CYA and DE question

[pool mum]

My CYA is 30. Is there any reason to raise it? My pool has been crystal clear and I've had no trouble maintaining FC levels. It gets a fair amount of sun.

DE - is there any reason to add it? Again, my pool has been sparkling, so I'm thinking no?

 

[JasonLion]

It is nice to raise CYA near the start of the season so it won't drift too low by the end of the season. Generally raising to around 50 now will allow you to make it to the end of the season without needing to add any more.

Adding DE to a sand filter is completely optional.

 

[pool mum]

Thanks so much! You guys are so helpful.

I have half a bucket of leftover 3 inch tablets from the previous homeowners; I'm thinking if we go out of town for a long weekend, several times over the summer, that I can use the tablets and it won't push my CYA over the top since its on the lower end anyway. Sound ok?

 

[jblizzle]

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Durk]

That's what I have been doing for years. I run tabs at the open until CYA is past 30 and switch to liquid CL. When I travel for up to a week, I throw a full floater in the pool, and I usually finish the season around 50. I dump a lot in the fall because my returns are low on the wall and I hate blowing out under water. I usually open at under 20ppm CYA but it's 52° so algae never happens before the tabs have raised the CYA. I run a trouble-free pool. Since 2006, I have never had to do a real 'shock' process. Algae is just a bygone memory of my 100% puck experience in 2004-5 before BBB.

I never buy CYA pure. Tabs, when you NEED CYA, are very economical compared to pure CYA plus bleach. You just need to know how to manage it.