No CYA from the beginning, no FC

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C

connaghanpaula

0
Jun 1, 2015
18
Albany, OR
OK this is my first post as I am struggling to find a subject like mine. :) We put up our little pool last month. It's an Intex 15' round.
I am using the Taylor K2006 kit. We had the pool filled by a local water company - local city water. It is located in direct sun all day.

I suppose I have been limping along. I ran my first tests and found that I had no CYA and no FC. my PH was a bit low but now is usually 7.5. my TA is now usually around 80-100. I'm using the Pool Math calculator every evening. I put my numbers in and sometimes had to add some borax and some baking soda along with the 8.5 % Clorox. Lately I have only had to add the Clorox. At the beginning I had a bit of algae on the sides so I did a shock of 3 qts of Clorox. I actually got a FC reading of 2 the next day but the next day I had 0 FC again. NO ALGAE going on.

The pool is a very bit cloudy but NO algae. From what I am reading the CYA stabilizer is to keep the chlorine from dissipating. Do you think I need this? I would like it to be a bit more sparkly but wonder if I would be adding to the chemical work and cost if i don't need it. The chlorine is not burning our eyes and the salt is making the water feel very silky on our skin.

What would you all recommend??
 
Welcome to TFP!!:handwave:

Read through our Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools and see it that helps you out.

You need to keep chlorine in the water all the time. Cloudy is the first step before it starts to look green.
You will have to add CYA as that is something that is not naturally occurring in water. WalMart sells it in the seasonal pool section.
 
oK - I'm stumped - no change in the color of the water. still pale greenish/blue. Got the cya and numbers were good but now out of range. I have been shocking it for a week and running the filter 24/7 still no change in the water color. The numbers were within goal for my size/type pool but have been climbing slowly.
- today's numbers - FC - 11 PH - 7.8 CYA - 70 TA - 175 CH - 50 - pool math suggests that I replace 29% of my water.

I do not have the salt testing chemicals and I have not purchased any calcium chloride yet.

Our first fill came was trucked in from the closest town. - It was sparkly but has been going down hill while I learn the chemical stuff. We don't have a vacuum system so have done a couple of vacuums using a gravity flow to the ground outside of the pool. Works great but we then need to add water back in. We added our filtered, but not treated, well water a few times. Our well water has some minerals in it but I can't remember which ones - the toilets have a green ring in them and we have a bit of silicate too .

I am thinking that I should follow the directions of pool math and dump about 1/4th of the water and have the water truck come back out. retest and adjust chemicals and go from there.

what do you guys think?

country gal
 
I would also like to add that CYA is a one time addition (for the most part). It doesn't need added on a daily basis. If you are a cloudy green blue, you need to SLAM the pool.
 
been slamming for the last 7 days - filtering 24/7 - any other ideas??

- - - Updated - - -

hello jblizzle, yes - replacing the water to lower cya. High ch will not change the chemical balance?? - I would love not to have to bother with CH testing if it won't need to be managed.
 
With a CYA of 70, it is possible that a FC of 11 is not high enough to truly shock the pool. CYA keeps chlorine from dissipating quickly, but it also ties some of it up if you get the CYA too high. You might try raising your chlorine levels up around 15-17 and holding them there for a couple days to see if that will help. TA of 170 is a little high; not sure that that would be a big deal though. And jblizzle is ABSOLUTELY right-CH is useless in a vinyl pool, regardless of what anyone tells you at a pool store. Also, does the water appear dirty, or just green? You might consider a filter issue, though unlikely.
 

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Hi Paula! :wave: Welcome to TFP!

Forgive me if you are already aware and doing this but the Chlorine/CYA chart calls for a CYA of 70 to maintain shock level of 28. So test FC and then use Pool Math to bring your level up. You can test and dose every hour but should at least twice daily. Do this until your water is crystal clear, CC is 0.5 or less, and the over night loss is 1 ppm or less. Good luck to you!

PS - love your signature!
 
