Hello, been a homeowner with a pool for about a year. Promised my spouse I would do all the pool chemicals, but he used to work for a pool chlorinating business so I thought his advice would be all we needed. Well, midway into summer our CYA was all the way at 200 (in sunny AZ they recommend 70). Pool store guy just said to backwash everyday for a couple weeks. Started using bleach only and all that backwashing got it down to 120. Except now a month later it went back up to 150. How is that possible if I haven't even added anything with stabilizer in it? Also, never had a problem with pH before, was always around 7.5 but now my pH seems to be rising, (7.8) not sure if thats a side effect of bleach or what. The pool store tells me what they're mostly concerned with is our phosphates (500). I have avoided a partial drain because water waste in the desert breaks my heart, but is it necessary? And if I need to partial drain how do I even do that? Also, its coming up on end of swim season, probably only 2 or 3 weeks left of swimming this year, so when should I do it, if thats what is needed?
The struggle is real
- Thread starter Bicely
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,385
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum! :handshake:
How are you testing your water chemistry? Here in the desert we have to drain and refill normally for calcium hardness hitting very high levels. What is yours?
I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.
How are you testing your water chemistry? Here in the desert we have to drain and refill normally for calcium hardness hitting very high levels. What is yours?
I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,485
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The pucks you were using contained some acid and automatically lowered your PH. Now you need to do it separately using MA.
Phosphates should not be a concern if you maintain proper FC for your CYA based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]
Who is testing the water the pool store? If so get a tf100 test kit and find out what u really have in ur water. U can keep a good pool without the test kit pool stores are clowns
My calcium levels were at around 200. I have my own test kit for chlorine and ph but for all the other levels I’ve been going to the pool store to have them test. However you guys convinced me to spend the $80 to get the tf100 so I can accurately test myself. It’ll take a couple days for that to get here though.
Do you think I need to partial drain to get my cya under control?
Do you think I need to partial drain to get my cya under control?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,385
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
It would be wise to lower your CYA down to at least 70 ppm. We normally get pretty good CYA degradation in the summer due to warm water temperatures but that time has passed.
How do you have a CH of 200? Other members in Tucson have much higher CH values to start. Your water source must be quite different.
How do you have a CH of 200? Other members in Tucson have much higher CH values to start. Your water source must be quite different.
At the beginning of summer my ch levels were 400 but with all that backwashing it went down to 200. I wish my cya levels had gone down that much too! I fill with my tap, and sometimes with harvested rain water
Excellent!! Mind sharing how you harvest it? This is something that would benefit many pool owners in the southwest.
Maddie
I agree that any of us living in the desert struggles with CH! Especially since we get very little rain. I have found what appears to be so far, somewhat of a solution although it may not be applicable for everyone.
1. I'm fortunate enough to have a whole house Kinetico water softener.
2. After reading many posts here at TFP, I found that some use their house softener for after-backwash refills, evaporation compensation etc.
3. So.... I used my TF-100 to measure the hardness of the city water and then "post" water-softener water. My results were as follows:
City = 200ppm
grrrr, post softener = 25ppm.
4. I then shut off the valve to the autofill (city water).
5. I have now been compensating for evaporation by using the softened water (the old "get the hose" method). My CH is now holding steady at 550ppm (too high for my likes however). I'm figuring that as I perform backwashes, that my CH will begin to drop (in theory).
6. Luckily, I have a tap from the house (softened) very close to where the pool autofill valve is. Once our weather (temp) get's decent, my plan is to merge the two water sources by using a brass 3-way valve. That way, I can use the autofill from either water source as I choose (city water for complete refills, softened for minor refills and evap comp).
1. I'm fortunate enough to have a whole house Kinetico water softener.
2. After reading many posts here at TFP, I found that some use their house softener for after-backwash refills, evaporation compensation etc.
3. So.... I used my TF-100 to measure the hardness of the city water and then "post" water-softener water. My results were as follows:
City = 200ppm
grrrr, post softener = 25ppm.4. I then shut off the valve to the autofill (city water).
5. I have now been compensating for evaporation by using the softened water (the old "get the hose" method
). My CH is now holding steady at 550ppm (too high for my likes however). I'm figuring that as I perform backwashes, that my CH will begin to drop (in theory).6. Luckily, I have a tap from the house (softened) very close to where the pool autofill valve is. Once our weather (temp) get's decent, my plan is to merge the two water sources by using a brass 3-way valve. That way, I can use the autofill from either water source as I choose (city water for complete refills, softened for minor refills and evap comp).
Thank you. How much and how often MA should I plan to need to add if I use the bleach method?
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,849
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You can't base anything on the numbers you've been getting from the pool store. So don't try. Just wait until you get your new kit, then post your results here.
The pool store is "concerned" about your phosphate level because they want to sell you a phosphate remover. Don't fall for it. Keep your FC at the correct level and your phosphate level will be a non-issue.
