HELP! Just converted.....need a little help

[debjan]

I just got done converting my pool water from Soft Swim to chlorine. Yeah! Now, I have no idea what to do. My numbers were at 12 noon: FC 7, CC 2.5, PH 7.2, CYA 0. I know I need to get CYA number up and CC down. I went to store thinking I needed Muriaic acid, but now realize that is for lowering PH. So I'll store that in garage (safe place?). What is the common name for CYA? What do I ask for at the store? How do I lower my CC? I did buy chlorine tablets from Walmart that has cal-hypo to use on weekends that I am away, which will be this coming weekend. Can I use them this weekend or will it depend on my numbers? Also, if I can use them, put them in a floater or in skimmer? I also have borax and baking soda on hand.

(ok, I need alot of help) :?

Deb

 

[JohnT]

You get rid of CC by raising your chlorine. CYA is cyanuric acid or stabilizer. Walmart, Lowe's and pool stores carry it. Raising your chlorine to shock level will help consume the CC, and you are probably better off not adding CYA until the CC is gone as this slows the chlorine down a little. For a vinyl pool, take your chlorine to 15ppm. For a gunite pool, go to 25ppm. That should help get rid of the CC.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

as for where to put the cal-hypo tabs, you should only have tabs in the skimmer if the pump is running full time. The reason is that if the pump is off, the tabs still dissolve, and the water in the skimmer gets very concentrated... not good for the skimmer, or the pump and other equipment when that slug of superchlorinated water goes through...

 

[debjan]

This morning's numbers are:

FC 14 ppm; CC 1.5 ppm, PH 7.2

Should I continue to keep the FC level up and wait for CC to go down further before adding CYA? If so, what number of CC am I shooting for?

Thank you!

Deb

 

[JasonLion]

You want FC to remain the same overnight and CC to be 0.5 or lower before you are completely done. If FC remains the same overnight and CC is below say 3 then you can replace your filter media (sand, cartridge, grids) and only then should you bring CYA up. Once FC holds overnight and CC is 0.5 or lower for two days running then you are completely done and can lower the FC level back to normal levels.

 

[Guest]

IF the tablets you bought are cal hypo they are usually designed to be put into the skimmer and NOT into a feeder or floater--Cal Hypo can generate a lot of heat and pressure when it dissolves so to put them in a floater or feeder can lead to an explosion!
IF they are trichlor then putting them in a skimmer can cause damage to your pump and filter because trichlor is very acidic

 

[debjan]

Wow! Thanks waterbear. I didn't know about explosions. Geez. They are definitely Cal-Hypo and I will put them into the skimmer with pump running 24/7. What goes into the floaters?

And thanks Jason......my pool guy won't be able to change the sand until next week 'sometime' so I'll keep the level up until then and won't bother adding CYA until after its changed. This holiday week when I'm away, will these tablets be enough to keep FC at 15 ppm. Should I put in extras and if I do put in extra tabs, will they block the suction down to pump?

Deb

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

Oops the mermaid was mistaken. Thanks for clarifying, WB!

I do know that trichlor pucks are supposed to go into the floaters.

 

[Poolidiot]

IF the tablets you bought are cal hypo they are usually designed to be put into the skimmer and NOT into a feeder or floater--Cal Hypo can generate a lot of heat and pressure when it dissolves so to put them in a floater or feeder can lead to an explosion!

Well I keep learning something every day, never heard of that, I stick around this forum much longer I will be able to change my name

 

[Butterfly]

IF the tablets you bought are cal hypo they are usually designed to be put into the skimmer and NOT into a feeder or floater--Cal Hypo can generate a lot of heat and pressure when it dissolves so to put them in a floater or feeder can lead to an explosion!

Well I keep learning something every day, never heard of that, I stick around this forum much longer I will be able to change my name

PI, you are not the only one learning something new every day! :lol:

 

[debjan]

So I keep forgetting what CYA is exactly. I went to Walmart to find some, thinking I need to look for something that has CYA, cyanuric acid, written on the bottle somewhere. Then of course, once I'm there I see balancer, clarifer, stabilizer and think "which one is it?" I didn't write anything down before going. I look at all these bottles and none have CYA listed. So I didn't buy anything and came back home to look it up. So now I know it is a stabilizer, but should I find one that specifically lists cyanuric acid on it? The stabilizer at Walmart did not list cyanuric acid. So I'm confused about what exactly I should get. I'll have to go back to the pool store, but I want to know exactly what I need to get so I don't get pool stored again!

Thanks ever so much!

Deb

 

[JasonLion]

CYA is most commonly sold as stabilizer. It ought to list ingredients on the label, but if not things labeled stabilizer should still be fine. CYA is also sold as conditioner. Be more careful with products called conditioner and double check that they say cyanuric acid, because the word 'conditioner' is also used to mean other things occasionally.