Hi gang.
Heres my dilema. My pool was algaed out. After reading the forums here and gaining much needed info, I bought a test kit that would enable me to test the entire pool water chemistry. While testing, I discovered my CYA level was well over 100. Well above the acceptable level as posted by some of the experienced moderators on this site. The excessive CYA level also explained why I was unable to effectively shock the pool before I started reading the forum on TFP, because I could not get the free cholrine to shock level with the CYA being so high. I immediately partially drained the pool to eliminate some of the excessive CYA. After doing that, I successfully started up the pool, treated accordingly with necessary chemicals and all my readings are currently in acceptable ranges as I type this post which is why I am not posting my numbers and the pool is currently sparkling clear. Heres my question, prior to draining the pool, when it was still full of algae, I was paying a pool service company which I wont name, a monthly fee to maintain all of my chemical levels. Their service technican was coming once a week and and just treating the pool with chlorine. Ofcourse, the technican could not get the free cholrine level to acceptable shock level with the CYA being so high BEFORE I drained it. That did not seem to matter to him. He just treated with chlorine and departed, not caring about the exsisting algae which he never effectively treated.
I wrote a letter to the General Manager of this pool service company and asked him to explain to me why I should continue to utilize their service when they never effectively treated the exsisting algae. I explained to him exactly what I witnessed the technican do, which was just treat with chlorine AND THATS ALL HE DID. I never saw the technician test the CYA level. I explained in my letter, that I had to drain the pool after doing internet research myself , start it up, purchase a $100 test kit and take time off from work to covertly witness exactly what testing procedures his technician was doing (or not doing). His response to me was this. His company routinely keeps the CYA level at a minimum of 150 PPM and in some cases they maintain the CYA level at 200 PPM. Now, I'm knowledgable enough to know (after reading TFP) that with a CYA level of 150 -200, that would require an inordinate amount of free chlorine to reach the required SHOCK level to eliminate the algae, which would explain why this company failed to effectively treat and eliminate my algae problem even though that is what I have been paying them to do. At this point I'm waiting for a return call from this company as I'm curious to know how they reach a free chlorine shock level when the CYA is 150 -200? However, after reading TFP and doing everything else I already outlined BY MYSELF, I am inclined to cancel the service and take care of the pool myself. My question to the pros here is this; does a routine CYA level of 150-200 as described to me by this company's general mgr sound accurate and acceptable? It seems to be in direct conflict with everything I've read on this forum and I'm slightly confused. Please help. I would rather cancel the service and save my money instead of paying incompetent people who cannot effectively eliminate or figure out why my pool originally went to algae. The mgr also told me that his company only tests CYA levels every 2 - 3 weeks and not every service call? Thank you for your help and suggestions!
Heres my dilema. My pool was algaed out. After reading the forums here and gaining much needed info, I bought a test kit that would enable me to test the entire pool water chemistry. While testing, I discovered my CYA level was well over 100. Well above the acceptable level as posted by some of the experienced moderators on this site. The excessive CYA level also explained why I was unable to effectively shock the pool before I started reading the forum on TFP, because I could not get the free cholrine to shock level with the CYA being so high. I immediately partially drained the pool to eliminate some of the excessive CYA. After doing that, I successfully started up the pool, treated accordingly with necessary chemicals and all my readings are currently in acceptable ranges as I type this post which is why I am not posting my numbers and the pool is currently sparkling clear. Heres my question, prior to draining the pool, when it was still full of algae, I was paying a pool service company which I wont name, a monthly fee to maintain all of my chemical levels. Their service technican was coming once a week and and just treating the pool with chlorine. Ofcourse, the technican could not get the free cholrine level to acceptable shock level with the CYA being so high BEFORE I drained it. That did not seem to matter to him. He just treated with chlorine and departed, not caring about the exsisting algae which he never effectively treated.
I wrote a letter to the General Manager of this pool service company and asked him to explain to me why I should continue to utilize their service when they never effectively treated the exsisting algae. I explained to him exactly what I witnessed the technican do, which was just treat with chlorine AND THATS ALL HE DID. I never saw the technician test the CYA level. I explained in my letter, that I had to drain the pool after doing internet research myself , start it up, purchase a $100 test kit and take time off from work to covertly witness exactly what testing procedures his technician was doing (or not doing). His response to me was this. His company routinely keeps the CYA level at a minimum of 150 PPM and in some cases they maintain the CYA level at 200 PPM. Now, I'm knowledgable enough to know (after reading TFP) that with a CYA level of 150 -200, that would require an inordinate amount of free chlorine to reach the required SHOCK level to eliminate the algae, which would explain why this company failed to effectively treat and eliminate my algae problem even though that is what I have been paying them to do. At this point I'm waiting for a return call from this company as I'm curious to know how they reach a free chlorine shock level when the CYA is 150 -200? However, after reading TFP and doing everything else I already outlined BY MYSELF, I am inclined to cancel the service and take care of the pool myself. My question to the pros here is this; does a routine CYA level of 150-200 as described to me by this company's general mgr sound accurate and acceptable? It seems to be in direct conflict with everything I've read on this forum and I'm slightly confused. Please help. I would rather cancel the service and save my money instead of paying incompetent people who cannot effectively eliminate or figure out why my pool originally went to algae. The mgr also told me that his company only tests CYA levels every 2 - 3 weeks and not every service call? Thank you for your help and suggestions!