Questions about CYA from a beginner

[kisonay]

I just had a Gunite Chlorine pool put in which also included a year of maintenance. They come weekly and I receive an email on test values and actions that were taken.

In last weeks email I noticed that the CYA value is currently at 80. From what I see this is a bit high. Is my understanding correct?

Should I bring this up to the pool company or just keep an eye on it and "fix" it when I take over the maintenance the middle of the summer?

​

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

Welcome to TFP.. A great resource for all your pool maintenance questions... May you live long and "Prosper"...

I assume that this is NOT a saltwater pool...

The only way to fix your high CYA issue is to drain and refill your pool. You can tell the pool company about the problem, but I doubt they will do anything about it.

If you drain now, and let your pool company continue their maintenance, it will be too high again by next summer.

Tell us more about your pool and what your pool company is using to chlorinate it.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[kisonay]

Thank you. You are correct, it is a chlorine based pool.

It has an inline chlorinator (with tabs) and depending on the chemistry they have shocked it and added liquids (acids) to balance the chemistry.

I just updated my signature which will hopefully help. If I left anything out of the signature that should be added, please let me know.

 

[Texas Splash]

Definitely stop empty the inline chlorinator - no more tabs or bags of shock. That's where your high CYA is coming from. For free chlorine (FC), stick to HEB's Bravo or Walmart's Great value (regular, not scented) bleaches. While 80 is up there (assuming it's correct), you can get by for now by maintaining the corresponding/elevated FC level. With any luck and maybe some winter rains, maybe you'll be able to do some water exchange and that CYA will come down to about 60-70 by spring/summer which is good for our TX sunshine. But we have to stop "assuming". If you don't have your own TF-100 test it, I would make that a priority. When you test your CYA, it might actually be higher than 80 which, and Jim said above, might put you in the position to do a partial water exchange now. I would push for the TF-100, and also consider the magnetic speed stirrer for efficient mixing - makes a great stocking stuffer.

Welcome!!

 

[kisonay]

Thanks for the input Pat. Since we have maintenance included through July, I'lll bring this all up the pool company and hopefully they will listen.

Once I take over the maintenance, I will be using the TFP method.

I will also work on getting the kit. Would you also recommend the XL option? what is the shelf life of the kits typically?

 

[mknauss]

It would be highly unusual for a pool maintenance company to follow TFPC and have a proper test kit.

I would suggest you just have them come by and clean the pool, etc. And you take over the chemistry side of your pool maintenance. This will save you in the long run - I promise.

Take care.

 

[Texas Splash]

The XL option is always a great value. As long as the reagents are kept inside in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, they'll last all season - some of them longer. When you discuss everything with your maintenance folks, be prepared for that "deer in the headlights" look. Or perhaps a soft-spoken grunt as they disclaim the info. :blah: You'll see what we mean once you start testing yourself. Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[cfherrman]

I would just ask why the cya is so high and are they going to pay for a water exchange.

Don't expect anything out of them, it would just be best to tell them not to come anymore and get the tf100 kit and do it yourself, any way with them leads to problems.

 

[borjis]

I'm not sure I would bother asking them why the cya is high.

The answer is obvious and would likely be a waste of time in my opinion.
One pool co I used to do business with would allow pools they maintain
to get up to 125 ppm of cya before recommending/doing a water replacement.

Just tell them you will take care of all chemical additions now.

No point allowing it to go on making it worse.

 

[domct203]

I also recommend that you just start taking over the water chemistry yourself once you have the proper test kit, and the sooner the better. Pool Builders are specialists in construction, not water chemistry. Any attempts to convince them that high CYA levels become detrimental to water maintenance will fall on deaf ears.

Tell them that you want to take things on one at a time, and you are starting with water chemistry.

What type of warranty do you have with the pool? Some pool builders may require independent testing results for warranty purposes (pool store testing), which makes your CYA level even more important right now as higher CYA forces higher FC to keep the pool sanitary, most likely pushing FC out of a builder's 'recommended range'.

 

[PoolGate]

After the first time the PB supplied pool maintenance company came over and "flung" chemicals in my pool without testing for anything and then told me the people "online" have no idea what they are talking about, I sent an email telling them never to come back. I have done my own maintenance since then and the pool chemistry is near perfect and water is clear as can be. The sooner you send them on their way the better off you will be. Your water quality is not worth the $100 in chemicals you might lose by not using them anymore.

 

[salty87]

The longer they take care of the chemistry the more 'in the weeds' you'll end up.