Sorry. Numbers seemed fine assuming the water was clear. Did not realize that was not the case. As stated in the previous post, you need to follow the SLAM process with the correct shock FC level.
 
As a newbie, it's important to know that a SLAM is not a once a day shock. It is getting the FC up to 28 and keeping it there until the water is clear and you pass the overnight chlorine loss test. It's a process, but it's worth it.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OK - Thanks everyone! Love the input! I have been doing a 20mmp shock but haven't been testing in the morning. I will shock up to 28ppm today and test later and then re shock until desired results!


And we Will change the filter also. As I said this is a test pool - we have our eye on a sand filter too! Just wanted to see how much use it will get before spending $$ on better equipment. sigh
 
ok - I'm still struggling! NOT one change in the color of the water and in fact last 8/4/15 we installed a brand new Howard 1H pump and sand filter the water got cloudier and green. (which by the way spewed out cloudy brown water when i turned it off for a couple of hours and then restarted it) been filtering 24/7 for the last 3 weeks.
Did the water in the glass test - it doesn't look cloudy in the glass and has no sediment in the bottom.
I have been trying to keep the slam going at 28 but my fc will not hold, although it hasn't dropped below and I can't be home all the time to check and adjust it everyday. How long is this supposed to take anyway???
last night my CYA was at 30 so I used pool math to bring it up to 50 so the fc would stablilize. this morning cya is at 70 (not the 50 I had expected!) my ph has been great until the new pump and filter and now is up to 8.0+ TA keeps climbing and is now 200! This is so frustrating!!

I'm tempted to start over but the 125$ to refill the pool is hard to take after the 560$ for the new pump and filter!!

numbers this morning - FC 26 CYA 70 PH 8.0 TA 200

Now What??
 
Stop messing with the CYA. You need to follow the SLAM properly. If you started on 7/12. there is no way it would still be on-going.

I think you need to post every time you test the FC and CC so we can be sure you are following the SLAM correctly.

Post up a picture of the pool.

TA does not just "climb" without you adding something to the water. And when the FC > 10ppm, you can not test the pH, it will be artificially high.
 
When you add CYA it may take a week for it to dissolve completely and register. May have been one of your problems. Jblizzle understands pools well follow his advise exactly and you should be going good. I brought my pool from swamp to sparkling clear in a week from great advice on this forum. Also, just to be sure, you are using your Taylor 2006 to test ,right. I have seen posts where people go back and get pool store tests. They are really inaccurate. Also, when testing CYA be sure to follow directions exactly and for me I need to test on a sunny day at the same time so light conditions were very similar. But again for now take jblizzle's advice.
 
Still Struggling ! (from the no cya thread previously)

"You need to follow the SLAM properly. If you started on 7/12. there is no way it would still be on-going."
have not added any CYA since before 7/12
From my pool math sheets
7/12 fc 8.0 CYA 65 ta 150 shock 28
714 fc 17.5 CYA 70 ta 150 shock 28
7/15 fc 16.5 CYA 70 ta 175 shock 28
7/16 fc 10.5 CYA 70 ta 175 shock 28
7/17 fc 13 CYA 55 ta 150 shock 22
7/18 fc 20 CYA 55 ta 150 shock 22
7/19 fc 12 CYA 50 ta 125 shock 22
7/20 fc 14.5 CYA 50 ta 150 shock 22
7/23 fc 17.0 CYA 50 ta 150 shock 28
testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 18
7/25 fc 20.5 CYA 70 ta150 shock 28
testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 10
7/29 FC 22 CYA 60 ta 175 shock 28
testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 15

purchased new Howard 1 horse pump and sand filter combo
8/1 fc 8 CYA 55 ta 175 shock 28
testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 15
8/3 fc 19 CYA 30 ta 175 shock 28
testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 15

Added liquid CYA as per pool math to bring CYA to 50
8/5 fc 26 CYA 70 TA 200 Shock 28
 testing fc in between but didn't chart it with the pool math sheet
fc never dropping below 20

yes taylor test kit

pool looks more blue and a bit less cloudy today




 

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