This is my 1st time posting a message, so here's a brief history to bring you up to date...
Four yrs ago we had a 26k gallon in ground pool installed w/ a heater. For the first four yrs I was under the impression that all I had to do was check the water weekly with the teststrips (which I did religiously) Ocassionally making slight adjustments with the help of the pool store. This year when they opened the pool we discovered that our heat exchanger had pin holes in it. I am told this was a result of bad water chemistry.
I went right out and purchased the Leslie's Total Poolcare DPD test Kit. In researching a new pool heater I discovered your website and signed right up. Since I've been using the new test kit my total and free chlorine #'s are always 5ppm+ (outside the 5ppm max of this test kit) I just ordered the TF Test kits FAS/DPD Chlorine test.
My #'s today (Sunday 8-2) are:
Free CH 5+
Total CH 5+
PH 7.3
Alk 90
Calcuim H 280
CY 100++
My question is; once I get the new test kit should I let my chlorine #'s stay high if my CYA is always 100+ (based on the Chlorine/CYA chart) or should I lower my CYA and go for the #'s recommended on the site for vinyl pools?
I should mention that to get mychlorine #'s @ the 5+ they are now, I sometimes have to turn off the chlorinator (3" dichlor) for days at a time. I live in the Northeast USA (Long Island) the water in the pool is clear. I hope I have explained this all correctly.
Thank you for your help.
18'x40' 26,000 gallon vinyl in ground
Hayward Sand Filter (s244s) 62GPM 1 1/2 hp
Jandy Lite heater (LJ325N)
Polaris 380 Robot
Hayward Automatic Chlorine Feeder