pool heater

[frustratedpoolmom]

I'm on my second round of draining partially to lower my CYA which was 95 (pool store test, BTW).

Added some chlorine and am going out to brush, test with strips, as I haven't purchased test kit yet....

Can I turn on my heater? Is there any damage to the heater from high chlorine/CYA readings, water not being balanced?

My pool AG 24' round, 52" high.

Readings (yesterday, prior to draining below return, refill, 1 gal bleach)
FC 0
TC .63
PH 6.98
CH 131
TA 121
CYA 95 (this is down from 111 )
Copper 1.29
Iron 0

I've given up on the copper for now, that 'metal out' stuff is too expensive. Will wait till I get the CYA and other readings stable.

I'll post updated readings later, but would like to raise the water tempature in preparation for possible swimming, if I ever get this water figured out.... Thanks to all!

 

[JohnT]

The biggest risk for your heater is pH. Low pH can result in corrosion of the heat exchanger.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

low ph pool heater

is that corrosion possible even if heater is off? or is that corrosion caused during operation at low ph?

I'm headed to the pool store to buy a test kit. Returning the stupid pool frog bac pacs, hoping they give me a store credit towards the purchase of a test kit....

the ph and ta looked okay on the test strip but what does that mean anymore

I just hope I got the CYA down once and for all....Thanks!

 

[waste]

FPM, the acidic (< 7.0 pH) water will eat the copper out of the heater, reguardless as to whether the heater is on or off. Your pH is so slightly acidic that I doubt you've done damage to it, but get the pH up to 7.2 - 7.8 ASAP

(Once you get a 'handle' on all this stuff, you'll regret your 'posting handle' )

 

[Poolsean]

Have you been using tri-chlor tablets as your method of sanitizing? Tri-chlor is low in pH as well as having cyanuric acid, which may account to your high cya level. If you're using tablets, how are you adding them? Erosion feeder? If so, where is the feeder? Before or after the heater?
Into the skimmer basket (a no-no)?
Tablet floater? Make sure it's not stuck in the opening of the skimmer.

As waste said, your low pH certain could have damaged your heater...thus the copper in the water. IF your pH has been at a low level for some time, it's possible that some damage has been done to the heat exchanger.
Just keep an eye on your pH level and get it up.

Oh and Yes, you can turn on your heater.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Thanks Sean, I had low ph last summer for a few days and added whatever pool stealer chemicals at the time to raise it. It was probably low for about a week. I used to have the "pool frog" system, removed it last week after finding these online forums and learning more about it and BBB. So it was a silver ion system and it used bac-pacs with Trichlor. 2 years ago we started putting on this skimmer cover so that draining the pool below the return was no longer necessary. Naturally they didn't tell us anything about CYA and that if you no longer drain your water and keep using tri-chlor eventually the CYA would get too high....never once has a pool store employee mentioned
CYA or its problems... in fact I had one guy tell me "not to worry about that".... Hmmmmm
The heater was checked last Friday and had a short in the wiring, all is well now and its working fine and is on, water is about 90 degrees. Everything seems good, I just am concerned about metals now (see other post) and am going over to have the water tested for metals today, as my cheapy wal-mart kit doesn't test for them. Thanks for your advice.