should I do anything or just wait until spring?

[my2kidsmom]

I tested my pool today here's what I've got


FC - 8
CC - 0
PH - 7.8 (if I'm reading it right...I have a hard time really telling the color)
TA - 120
CYA - 200+/- (I'm ballparking this at 200-250)


The water is blue and beautiful and has been since I took over the pool in Sept. Do I need to do anything now or just wait until spring? I'm not sure of the water temp, put it's pretty chilly.

TIA

 

[spishex]

Looks acceptable to me. I'd check to make sure there are no leaves or anything inside and cover it back up.

 

[my2kidsmom]

we don't use a cover...just keep the leaves out, run the pump about 4 hours at night (unless it gets below freezing and then I leave it on), and run the polaris about once every two weeks.

 

[AV8TOR]

OK I am new to this and learning myself and I ask this only to learn more but I am curious to his 200+/- CYA number. Sounds awful high to me and with its influence on chlorine isn’t the FC of 8 low? Pool School shows a Chlorine/CYA chart and it only goes up to 100 and that is FC 7. It’s not a linear chart but if you interpolate the data at 200 CYC the FC would need to be at least 14 to be effective. Am I missing something?

 

[chem geek]

You are correct if this pool was going to be used and kept warm, but since it's shutting down for the winter, they can probably get away with a lower than ideal chlorine level and deal with the high CYA in the spring. If they want to play it safe, they can either 1) keep the FC high, probably at least 10 ppm which is around 5% of the CYA level which may be OK in colder temperatures or 2) use an algaecide such as PolyQuat 60. Since they haven't seen algae yet, their pool may be a lucky one somewhat low in nutrients for algae. The guidelines in the chlorine/CYA chart are to handle the nearly worst-case so that virtually all pools are algae free.

Probably the best thing to do is to use winter rains to dilute the pool water since that's free. :-D

Richard

 

[AV8TOR]

Thanks CG. Does the PolyQuat reduce the CYA or just work against the algea while it is in that state of risk?

 

[my2kidsmom]

Thanks CG. Does the PolyQuat reduce the CYA or just work against the algea while it is in that state of risk?

I can help by at least answering part of that question. Nothing, except diluting (adding water) reduces CYA. Once it is up, it's up. The only way to bring it down is by adding water.

 

[chem geek]

Thanks CG. Does the PolyQuat reduce the CYA or just work against the algea while it is in that state of risk?

PolyQuat just inhibits algae growth and does not affect CYA. As noted above, dilution of the water lowers CYA.