Orange algae ring around pool

[Teald024]

Yeah, but isn't it a lot cheaper to use tabs? I have been using these same tabs for like three years and the CYA was never an issue until now. After I replaced like 65% of the water three months ago, Leslie's tested my water and said my CYA was at 60. I just don't want to spend a lot of energy or money on maintenance.

Is liquid chlorine what everyone in these forums suggest?

I found that tabs were more expensive in my tab dispenser because I need to buy a proprietary cartridge to go in it. Tabs from a bucket may be comparable to liquid chlorine as a day to day expense. What you also need to consider is the cost and trouble to replace your water 1x or 2x a season. With that, I think tabs are more trouble and expensive.
Using liquid chlorine or a salt water generator are the two most favored methods of adding chlorine to a pool. Both are about the same cost in the long term. The only downside to liquid chlorine is the daily additions that must be made. I added a liquid chlorine pump (Stenner type) to automate my system to remove the daily pour.

 

[Demegrad9]

Yeah, but isn't it a lot cheaper to use tabs? I have been using these same tabs for like three years and the CYA was never an issue until now. After I replaced like 65% of the water three months ago, Leslie's tested my water and said my CYA was at 60. I just don't want to spend a lot of energy or money on maintenance.

Not necessarily. Just in terms of chlorine, when I did the math switching to bleach, comparing my $2.99 a gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine vs buying tabs at Leslie's, it's pretty much the exact same price for chlorine over the summer. But the real cost savings comes from the fact that using liquid chlorine and controlling CYA is that you don't have to buy all the extra chemicals to keep your pool swimmable.

And just fyi, if we assume Leslie's CYA measurement of 60ppm is correct after you replaced ~65% of your water, that means your CYA level prior to the water replacement was about 170ppm. From what we've seen on this forum, you just got lucky that you didn't have problems sooner.