Firstly, I've operated a pool for all of 3 weeks now and I admit it - I've already made several mistakes. The two biggest were:
1) Not doing enough research first (ie, reading this forum) and;
2) Listening to pool store associates (never again)
That said, here are my stats:
In-ground, vinyl lined, SWG system, ~22,000 gallon pool
FC = 14 ppm
TC = 14 ppm
Salt = 3100 ppm
CH = 140 ppm
CYA = 110 ppm !!
TA = 100 ppm
pH = 7.5
Copper, Iron = 0
Phosphates = 500 ppb
Temperature = 70F
As you can see, I've got high CYA. Did I mention I have a vinyl liner? Did I mention salt water? Did I also mention my pool is 50 years old and has no main drain?
Brief background story if you care to read: opened pool about 3 weeks ago, immediately converted to salt water because it's easier and less chemicals right? (first mistake - now, what do I *do* with my salt water?) Cleaned and tested daily for a week and a half. Left town for 2 nights / 3 days. Came back to failed capacitor, pump had stopped running, had beginnings of algae growing on water surface. Went to pool store (second mistake) where I was advised to shock with... you guessed it, CYA-containing Chlor-Brite. I didn't even know what CYA was at this point (first mistake again). This shock occurred Saturday. As you can see, my chlorine levels are still very high. Algae has begun to grow again on water surface since the high CYA is making my chlorine inefficient, plus high phosphates. Took a water sample into pool store for the readout given above.
My DPD test kit doesn't do CYA, so I bought the strips. I tested an undiluted sample for CYA (tested between 100-150ppm). I tested a diluted 1:1 sample for CYA (tested between 40-100ppm). Finally, I tested a diluted 2:1 sample (tested below 40ppm). So the 110ppm CYA level seems to check out based on these 3 measurements.
Now that I've done my reading, the consensus for high CYA is to drain/replace. Pool calculator says I need to drain roughly 25% and replace. But I can't drain without ruining the vinyl liner, I also have salt-laden water that I can't simply dump in my yard, AND I have no main drain and the only pump intake is located at the skimmer, so I can't drain past that level without a submersible pump.
I will defer to the thoughts of other more experience pool people here, but as of now I see two main options:
a) Use submersible pump to pump out 1-2 feet of water at a time, before vinyl starts to sag, and replace with new water. Repeat 4+ times until CYA is 70-80 ppm or;
b) Fill the pool up to the brim and backwash back to normal levels an estimated 8+ times.
Any other thoughts, advice, or general derision?
Also, for other salt water owners, where do you drain backwash? I'm not keen on salting my lawn.
1) Not doing enough research first (ie, reading this forum) and;
2) Listening to pool store associates (never again)
That said, here are my stats:
In-ground, vinyl lined, SWG system, ~22,000 gallon pool
FC = 14 ppm
TC = 14 ppm
Salt = 3100 ppm
CH = 140 ppm
CYA = 110 ppm !!
TA = 100 ppm
pH = 7.5
Copper, Iron = 0
Phosphates = 500 ppb
Temperature = 70F
As you can see, I've got high CYA. Did I mention I have a vinyl liner? Did I mention salt water? Did I also mention my pool is 50 years old and has no main drain?
Brief background story if you care to read: opened pool about 3 weeks ago, immediately converted to salt water because it's easier and less chemicals right? (first mistake - now, what do I *do* with my salt water?) Cleaned and tested daily for a week and a half. Left town for 2 nights / 3 days. Came back to failed capacitor, pump had stopped running, had beginnings of algae growing on water surface. Went to pool store (second mistake) where I was advised to shock with... you guessed it, CYA-containing Chlor-Brite. I didn't even know what CYA was at this point (first mistake again). This shock occurred Saturday. As you can see, my chlorine levels are still very high. Algae has begun to grow again on water surface since the high CYA is making my chlorine inefficient, plus high phosphates. Took a water sample into pool store for the readout given above.
My DPD test kit doesn't do CYA, so I bought the strips. I tested an undiluted sample for CYA (tested between 100-150ppm). I tested a diluted 1:1 sample for CYA (tested between 40-100ppm). Finally, I tested a diluted 2:1 sample (tested below 40ppm). So the 110ppm CYA level seems to check out based on these 3 measurements.
Now that I've done my reading, the consensus for high CYA is to drain/replace. Pool calculator says I need to drain roughly 25% and replace. But I can't drain without ruining the vinyl liner, I also have salt-laden water that I can't simply dump in my yard, AND I have no main drain and the only pump intake is located at the skimmer, so I can't drain past that level without a submersible pump.
I will defer to the thoughts of other more experience pool people here, but as of now I see two main options:
a) Use submersible pump to pump out 1-2 feet of water at a time, before vinyl starts to sag, and replace with new water. Repeat 4+ times until CYA is 70-80 ppm or;
b) Fill the pool up to the brim and backwash back to normal levels an estimated 8+ times.
Any other thoughts, advice, or general derision?
Also, for other salt water owners, where do you drain backwash? I'm not keen on salting my lawn.