New owner of Pool Builders personal home.

[srm077]

Pool is 2 years old, CYA is 100 plus, FC is .5 but my pool has a bunch of supplemental sanitizing junk per what I have read here but has been sparkling, crystal clear. See signature for specifics. Fired the pool guy who just dropped in 3 Chlorine pucks per week and chargeed 200 per month thus the high cya. My wife is having a big event here and I want to shock the pool the week before the event to be sure of no issues (she is not happy I 86'd the pool guy). I have been doing water change-outs using the spa water every other day but the cya is still over 100. I am using Bleach too and no pucks to keep from increasing CYA. What do you think I should try to get my FC too (low end) for shock level? I have 5 cases of Clorox on hand now.

Thanks....

BTW- DALLAS TX is the location.

 

[Leebo]

A true cya reading is needed. If it is "only" 100 then a FC level of 13 is the low end, however with a party I'd bump it up to 18 (high end) to keep it clean. If the CYA level is higher then the FC level needs to be higher as well.

Do you plan on draining the pool later to lower the CYA??

 

[techguy]

Trying to shock a pool with a verified and accurate CYA of 100+ is very difficult. If your CYA is ONLY 100, it will take 1,555 (12 gallons, 6%) to go from 0 to shock 25 ppm level and you need to keep it there until your FC is less than 0.5 ppm.

Where are your test figures from?
Computer or drop/reagent tests?

 

[RobbieH]

I see Nature 2 in that signature line...

 

[srm077]

I do the testing with the TF 100 Test kit. And yes, it has a Nature 2- I replaced the cartridge last month but never shocked the pool to activate it per the instructions. Honestly, the pool crystal clear and my FC always tests .5 to 1.5 depending on test time relative to when bleach was added and combined is less than at .02. I'm using less than 1 gallon of bleach per day to keep it there.

 

[jblizzle]

Is that one of the Nature products that adds the metals, that we tend to avoid getting in our pools, on purpose?
Or just one of the Nature products that uses tablets that add the CYA, that we try to avoid getting too high in our pools, continuously?

Either way, discontinuing its use is not a bad idea. Additionally, the ozone is not needed in an outdoor pool either.

So far you may be OK with the low FC levels out of luck and having the elevated copper and using the ozone ... but neither of them is needed at the extra cost if you just maintain the correct FC level for you CYA.

At least you know where we are for when you either start to have staining due to the metal or algae due to the low FC levels.

 

[srm077]

Is that one of the Nature products that adds the metals, that we tend to avoid getting in our pools, on purpose?
Or just one of the Nature products that uses tablets that add the CYA, that we try to avoid getting too high in our pools, continuously?

Either way, discontinuing its use is not a bad idea. Additionally, the ozone is not needed in an outdoor pool either.

So far you may be OK with the low FC levels out of luck and having the elevated copper and using the ozone ... but neither of them is needed at the extra cost if you just maintain the correct FC level for you CYA.

At least you know where we are for when you either start to have staining due to the metal or algae due to the low FC levels.

.
Great bedside manner to make one feel welcome on the board. Thanks for the sarcasm. Obviously this stuff in my pool sucks despite the fact I have had ZERO problems and a high bather load. I'll just rent a bulldozer and fill the pool in. Thanks again for making me feel like a ............ BACK to Leslie's I go- Heck, at least they are nice.

 

[RobbieH]

I didn't see it that way. If you aren't having problems though, why are you shocking the pool?

 

[jblizzle]

Sorry you took it that way ... I genuinely do not know if that Nature product has the metals cartridge or is just a chlorinator or both.

Just trying to point out (as apparently you already realize) that some of that hardware is not needed ... and that in the future you may not want to continue to spend the money to use them. And wanted you to realize that the current path you are on may likely lead to problems in the future.

The methods taught here work. And there are many people (including myself) that are more than willing to help you learn about your pool and the cheapest way to maintain it.

 

[srm077]

I didn't see it that way. If you aren't having problems though, why are you shocking the pool?

As a moderator of automotive and home/garden forums- I usually try not to be sarcastic to newbie posters..... The boards only get better if new blood is not scared off. I know my current setup is not acceptable by the standards of this board but appears to work okay. I have realized that I would like to simplify my pool maintenance but I really only spend 2.5 minutes a day now testing and adding a bit of bleach. I have corrected TA and CH issues and am working on CYA. Despite my degrees in Microbiology and Chemistry, my Wifey is concerned our pool will be green when we have our housewarming party despite the fact that the pool looks fantastic since I fired the pool PROFESSIONAL 6 weeks ago. I have never shocked the pool so I'd like to for piece of mind. Bleach is cheap- all that other Crud is not.