As explained, your new pH-rise issue is because you've stopped using pucks. How much MA a pool needs is different for each pool. And can change throughout the year. You'll test pH with your new kit, and dose with MA to bring your pH to the correct level. You'll use PoolMath to calculate how much MA to use each time. You'll know soon enough how much and how often.
The fastest way to lower CYA is to drain water. It will degrade on its own, a little, but it takes a while, and as Marty points out, the season that mostly occurs in is now winding down. So, yah, you gotta drain. You mentioned that draining breaks your heart, which is admirable, but that's what you've already been doing. All those backwashes were mini-drain-refills, just over time. That's how you got your CYA down. Same same: little by little, or all at once. Well, actually, little by little wastes more water.
I have high CH and high TA fill water. I no longer have CH-rise in my pool because I connected my auto-fill to my softener. That's the ticket. Otherwise, it's drain/refill every once in a while. Those are the two cheapest choices.
It's all pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. And getting the hang of it is pretty easy too. Plus, you've now got an army of helpers here at TFP, just ask and we'll be all over it!
Welcome to TFP!!
The pool store is "concerned" about your phosphate level because they want to sell you a phosphate remover. Don't fall for it. Keep your FC at the correct level and your phosphate level will be a non-issue.
As explained, your new pH-rise issue is because you've stopped using pucks. How much MA a pool needs is different for each pool. And can change throughout the year. You'll test pH with your new kit, and dose with MA to bring your pH to the correct level. You'll use PoolMath to calculate how much MA to use each time. You'll know soon enough how much and how often.
The fastest way to lower CYA is to drain water. It will degrade on its own, a little, but it takes a while, and as Marty points out, the season that mostly occurs in is now winding down. So, yah, you gotta drain. You mentioned that draining breaks your heart, which is admirable, but that's what you've already been doing. All those backwashes were mini-drain-refills, just over time. That's how you got your CYA down. Same same: little by little, or all at once. Well, actually, little by little wastes more water.
I have high CH and high TA fill water. I no longer have CH-rise in my pool because I connected my auto-fill to my softener. That's the ticket. Otherwise, it's drain/refill every once in a while. Those are the two cheapest choices.
It's all pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. And getting the hang of it is pretty easy too. Plus, you've now got an army of helpers here at TFP, just ask and we'll be all over it!
Welcome to TFP!!
Bicely, I just want to mention that with such high calcium you can help avoid scale by keeping your pH on the lower end of normal. Like 7.2-7.4 and monitoring your CSI using PoolMath.
Keep the CSI as close to zero or slightly negative and you shouldn't have many problems.
Maddie
Keep the CSI as close to zero or slightly negative and you shouldn't have many problems.
Maddie
Bicely
The above advise is right on!!
I can't over-emphasize how important it is to "get your arms" around your chemistry and the proper chemical additions as outlined here on TFP.
Before, I was always chasing chem levels, believing the pool store test results and "rhetoric", wasting a lot of money on un-needed "hokes-pokus" chemicals etc.
Once I took the time to use the resources here on TFP (Pool School, Pool Math, research by searching specific threads and purchasing and learning the TF-100), my pool has made an enormous turn-around.
Yea, it's a time commitment at first (educating yourself, learning the TF-100 etc.), but I actually spend less time now AND LESS $$$ on pool maintenance than I ever did before. By the way, the TF-100 takes a little bit of time at first, but it gets much much better as you get some practice under your belt. (use the extended test kit directions).
AND, my pool is absolutely AMAZING now. Super clean and sparkling clear all while paying less for un-needed junk.
I don't have to guess at anything regarding chem levels, adding acid, etc, etc. now.
Any questions or concerns that you may have, can be answered by many experienced users who have already made all of the same mistakes by believing the pool store "party lines".
The above advise is right on!!
I can't over-emphasize how important it is to "get your arms" around your chemistry and the proper chemical additions as outlined here on TFP.
Before, I was always chasing chem levels, believing the pool store test results and "rhetoric", wasting a lot of money on un-needed "hokes-pokus" chemicals etc.
Once I took the time to use the resources here on TFP (Pool School, Pool Math, research by searching specific threads and purchasing and learning the TF-100), my pool has made an enormous turn-around.
Yea, it's a time commitment at first (educating yourself, learning the TF-100 etc.), but I actually spend less time now AND LESS $$$ on pool maintenance than I ever did before. By the way, the TF-100 takes a little bit of time at first, but it gets much much better as you get some practice under your belt. (use the extended test kit directions).
AND, my pool is absolutely AMAZING now. Super clean and sparkling clear all while paying less for un-needed junk.
I don't have to guess at anything regarding chem levels, adding acid, etc, etc. now.
Any questions or concerns that you may have, can be answered by many experienced users who have already made all of the same mistakes by believing the pool store "party lines".
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