New pool owner really high CYA and CH what should I do

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optikon

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May 6, 2017
5
Phoenix
Hey I'm a new pool owner and have been reading the forum for a few weeks now. Just got a Taylor k2006 here are my first results:

FC: 3.2ppm
CC: 0.4ppm
PH: 7.7
TA: 160 ppm
CH: 720 ppm
CYA: crazy high did two dilutions and got a reading about 85

What do I need to do? I'm assuming partial drain and refill to lower CYA? It seems like the CYA lowering stuff is pretty hit or miss. Also My CH looks off the charts. I may have completely screwed that one up. Also it looks like my FC needs to be at least 5x higher for my CYA level.

I went to the big pool store near me about 2 weeks ago and got
CH: 230
TA: 115
CYA: 120

I know the pool store isn't the most reliable, but I'm concerned about my measurements for CYA and CH, especially since this is my first time. I'm going to run a sample over to the pool store to see if maybe my pool has drastically changed in the past 2 weeks.
 
Welcome! :wave:

An outstanding first post -- signature filled out, test results from a reliable kit, and you've been reading Pool School, to boot! :goodjob:

If your pool has been fed a steady diet of trichlor pucks and maybe some dichlor "shock" added from time to time --- maybe a lot of shock if someone had to clear the green in the past -- then CYA in the 300s is not at all unreasonable. And the high CH is probably correct. I would have guessed higher. Don't waste time having the pool store test the water. Their test results are probably what got that pool where it is today.

I see a major drain and refill in your immediate future. If you can pull from the main drain, you can remove the drain plug from your filter and screw an adaptor in and connect a backwash hose. Or go rent a big submersible pump and empty the thing in a few hours. Toss the hoses in and let 'em run overnight.

You've been reading plenty here and you have a good test kit, so getting it all straightened out shouldn't be a big deal.
 
Richard, Thanks for the fast reply. It seems like I've been reading TFP whenever I have a free minute, but I didn't want to post until I had a good test kit, since I knew the first reply would be, "We can't help you until you get accurate test results." It's good to know that my numbers aren't as unbelievable as I thought they were.

I was thinking of adding a SWG since we take a few ~2 week trips a year to see family or go on vacation, and we don't have a reliable way to keep the pool taken care of while we are out. From what I've read, if I know my pool, I can compensate (lower PH, add additional salt, etc) and keep the pool from going completely off the rails during our trip. I also know that SWG work best higher CYA levels ~80, so if we go SWG is a total drain still the right approach?

Thanks!
 
Dont go spending on the SWG just yet. Do the Drain/refill, learn how to take care of the chemistry first. When the time comes to leave you can use tablets for 2 weeks. Just make sure you dont up your CYA levels to the limit so you have room to spare. Then after 6-12 months you can go ahead and purchase the SWG, by then you will have full control of the chemistry and adjusting levels for SWG is easy.

Felipe
 
optikon said:
Richard, Thanks for the fast reply. It seems like I've been reading TFP whenever I have a free minute, but I didn't want to post until I had a good test kit, since I knew the first reply would be, "We can't help you until you get accurate test results." It's good to know that my numbers aren't as unbelievable as I thought they were.

I was thinking of adding a SWG since we take a few ~2 week trips a year to see family or go on vacation, and we don't have a reliable way to keep the pool taken care of while we are out. From what I've read, if I know my pool, I can compensate (lower PH, add additional salt, etc) and keep the pool from going completely off the rails during our trip. I also know that SWG work best higher CYA levels ~80, so if we go SWG is a total drain still the right approach?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You're probably looking at 75% replacement. You could drain and refill half, let it mix, retest, and go from there. Or do it all and start with a clean slate. Actually, you also live in one of the few areas of the country where reverse osmosis is available. That strips everything out of the water. But that CH is just going to keep climbing and the CYA won't go away by itself. You'll have to do something whether or not you switch to a SWG.
 
With the relative cool down we have coming to the Valley Of the Sun on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - this would be a prime time to drain and refill. This may be one of the last times this season for daytime temps in the 70's.

You can rent a sump pump from HD for around $50, or buy a decent one from Harbor Freight for a bit more. Don't know exactly where in the valley you are, but in Chandler it would cost about $40-$50 in water to refill your 18k pool. Also, many cities in the east valley want you to drain to the sewer cleanout (usually located in your front yard) - so you're not pumping 18k gallons of water into the street.
 
Thanks everyone, I took a bit of time and ordered a pump from Amazon, I was able to start draining it on Tuesday, and got it about 3/4 empty before I got worried about not getting it refilled before temps jumped into the high 80s again. Which means I didn't get all my levels down as low as I would have liked, but I plan on pumping out and replacing water 1k gallons at a time until it's where I want it. Not ideal, but better than ruining the plaster.

New numbers:

F.C: 9 ppm
CC: < .5 ppm
PH: 7.5
TA: 140
CH: 360
CYA: 90

For the lazy Old Numbers:

FC: 3.2ppm
CC: 0.4ppm
PH: 7.7
TA: 160 ppm
CH: 720 ppm
CYA: crazy high did two dilutions and got a reading about 85

As you can see these are much better. I'm still working on dropping the CYA and my original CYA must have been close to 400! My wife's coworker's husband is a pool guy and stopped by today to help fix a suction side leak and quote fixing my pool light (junction box is below the deck and is not at all up to code.) He seemed to think that FC level was high, and so does whatever app I'm using to track my pool chemistry readings. But according to what I see in pool school I'm actually running a bit low on FC. It seems like the TFP(BBB) method uses a higher FC than most people, any specific reason why? It seems like other people tend to have decent results cruising at much lower FC levels. Are there any risks of running at this higher FC level than other methods advocate?
 
There's a direct relationship between chlorine and CYA! There is a chart in pool school. The higher the CYA the higher chlorine level needed to maintain a safe sanitation level. When you get your CYA around 30-40 then you would only need around 4-6 ppm of chlorine
 
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