 

[Leebo]

Have you tried to test your CYA level with a 50/50 mix of tap water and pool water? Try that to give us a better idea what your CYA level is. You can in theory maintain a pool with a very high CYA level....but it's a pain at best.

I would also suggest a dose of PolyQuat 60 weekly to help keep algae away too. If your pool turn's green it's going to be almost impossible to get ahead of it.

 

[mpacheco72]

Welcome to the board. I know you'll learn a lot from these folks.

 

[CUTiger78]

Welcome to TFP & good luck!

 

[MikeInNH]

As a moderator of automotive and home/garden forums- I usually try not to be sarcastic to newbie posters.....

Please keep an open mind, I'm sure as a moderator you know text can easily be taken the wrong way. Many people on here post via their mobile devices so sometimes things are not as they could be but these folks genuinely want to help. Welcome to TFP.

 

[srm077]

As a moderator of automotive and home/garden forums- I usually try not to be sarcastic to newbie posters.

Honestly, JBizzle's post wasn't offensive, but it may have seemed to be by the ignorant.

Man. All warm and fuzzy here. Thanks for enlightening me as to my igno.......... Mr. Clemson.

 

[srm077]

As a moderator of automotive and home/garden forums- I usually try not to be sarcastic to newbie posters.....

Please keep an open mind, I'm sure as a moderator you know text can easily be taken the wrong way. Many people on here post via their mobile devices so sometimes things are not as they could be but these folks genuinely want to help. Welcome to TFP.

I've got a very open mind. The forums I mod are terrible to Newbies but we inform them of it up front. I tried to complete my due diligence before posting as to not sound stupid. Apparently I did not succeed. No prob, I actually do have thick skin. So, Basically dump a boatload of Bleach in (Calculated per the pool calc after I dilute the CYA test with tap water and follow the approved formula). Then sell the Del Ozone and pull the cartridge from the nature 2. GOT IT.

 

[srm077]

As a moderator of automotive and home/garden forums- I usually try not to be sarcastic to newbie posters.....

Please keep an open mind, I'm sure as a moderator you know text can easily be taken the wrong way. Many people on here post via their mobile devices so sometimes things are not as they could be but these folks genuinely want to help. Welcome to TFP.

Thanks Mike. Appreciate it.

 

[Bama Rambler]

We really do want to help.

Since your pool is clear and you don't suspect anything going on in it, and you need to be ready for a party I'd suggest you dilute a sample and try to get a close cya number then maintain an FC relevent to the number you get.

 

[crek31]

Welcome to TFP. I have to say that I think this is hands down the friendliest, most helpful site on the internet I've ever visited. The folks on here are extremely generous with their time and wisdom. So sorry that your first thread took a wrong turn - hopefully you will stick around. I have no doubt that if you do (and get your CYA under control after the big party), that you will be glad you did. I read this board for hours a day in the summer and just can't think of a post by any of the mods (and really by anyone at all) that was intentionally offensive - in fact, almost every day I marvel at the patience of the mods who seemingly answer the same question every day by a new poster. Anyway, welcome, and Happy Swimming!

Also, the title of your thread intrigued me . . . you bought a pool builder's home? Sounds like it could be an awesome pool if the pool builder used his imagination on his own build -- hope you'll share some pics!

 

[srm077]

Welcome to TFP. I have to say that I think this is hands down the friendliest, most helpful site on the internet I've ever visited. The folks on here are extremely generous with their time and wisdom. So sorry that your first thread took a wrong turn - hopefully you will stick around. I have no doubt that if you do (and get your CYA under control after the big party), that you will be glad you did. I read this board for hours a day in the summer and just can't think of a post by any of the mods (and really by anyone at all) that was intentionally offensive - in fact, almost every day I marvel at the patience of the mods who seemingly answer the same question every day by a new poster. Anyway, welcome, and Happy Swimming!

Also, the title of your thread intrigued me . . . you bought a pool builder's home? Sounds like it could be an awesome pool if the pool builder used his imagination on his own build -- hope you'll share some pics!

I'll stick around- I just had a itchy trigger (typing) finger yesterday as I was angry with the masons completing some work in our backyard. The pool is beautiful but not ready to show off yet. We are in the process of having a bunch of additional landscaping and hardscaping done around it to suit our lifestyle and taste so our backyard it a mess. It will all be done in 2 week though or the Boss (Wifey) will have their heads.