How Long Does CYA Last?

[ThinkPad]

How long does the CYA say in the water? I would appreciate hearing about experiences you guys have had with the stabilizer and how often to increase it.

I have my CYA about where I want it, because of trichlor tabs. I'm going to stop using them for now, but I'm wondering about how long it will be until they are needed again. I'm hoping at least a year.

Thanks!

 

[mrcarcrazy]

In theory indefinitely. However, often times people who close their pools find that the CYA has vanished over the winter....

But it should last all season assuming you don't have to drain off lots of water. Since you have a cartridge filter I wouldn't expect you needing to drain off/waste water unless you get large amounts of rain.

 

[ThinkPad]

That's great to hear, however; in Florida it just keeps raining and raining. Right now my water level is above my skimmer opening, and it just keeps going up. If it doesn't evaporate soon, a partial drain might be coming up. I think in the past it has evaporated, though. That will take some CYA out.

 

[PAGirl]

The Cya will not evaporate. It will go out with the water if you drain,but will stay if water evaporates.

 

[SunnyOptimism]

As mrcarcrazy stated, CYA stays in your water. There are only two sources of CYA loss -

1. Degradation due to oxidation from chlorine which is EXTREMELY slow (probably only a few ppm's all season long)

2. Water loss due to back washing or draining

So you did the right thing by stoping the pucks! It's very easy to add CYA, lowering it is hard.


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[tim5055]

Yup, in sunny Florida (I lived there for 32 years) the daily afternoon storms which require draining water will be your biggest CYA loss. But, even that will be fairly slow.

You may be able to keep up by just using the tabs when you go away for a few days as that will add some of the CYA back.

Log your tests and I'm sure you will be surprised how slowly it goes down. You have to drain "feet" of water to affect it usually.

 

[ThinkPad]

Okay, good, it does not evaporate. That helps keep the CYA stable. I guess I'll have to conduct a test at the beginning of every season (or more). Sometimes in Florida the pool can even be used during the winter, lol.

 

[SunnyOptimism]

Okay, good, it does not evaporate. That helps keep the CYA stable. I guess I'll have to conduct a test at the beginning of every season (or more). Sometimes in Florida the pool can even be used during the winter, lol.

Good plan. It's usually good to check the CYA value at startup, anytime there's a water volume change and at close down at the end of the season. Weekly testing is unnecessary.


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[ship of fools]

I lose all of my CYA every winter when i close.

I close with 30 - 40 and open at 0.

I have never had issues with ammonia.

 

[ThinkPad]

Sometimes I Wish Cartridge Filters Could Backwash

Speaking of raining, I just had another downpour!

 

[Tristan]

wait so does rain add or diminish CYA?

 

[jblizzle]

Neither. It will dilute the CYA that is in the pool and if you drain out water, you will then be draining out some of the CYA.

 

[ThinkPad]

wait so does rain add or diminish CYA?

Yes, jblizzle is correct. To further explain, CYA is added to the water manually, and it will stay there until the water is drained. Obviously, if more water is added to the pool, it will be diluted and not be as effective.