Too much amonia!

[RSS]

I need HELP!
My pool won't hold chlorine. Two weeks ago my local supplier sold me $350 worth of chemicals. Nothing. My water was still really cloudy. Since then we've found you and I hope that you can help. These are my numbers:
Temp. 82
CYA 140
TOT Chlorine 1.6
free chlorine 0
PH 7.6
tot alkilinity 214
adj tot alk 172
tot hadness 218
optimizer + 86
copper .5
ammonia 8ppm

It seems that I need to lower my CYA. How do I do that? I've been using borax, ableach and baking soda. This has helped some but it's still cloudy and can't hold chlorine. The pool store is recommending that i do a partial drain and use another $55 in thier chemicals. I'm affraid that if I emty that will throw all of my other numbers off too. What does anyone think?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

The only way is for you to do a partial drain and refill. You can adjust your other numbers with the BBB method if necessary. That much CYA and your gonna have to drain and refill 2 or 3 times. But it's the way to go.

Don't buy any more chems from them for now. Get yourself a good test kit like the TF100 and take control, you are being pool stored!

I'm sure you are feeling quite overwhelmed and frustrated but you should read the articles in pool school to get you started, while you wait for your kit to arrive.

Can you update your profile to include your pool equipment/specs in your signature? That will help future responders.

Can you please list the $350 in chems and tell us which ones you added, or if you added all of them. That will help us understand why your numbers are what they are. Like the copper reading. Is that from an algaecide or does your fill water have a metals problem, etc. Did you buy metal sequesterant, and did you add it, etc.

(Note to guru's out there, isn't it odd to have that much ammonia and high CYA? I thought the CYA converted to ammonia under certain conditions or am I remembering wrong?)

We are here to help you get control of your pool. First things first, go order that test kit, you won't regret it!

 

[ktdave]

Welcome RSS!

You wil find a wealth of useful info here. If you heven't done so, I suggest reading THE POOL SCHOOL to bgin with.

You WILL need to lower your CYA by draining and refilling (30 to 50 ppm is optimum). It seems you will need to replace about 65% of your water to get it to 50ppm, assuming the pool store number is correct. That brings me to my next suggestion: get a good test kit, either the TF-100 or the Taylor k-2006.

I would not use anything other than the bleach, borax, and baking soda you've been using, especially until you get your CYA down, otherwise you'll lose it all when draining. Also be careful about draining to much at one time if you have a vinyl liner and/or high groundwater.

 

[chem geek]

(Note to guru's out there, isn't it odd to have that much ammonia and high CYA? I thought the CYA converted to ammonia under certain conditions or am I remembering wrong?)

When soil bacteria get into a pool that has been "let go" (usually over the winter) with no chlorine, they can convert CYA into ammonia and do so where every 10 ppm CYA produces a little over 3 ppm ammonia. Not all of the CYA has to get converted and ammonia is a little volatile so can escape from the pool depending on the conditions.

At any rate, since a partial drain/refill is required in this case to lower the CYA, that will also lower the ammonia level. That's good since 8 ppm would take around a cumulative FC or 80 ppm to get rid of. After a drain/refill to lower the CYA, the ammonia should be down to 2-3 ppm which will be easier to eliminate using less chlorine. So, RSS, go ahead and get started on your partial drain/refill which you may need to do in small steps draining no lower than one foot below the skimmer and then refilling if you've got a vinyl pool.

By the way, the "optimizer +" is probably Borates.

Richard

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Thanks for clarifying that Richard! :-D :bowdown: