so you will likely have to raise your TA and pH several times during this process.

All in all I don't see how this will be more convenient than just getting your CYA up to the appropriate level now.

Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You can use pucks as long as you are aware of the side ingredients (either CYA or calcium). Since you know you need CYA they're perfect for you. Go to the bottom of Pool Math and see at the bottom how much CYA they will add per puck.. Then you can count out how many you can use and go for it! Get a floater for the best way to use them. We don't suggest putting in the skimmer as when the pump is off the water becomes very acidic and then when it again turns on that acidic water is harsh on your equipment gaskets.

Borates are best left for pools which don't require a lot of pH or TA adjustments.

Yip

 

[dw886]

Thanks for the replies!

OK, so a few more questions on this:
- If I go down this route with the pucks, how long does it take a puck to dissolve? I guessing it takes some time, but again, I have no idea on how they work...
- Do I continually keep adding pucks as soon as the previous puck is dissolved, or does using a puck create more of a yo-yo effect on FC, causing it to spike when it's added, and then I'd give time for FC to drift down, and then add another puck?
- I'm running my pump 24x7 (it's cold in ND right now, like 35 degrees this morning), so I have my VS sitting at 1500 RPM 24x7. I also have an auto-cover. If I keep my pump running 24x7, am I better off putting the puck into one of the skimmers vs a floater that's in constant (not moving) contact with my auto-cover?

 

[spinPHD]

I grew up in ND, and remember all the work my grandpa had to do to maintain an inground pool in those conditions. Now that I'm in AZ, I can't believe I use to swim when the pool was so cold.

Anyway, with a SWG its get your CYA up to 70-80, which would take way to long using pucks.

Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

What I would do is buy granual stabilizer up to 30. That may be the entire bottle depending on how much you buy. Then use your pucks for a while until it starts getting warm and sunny. Test your cya then and add any additional cya you need to get you to proper levels during the summer months.

 

[triptyx]

The pucks will generally take a week or so to dissolve (your mileage may vary). This means upping your CYA even 20pts is going to take you a month or more. Meanwhile, the sun will be burning off your chlorine at a much higher rate than you'd like which will tax your SWG more than you need to trying to keep up with the burnoff.

I like where spin is going, but with a target 70-80, if you're dead-set on using those pucks (and I'd recommend not doing it that way), you might want to use CYA granules to get to 50 and then puck from there.