Drained 80%; 3/4 full now; can't wait to get balancing!

[juzzie]

Just completed 80% drain. (Had waayyyy too much CYA)

I am filling the pool now, I have looked for where to start first but the problem with this site is there is too much info to digest!!!!!!!

I am thinking need to get PH right first?

Is it OK that I will have zero chlorine until pH is right?

I have a drum of liquid chlorine 12% or 16% I'lll have to check....

I have TF100 kit.

I have pool schooled (but I was never great at schooling, short attention span) and think I understand.

I have a huge bag of bicarb.

I am just not sure where to start with my new water...

Writing this at work as I am getting excited about my "new" troublefreepool!

Will do the full test tonight once fill level is reached, and post up my results.

 

[jblizzle]

Get the FC in the normal recommended range first thing and then do the pH. You can do these within 30 or so minutes of each other.

Then start the shock process if required.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[juzzie]

ok.

will do.

I'm excited.

Thanks for the input!

I will test my CYA level to see what the FC shock level is.

Does it matter if my CYA level is very low, say 10 or 20? I have a semi opaque cover which will mitigate the sunlight breaking down my FC.

Or should I not worry too much about CYA level at this stage and just get the shocking done?

 

[kimkats]

FC first as it does most of the work.

CYA test RIGHT after putting in ONLY bleach/chlorine. If the CYA is lower it makes it easier to do the shocking PROCESS.

GOOD LUCK!

Kim

 

[juzzie]

FC first as it does most of the work.

CYA test RIGHT after putting in ONLY bleach/chlorine. If the CYA is lower it makes it easier to do the shocking PROCESS.

GOOD LUCK!

Kim

I have tested the CYA and it is still at 70!!!

I am totally amazed.

After draining the pool 80% I would expect much less than that. But then I could never get a bead on the CYA cause it was too high?

But the pool is over 30 years old and may never have been drained very much in that time.

Pool has always had smart sticks in it as well as dichlor added and trichlor added.

The local pool shop LOVES the BIOGUARD gear!

Could CYA levels really get that high?

(I suspect yes!)

 

[juzzie]

FC first as it does most of the work.

CYA test RIGHT after putting in ONLY bleach/chlorine. If the CYA is lower it makes it easier to do the shocking PROCESS.

GOOD LUCK!

Kim

By the way Kim,

I tested the water for CYA before adding the chlorine.

Is the CYA test affected by the addition of chlorine?

 

[juzzie]

Can CYA level go to 350 PPM???

Merged threads to maintain history. Butterfly

So emptied 80% of the water from my pool.

Refilled with tap water and the CYA level is 70PPM. (Tested three times)

If I have emptied 80% of the water and still get 70ppm I figure that it was 5 times that figure,

ie 70 x 5 = 350PPM.

The pool may not have been emptied for 20 years, and has had lots of trichlor, dichlor etc. etc.

Could the CYA level go this high?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

You can make it work with 70 CYA. However if you can get it down further to 50 or so it will be easier. Over time backwashing should reduce your levels gradually. I started this season close to there, and now I am around 55-60.

If you can not exchange more water, Just be hyper attentive to keeping the FC level over minimum and you won't have problems.


- Sent using Tapatalk

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Can CYA level go to 350 PPM???

Of course it can go as high as someone wishes....you just have to keep adding it to the pool.

Please keep your posts under the same thread when they are related. It avoids a lot of confusion.

 

[juzzie]

Think I'll just do another partial drain and refill. Water is expensive here, but at least I know where I am at with CYA so I can accuratley target levels now.

I had a slight problem with the chlorine test in that (TF100) when I added the R-870 powder it did not turn the water pink. It went a bit cloudy... Can you still continue with the test to test for CC's?


Here are my results,

FC - 0
CC - not sure
PH - 7.5
TA - 80
CH - 100
CYA - 70

I am inclined to just drain and refill then shock.

If you have a high CYA does it:

1. Take a much larger quantity of bleach to get to shock levels AND also require much larger quantities of bleach to maintain shock FC level

or.

2. Take a much larger quantity of bleach to get to shock FC level , but doesn't take too much to keep at that shock level. (If chlorine is getting consumed overnight)?

I don't want to be putting excessive amounts of bleach in the pool from a cost point of view...

 

[juzzie]

Re: Can CYA level go to 350 PPM???

Sorry.

Posted my results up in the other thread.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

FC can be zero and then CC can be higher than zero. So if you don't get any pink when you drop in the powder you can try testing for cc's. You can also use the OTO test block (ph/chlorine with yellow for chlorine) and verify you really have zero chlorine (free and other) by testing with it. The FAS-DPD test can falsely report zero chlorine on occasion (or so I have heard). The OTO test should always change color if there is any chlorine in the sample.

 

[jblizzle]

The shock process is more like #2. Higher shock FC level, but a similar amount should be consumed in the process. You may lose a little more at the higher level just sure to % lost to the sun.

Also requires more drops for all the FAS-DPD tests while in the process.

Make sure you adjust the pH before raising to shock FC level.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[kimkats]

It really does not matter when you tested for CYA. I just wanted you to add bleach ASAP to keep it clean/clear!

You are on the right track!

I would drain some more to get the CYA down but that is me.

Less CYA=less bleach needed so.................. short run cost of water or long run cost of bleach. Pick your cost.

Good luck!

Kim

 

[juzzie]

Yep. Looks like more draining for me!

My pH is 7.5, I thought a pH of 7.5.- 7.8 was ok? (from pool school recommended levels)

Should I be going for a higher pH when shocking?

 

[jblizzle]

Not higher. You want to start with a pH closer to 7.2 before you raise the FC above 10ppm.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[juzzie]

OK. Will drain and refill again tonight to get CYA right.

Then adjust pH to 7.2.

Then blast with liquid chlorine.

Thanks for the help!

 

[juzzie]

Right.

Drained 50% again.

Refilling now.

If I heven't halved my CYA level I am going to scream!!!

:grrrr:

 

[juzzie]

Woo hoo!!!

CYA level down to 40. I will get the level down by other means now that it is more manageable... Backwashing, vacuum to waste etc.

Or maybe just leave at 40. I know there will be no more unintentional CYA going in my pool now that I know how evil it can be when uncontrolled.

Shocking process happening now.

Chlorine test working perfectly. So glad I got the Taylor speed stirrer. It makes testing the water almost fun!

So the chlorine test is working perfectly now.

After refilling, I adjusted pH down to 7.2 and then added enough liquid chlorine to get the shock level up to FC 16.

This morning checked FC which was down to 6 so dosed her up to shock level again using the pool calculator and my results.

Got the pool cover on to protect my chlorine from the sun. Runing the filter 24/7 till shock process complete.

The one thing that I am curious about though is I went through the pool school again and can't find where or why the pH should be at 7.2 when going over 10PPM level of FC...?

One thing I do know though is that I am now in control of my pool.

Thanks guys!

 

[jblizzle]

Since generally the pH goes up in most pools over time, and adding a lot of bleach can make it go up some too (temporarily), it is good to start at a low pH so it does not get too high while you are in the shock process and can not test the pH.