Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sense?

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totalnoob

0
Jun 3, 2012
56
Folsom, CA
I posted my first thread here with my test results.

On Sunday, I took my sample to Leslies for water test. Everything was close to my test values, except CYA came at 100 (my test showed 140), and phosphates were at 1000. I had removed the chlorine pellets after my test (following advice here, but I am not sure if removing those could have lowered CYA within a week so much). Leslie's recommended draining 20-30% pool, and then retesting it. Do I need to worry about that high phosphate level? Same advice as I got on in this awesome forum :)

I have not drained the pool yet. I talked with my pool service guy yesterday, and told him about high CYA levels. He said that CYA is a conditioner and you want it in the pool. Also, that chlorine pellets are adding that CYA, and you need it during swimming season. He said that when swimming season ends, then he switches to liquid chlorine as that does not add CYA. Is he right? He said that he wouldn't recommend draining the pool to lower CYA at this time, but at the end of the season, he definitely recommends that. What do the experts here recommend I do?

Also, the pool guy said that my pool has approximately 20,000 gallons of water..I cant believe that I am off by so much..but with his experience kind of want to believe him.

Can someone tell me how to calculate pool volume? I have kidney shaped pool..take length x average width x average depth (shallow and deep end) x WHAT??? May be this factor is putting me off. What units do I need my length depth measurements to calculate the pool volume?
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

totalnoob said:
...but I am not sure if removing those could have lowered CYA within a week so much...
Click to expand...

You don't have to maintain a CYA level, once it is raised it pretty much stays for the season other than splash out, backwashing, etc.
I would trust your test results over the pool store.

Once CYA is where you want it (30-50 or 70-80 with SWG), then all you should have to do is add liquid chlorine (or bleach).

As recommended in your other thread you should drain the pool to lower CYA, because you will have to maintain a really high FC at the current CYA level you have. 8.7 FC @ 120 CYA and even higher @ your CYA level. Adding MORE CYA through pucks is just silly.

pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock
chlorine-cya-chart-t2346.html
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

CYA above 100 get problematic if you have to shock. If you continuously maintain the proper free chlorine levels there is no need to shock.

Don't worry about phosphates. phospates-over-5000-t43781.html

I'd switch to liquid chlorine, and save the pucks. Each puck adds to CYA. Your high enough already.

Have you checked on the tax records what size pool was reported? Another way is to figure when you've added chemicals. For example if you need to add 10 ounces to get a 10 increase and it only goes up 5 then your pool size is low and vice-ser-versa. But L*W*D will get you into the ball park.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

As for Leslies testing. They can't reliably test CYA over 100 so they report anything at or over 100 as 100.

As for the pool service guy. He doesn't understand the whole CYA thing. A lot of people don't even though they've beenin the business 30 or 40 years.

An easy way to see if you're close in your pool size estimation is to measure the FC in the pool then take a gallon (not a jug) of 6% bleach and add it to the pool. Wait 30 minutes and test the FC again. 1 gallon of bleach should raise the FC in your pool by ~5 ppm. If it raises it half that, your pool is twice as big as you think. Don't expect exactly 5 ppm.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

totalnoob said:
I have not drained the pool yet. I talked with my pool service guy yesterday, and told him about high CYA levels. He said that CYA is a conditioner and you want it in the pool. Also, that chlorine pellets are adding that CYA, and you need it during swimming season. He said that when swimming season ends, then he switches to liquid chlorine as that does not add CYA. Is he right? He said that he wouldn't recommend draining the pool to lower CYA at this time, but at the end of the season, he definitely recommends that. What do the experts here recommend I do?
Click to expand...

Yet your pool service guy failed to mention (assuming he's even aware?) that there is a point where CYA is too high and becomes problematic when it comes time to raise chlorine levels to shock the water. You only need x amount and yet for some folks those pucks and those pool guys have it way far above that x amount.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

Thanks a lot everyone for quick responses. This is what makes this forum awesome.

Thanks for the pool calculator link, and also the calculations about FC to calculate pool size. If one gallon of bleach raises the FC by 5 ppm, then I know I was right in my calculations. Do I need to worry about that increase in FC level then?

I will do these FC tests and use that calculator later today and post my results.

Thanks once again.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

Bama Rambler said:
I wouldn't worry about just raising the FC 5 ppm. It'll come back down pretty quickly and it's ok to swim up to shock level.
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I second this with all the authority I don't have. It'll probably be a bit inaccurate. I would however use the pool volume calc or another one you find just to see how close your estimate of 11.5k is.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

totalnoob said:
I have not drained the pool yet. I talked with my pool service guy yesterday, and told him about high CYA levels. He said that CYA is a conditioner and you want it in the pool. Also, that chlorine pellets are adding that CYA, and you need it during swimming season. He said that when swimming season ends, then he switches to liquid chlorine as that does not add CYA. Is he right? He said that he wouldn't recommend draining the pool to lower CYA at this time, but at the end of the season, he definitely recommends that. What do the experts here recommend I do?
Click to expand...
With a CYA of 140? Ouch! :hammer:
 

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Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

YippeeSkippy said:
totalnoob said:
I have not drained the pool yet. I talked with my pool service guy yesterday, and told him about high CYA levels. He said that CYA is a conditioner and you want it in the pool. Also, that chlorine pellets are adding that CYA, and you need it during swimming season. He said that when swimming season ends, then he switches to liquid chlorine as that does not add CYA. Is he right? He said that he wouldn't recommend draining the pool to lower CYA at this time, but at the end of the season, he definitely recommends that. What do the experts here recommend I do?
Click to expand...

Yet your pool service guy failed to mention (assuming he's even aware?) that there is a point where CYA is too high and becomes problematic when it comes time to raise chlorine levels to shock the water. You only need x amount and yet for some folks those pucks and those pool guys have it way far above that x amount.
Click to expand...

The pool service guys pretty much have to use pucks to make money. Otherwise, they'd have to charge a lot more to visit each pool every day to add liquid chlorine, or periodically drain their pools as CYA increases above 100 or so. And there's the cost and inconvenience of hauling liquid chlorine. Many BBBers don't mind hauling liquid chlorine for their own pool, but imagine if you had to do it for dozens of pools every day.

Pool owners have some choices on how to take care of their pools. They can use a pool service, but they should be prepared to drain their pool on occasion to correct the CYA problem--and depending on the location that may not be possible (e.g. in Houston during last year's drought). Or they can do what most of us here do, which is to maintain the pool right way using the BBB method.
 
Re: Pool service advice against this forum..does it make sen

Once I drain my pool and get CYA to the recommended level, using liquid chlorine or BBB is what I am going to do. Just need to do some more reading though. First steps for now, are to calculate the pool size, and to lower the CYA.
 
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