CYA test

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tcasto

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 25, 2013
96
Bucks County PA
Hi and thanks again for being an excellent resource for all things pool related! :goodjob:

I am a newbie determined to take care of our new pool myself and have been reading pool school and the board posts. I have a Taylor 2006 kit.
My CYA test results have dropped over the past week - we did have rain on and off for 5 days up until yesterday but I dont think that would account for it. From what I have read the CYA never changes - draining the pool is the only thing that changes it.
So how has the result gone from 95 to less than 80 ? I redid the test several times to make sure and there is a definite change.
And an interim test midweek showed CYA of 90

Last week results
FC 7.5
PH 7
TA 90
CH 150
CYA 95

Today
FC 12
PH 7.4
TA 100
CH 140
CYA 70-80

And a note for anyone else out there with a Intellichlor SWG who cannot adjust the output on the unit - I was able to adjust the controls using the menu on the main control panel. It may sound stupid to alot of you out there that I did not discover this earlier, but I am new at this and thought someone else might be in the same predicament. The pool dude set it to 60% output when he installed the pool last fall. I tried to pay attention to the littany of directions back then but they must have fallen out of my head after Halloween.
I assumed that I could adjust the levels by following the directions where the flashing lights are on the unit. I pressed the buttons to reduce the output to 40% and it would jump back to 60% - I thought it was defective or I was doing something wrong. It turns out that those buttons are overridden by the main control panel. I wish I had discovered this a couple of weeks ago - it would have saved me some headaches. :hammer:

This afternoon I reduced the output to 20% in an effort to lower the FC a bit. If the CYA is actually 70 - 80 , my FC is too high

Any thoughts on the CYA test and FC levels?
As far as the test: Am I supposed to stop dropping liquid in the comparator as soon as it gets cloudy or as soon as it gets cloudy enough to obscure the black dot , or until the black dot is no longer visible at all? I am assuming it is when the dot is completely invisible. Todays test the dot was clouded but I could still see the outline of the dot until almost 70. Prior tests it was 90 - 100. The only changes to the water has been added Borax and some rain.
 
Keep going until the black dot is completely gone. Did the rain overflow the pool? That would account for some CYA loss, and I believe the accuracy of the CYA test is something like +/- 10 ppm, so that could also account for some.
 
Thanks for the tips on the testing - I really appreciate the video - It is really helpful. :goodjob: I watched other videos but they did not show a clear shot of the dot disappearing.

I think I may have been overzealous with earlier tests and stopped when the dot was not completely invisible
But it was definitely a less cloudy mixture today and I tested it twice today with two different samples just to be sure.

I hope todays results are accurate - that would be better for the pool in the long run.

We will see tomorrow
 
Re: CYA test - FC is high again - help please

Hi
Have a question about how to deal with a high FC with a SWG
Today's reading
FC 18
CC 0
PH 7.4
TA 9
CYA? not sure - waiting for refill kit - It is somewhere between 75-100 based on prior tests

I had the solar cover on the pool for two days (it was cloudy and we were busy) We put the cover on at night and take it off when we think we are going to use the pool. It keeps the temperature up and blocks debris from surrounding trees.
I knocked the output on the SWG down from 60% to 20% a few days ago and was expecting the FC to go down.
Questions:
Should I give up on the benefits of the solar cover in order to get the FC to evaporate in the sun? - Part of pool is shaded for a few hours a day
Is a FC of 18 ok to swim in given a CYA of 75- 100?
If not, do I need to visit the dreaded pool store to get something to drop the FC?
Should I shut down the output on the SWG to 5% or 0% in order to have the FC drift down?

I was afraid to drop the output too much and then end up with no chlorine in the pool.
Just trying to find the balance and get used to this whole pool care thing.
Thanks again for your help
 
Thanks! I removed the solar cover (reluctantly - it holds the temp so nicely) and I dropped the SWG down to 1% - I was afraid to shut it off entirely.
This morning the numbers are better and I received my CYA test refill so I was able to do the whole shabang :)

FC 16.5
PH 7.4
TA 100
CH 140
CYA 80 -85

I see in pool school that the target FC for a SWG with a CYA of 80 is 6. My pool seems to be overly efficient at hanging onto chlorine. Anyone else have this issue. My guess it will take about 4-5 days? for it to hit the target level depending on weather and use.
Thanks again for all your help :goodjob:
 
My guess it will take about 4-5 days?
Click to expand...
Probably a lot sooner if you leave the cover off but I und3erstand comletely about losing your heat.

Even with FC down to perfectly normal, you should probably take the cover off for an hour or so each day to let your pool breathe.
 
tcasto said:
Thanks! I removed the solar cover (reluctantly - it holds the temp so nicely) and I dropped the SWG down to 1% - I was afraid to shut it off entirely.
This morning the numbers are better and I received my CYA test refill so I was able to do the whole shabang :)

FC 16.5
PH 7.4
TA 100
CH 140
CYA 80 -85

I see in pool school that the target FC for a SWG with a CYA of 80 is 6. My pool seems to be overly efficient at hanging onto chlorine. Anyone else have this issue. My guess it will take about 4-5 days? for it to hit the target level depending on weather and use.
Thanks again for all your help :goodjob:
Click to expand...


Im in the same boat, my FC with my SWCG was climbing. I turned it off completely for 2 days now, im losing about 2PPM per day and hope to be around FC=6 tomorrow. Im testing 2x per day to keep an eye on it. I plan to turn SWCG back on at around 40% tomorrow depending on morning FC. I too keep my pool covered from around 7pm until around noon the next day.
 

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Thanks for your input- I would love to find out how your numbers work out at 40%. I had dropped my swg output to 20% and it was still climbing/ staying high- I usually only leave the cover on overnight but I did leave it on for 48 hours straight and that's when it jumped up again. I was planning on starting at 20% once I get a target FC of 6. I am thinking that the sun here in Pennsylvania must not be enough to burn off chlorine as fast as it is for a lot of pool owners who live in the south and west. :)
 
So my cell set at 40% was still raising FC, so I got it back down to 6 and set the cell to 20% and it stays at 6 now so I think I have it dialed in. Im very surprised I only need it running at 20%, I thought my cell was undersized and I would need to run it at a high level.
 
ssgumby said:
So my cell set at 40% was still raising FC, so I got it back down to 6 and set the cell to 20% and it stays at 6 now so I think I have it dialed in. Im very surprised I only need it running at 20%, I thought my cell was undersized and I would need to run it at a high level.
Click to expand...

Good Morning! Glad to hear you found a sweet spot for your pool settings - I am still trying.

I have my SWG set at 1% output and my FC is 12.5 this morning which is down from what it was but I was expecting lower. My pool seems to want to hang on to the chlorine? CYA is 80- 85 so it is ok but I am still trying for the target of 6. We leave the solar cover on at night only and some nights I leave it off - but it saves on heat loss and the leaves etc getting in the pool. I use the leaf blower to blow them off the cover before I roll it up. :lol:

Anyone else have a SWG that is too efficient?
 
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