2 week old plaster... CYA at 80... No chlorine levels... High PH

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rmm221

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Mar 31, 2015
31
Granada Hills, CA
So I had the pool plaster guy do the startup the first week... My test kit arrived end of the week but we went out of town for the weekend and I just tested the pool the following week for the first time. Our regular pool guy appeared to SKIP this week too... Complicating matters. The PH was off the charts above 8.2.... The CYA was 70-80. Which I am shocked was so high so soon since I didn't even put in any tri-Chlor tablets yet. Which leads me to problem #3... Chlorine level was basically non-existent. I put my floater in with tri-Chlor today... But I fear using them with the high CYA. My pool does get full sunlight ALL day.. So CYA can be a little higher.

Today I just added a conservative amount of acid... About 50 fl ounces... To see if I can take the PH down. I was going to add some liquid chlorine too... But read I should add it slowly with new plaster... And some recommended just tablets for 4 weeks. But since my CYA is high and chlorine basically non-existant... I figured adding liquid chorine is better.

Not sure what type of start up the pool guy did... Imagine it was a traditional start up. Frustrated my regular pool guy decided to skip this very important second week.

My TA and Calcium levels were 100 and 300... So they both were good at least.

Any advice moving forward.... Pool and plaster at least looks all clear!
 
At this point you can not afford to use any solid chlorine products unless they are calcium based (CalHypo) because you can afford to bring your CH up. I would just stick with liquid chlorine.
 
You definitely need to maintain your PH and FC levels. If your pool spends much time with FC level below the minimum level for your CYA level algae will start to grow. Here is the Chlorine CYA Chart. Min is 6 and target level is 9.

Here are the Recommended Levels for your pool.
Here are the Recommended Pool Chemicals to maintain it.
Use PoolMath to determine how much to add.
 
pooldv said:
You definitely need to maintain your PH and FC levels. If your pool spends much time with FC level below the minimum level for your CYA level algae will start to grow. Here is the Chlorine CYA Chart. Min is 6 and target level is 9.

Here are the Recommended Levels for your pool.
Here are the Recommended Pool Chemicals to maintain it.
Use PoolMath to determine how much to add.
Click to expand...

Thanks, going to add more liquid chlorine tomorrow... Gonna tell the pool guy to not use tablets anymore. I am over trusting a pool guy to maintain my pool... Learned a ton on this site in only a few weeks. Gonna be proactive with my pool this summer and plan on going solo with the pool maintence by the fall.

I did read something interesting about lowering CYA on another site... They said CYA floats on top of the water-line... So if you pump out water from the surface rather than the deep end... You will get rid of CYA without wasting so much water?

Haven't heard this anywhere else... Any truth to it?
 
That is absolutely not true at all. You cannot remove Cya by skimming the water's surface. Cya becomes dissolved, and it does not ride at the top of the water column.

It's creative..but untrue. Funny, they probably believe it stays at the top, creating a "shade" for the Chlorine. Amusing. :lol:
 

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Well, I think I got things under control quickly thanks to all your help and pool math. I also re-tested the CYA in direct sunlight... Since seeing that little black dot is a little subjective... I tested it again and found my CYA to be 50. So I didn't over do the chlorine to much with the new plaster.

FC - 4.5 ( up from 0)
PH - 7.5 ( down from 8.4)
TA - 90 (down from 100)
CYA -50 (first trading was 70-80 in shade)
CH -250
 
rmm221 said:
I also re-tested the CYA in direct sunlight... Since seeing that little black dot is a little subjective...
CYA -50 (first trading was 70-80 in shade)
Click to expand...


Direct sunlight as in your back to the sun and holding the test at waist level, right?

Before I read here that was the proper way to test for CYA I would just hold the tube in direct sunlight thinking
the lower reading was correct.
 
rmm221 said:
Well, I think I got things under control quickly thanks to all your help and pool math. I also re-tested the CYA in direct sunlight... Since seeing that little black dot is a little subjective... I tested it again and found my CYA to be 50. So I didn't over do the chlorine to much with the new plaster.

FC - 4.5 ( up from 0)
PH - 7.5 ( down from 8.4)
TA - 90 (down from 100)
CYA -50 (first trading was 70-80 in shade)
CH -250
Click to expand...
Now you just need to wait for the water to warm up!

When I add bleach, I just lean out as far as I can and pour it in front of the return stream. Sometimes you can even see the yellow cloud spread and dissipate. It's a couple feet away from the plaster in all directions. Same with acid. And if you're really worried, dilute the acid with a bucket full of pool water before you pour it in. I don't bother anymore myself, because that's just more fumes to choke on.
 
I'll do the CYA test again tomorrow with my back to the sun.. I was holding it at waist level... but it might have been in direct sunlight.

- - - Updated - - -

Richard320 said:
Now you just need to wait for the water to warm up!

When I add bleach, I just lean out as far as I can and pour it in front of the return stream. Sometimes you can even see the yellow cloud spread and dissipate. It's a couple feet away from the plaster in all directions. Same with acid. And if you're really worried, dilute the acid with a bucket full of pool water before you pour it in. I don't bother anymore myself, because that's just more fumes to choke on.
Click to expand...

We actually took a short dip in the pool this past Sunday when it was 80s in the Valley. Looks like it's cooling off again and we are getting some much needed rain in So Cal by the end of the week... so probably no pool this weekend :(
 
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