Added CYA But Still Testing 0

[whiskaz]

So I added 4lbs of Nava Stabilizer last Friday (I was out of town at the time so I had my mom slowly add it to the skimmer instead of having her attempt to use the sock method). My test kit kept reading 0 but since it hadn't quite been a week, I let it slide. I went ahead and took a sample into the pool store today to see what they said my levels were (to see how they matched with my at home testing).

No CYA. I went ahead and added more today (using a sock in front of the return this time) but I'm not sure why the CYA tests are reading 0?

I have been shocking since last Sunday. Usually testing/adding chlorine 2-3 times in the evening, when I wake up in the AM and at lunch (even though the sun is beating down and it might not be as effective). FC continues to drop overnight but only by about half the last few days instead of entirely. CC went from around 6 to around .5. I had to raise my pH a little but it's currently at 7.2 and alk is around 110.

Still fighting a very cloudy pool I went ahead and backwashed my filter today even though the psi hadn't increased much over the week (hadn't backwashed since before adding the CYA per instructions). Current PSI is around 13 - is that OK?

 

[duraleigh]

Everything in your post looks good and indicates you are making progress EXCEPT the lack of CYA. I am baffled why it does not register....the test is usually pretty bulletproof once you give the CYA enough time to get into the system and you have done that.

I cannot explain (within reason) the lack of CYA.

 

[whiskaz]

After some more research on the forum I found a lot of posts pointing to the possibility of ammonia. I called the local pool place and they seemed baffled when I asked if they could test for that ("is this pool water?" "what's CYA?").

So now I'm on the hunt for a good ammonia test kit I guess... and thinking I should have held off on adding additional CYA today if it's going to take additional mass amounts of chlorine to get rid of ammonia.

 

[JasonLion]

Could you post a complete set of water test results?

 

[whiskaz]

Before adding a bucket of cya this afternoon:

FC: 10 (had dropped about 2ppm since this morning)
Cc: .5
Ph: 7.2
alk: 110
cya: 0

I'll usually add enough chlorine before going to bed to get it to 10-12ppm and it'll drop down to around 2ppm by morning.

Just went to the pet store and they tested the water for ammonia...none. I assume the tests used for a fish tank is valid?

 

[duraleigh]

Don't worry about ammonia. Your situation doesn't fit.

How much CYA is a bucket? Did you calculate the dosage to end up with a certain ppm? Did you use the same brand as before?

 

[whiskaz]

The bucket has 4lbs of cya. Used the same amount/brand again today (4lbs).

 

[duraleigh]

Well, that's enough (total) to get over 90ppm so far so please don't add anymore until you get this figured out.

I don't know that brand but you can look on the side and confirm it IS Cyanuric Acid, right?

 

[whiskaz]

Yep. 100%

 

[whiskaz]

Here's a pic of the water from today. The net is touching the bottom.

 

[Bama Rambler]

What test kit are you using to get your results.

I'll usually add enough chlorine before going to bed to get it to 10-12ppm and it'll drop down to around 2ppm by morning.

This bothers me the most. This tells me that you haven't really shocking. You've been adding a little chlorine and then letting it get ahead of you by not adding enough, soon enough. I think we've let the CYA thing sidetrack us on the real issue. We need to stop the overnight loss and then try to figure out the CYA thing. Which may be taken care of when the real issue is foxed.

 

[whiskaz]

I'm doing it as often as I am able. I've used probably 15 bottles of 6% and several packages of leftover cal-hypo. I've nearly run out of free chlorine reagent from testing so much (since last Sunday).

I was following the shock guidelines...hitting it once an hour or so (in the evenings) - usually 3 times. I've been out at the pool after dark testing with a flashlight even. Then up before 6am...test, add, go to work. Even come home for lunch and repeat. I'm certainly trying! It almost feels like I'm raising a puppy!

 

[whiskaz]

Also...I did get the CC down from like 6 to .5 so some headway has been made. The cya thing just baffled me.

 

[Butterfly]

What test kit are you using?

 

[whiskaz]

K-2006

Some good news. Only lost about .5 pom FC since the last test (before 6) so hopefully it is starting to stick. Should have ordered more reagent before the holiday though.

 

[duraleigh]

and several packages of leftover cal-hypo.

The cloudiness of your pool look like calcium precipitation to me. Even though your CH may not be over the top, (what is it, anyway?) if you have dumped in a bunch of Cal-hypo that could be at least a part of your problem.

That said, bama is right about your chlorine. You may well have 90ppm CYA in there and 10FC is not even close to shock value in that case.

 

[whiskaz]

CH tested at 190. A little on the high side but is within range according to PS.

FC seems to be holding much better now. I believe I only lost around 1.5ppm overnight. Of course after being off limits for the last week, the wife and kids want to use the pool today. Everything is OK except the FC is on the high side this morning at 10.5... if CYA is at 90 now, then I guess that would be fine, but I'm not sure it is. Both myself and the pool store tested it at zero yesterday, before I added more. I could test it today but since it takes a week to measure accurately, it may not be worthwhile.

Thanks for all the help

ETA: Went ahead and did a CYA test and it's finally registering (yesterday it was most definitely NOT). The dot now disappears around 35.

 

[duraleigh]

Good morning,

Well if your CYA is truly zero, the FC of 10.5 should burn off almost completely today. If it is around 90, you should lose somewhere around 2-4ppm.

I would suggest you not add anything to the pool until late this afternoon. Retest your FC then and let us know if, in fact, they sold you CYA or sold you flour!!

If the FC is burned all the way off or nearly so, then I think the only thing to assume is there wasn't CYA in the box so your shock value would be about 10ppm. After the sun is off the pool, add enough FC to get to 10ppm so the FC can work on the remaining organics overnight.

If you only lose 2-4ppm pf FC, then you can assume the 90ppm CYA is there and there is a testing error. YOu would then need to bring the FC up to around 35 to effectively finish shocking the pool and keep it up at that level until your pool is crystal clear.

Very puzzling.

 

[whiskaz]

Thanks for the advice!

For reference, here's the stabilizer I bought and who I bought it from (found the link on these forums): http://www.dtydirect.com/Pools-Spas-amp ... tioner.axd

Hopefully the other pool store has the drops I need to test FC because I'm nearly out

Attached is a picture of what it used to look like (in May). Up until last week I wasn't really putting the type of effort required (I hadn't discovered this site or Pool School).

 

[whiskaz]

So I tested again today at 1PM and FC was down to 8 and now it's down to 6.5 which would be a loss of 4ppm. Hmm. Still not sure how my tests (more than one) and a second opinion could result in zero CYA (until I added the last dose, yesterday, causing it to register with my Taylor K-2006 test).

CC was at .5