adding CYA

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poolcrazed

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2020
67
Durhamville, NY
Hello All, Happy Pool season!
My cya is finally at the point where I actually need to add some! Can you advise on the best method for doing this? I checked the previous threads but they seemed old so I wanted to check. Thank you. It's about 15 right now and this will be my second year for using liquid chlorine and the first time I have to add stabilizer.
Thanks.
 
poolcrazed said:
Hello All, Happy Pool season!
My cya is finally at the point where I actually need to add some! Can you advise on the best method for doing this? I checked the previous threads but they seemed old so I wanted to check. Thank you. It's about 15 right now and this will be my second year for using liquid chlorine and the first time I have to add stabilizer.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Listen to the people who tell you to add it slowly, and to use a skimmer sock to add directly to the basket. I tried to add directly to the pool too fast and it all settled to the bottom. I tried stirring it up but it has stained the liner.
 
Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. After about 20-30 minutes of soaking, squeeze the sock often to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.
 
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Texas Splash said:
Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. After about 20-30 minutes of soaking, squeeze the sock often to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Fingers crossed. It was perfect when I closed. I lost a bunch of water over the winter.....:(
 
timd50 said:
Listen to the people who tell you to add it slowly, and to use a skimmer sock to add directly to the basket. I tried to add directly to the pool too fast and it all settled to the bottom. I tried stirring it up but it has stained the liner.
Click to expand...
I added my CYA today. Pool water temp. must be at least 70 degrees to add it. Put the CYA into a panty hose stocking. I have a 2 ft. plank board and a couple of bricks to help. Put the plank board so one end juts out over pool water jet. Put brick on other end to stablize board. Dangle stocking in water away from liner so jet of water hits the stocking. That will help the CYA slowly disintegrate into pool. After an hour or so, I squeeze the stocking to help it go a little faster. It takes about a week before you will get a good reading on your CYA test. Hope this helps!
 
Kathe said:
I added my CYA today. Pool water temp. must be at least 70 degrees to add it. Put the CYA into a panty hose stocking. I have a 2 ft. plank board and a couple of bricks to help. Put the plank board so one end juts out over pool water jet. Put brick on other end to stablize board. Dangle stocking in water away from liner so jet of water hits the stocking. That will help the CYA slowly disintegrate into pool. After an hour or so, I squeeze the stocking to help it go a little faster. It takes about a week before you will get a good reading on your CYA test. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I can see it's not working very well. I am in the northeast and the temp is still way below 70. Also I see how a stocking rather than a sock would work better. I am reluctant to "massage" it much since even with a surgical glove I seemed to get a slight burn. What about the slurry technique? Can I put it in a pail with warm water and then slowly add it to the skimmer. My cya is very low (16) and I wouldn't be worried but I am getting conflicting readings on the chlorine level. I got new replacement test kit materials a couple weeks ago. My chlorine registered at 11 yesterday. Agway said 3.3 so I thought wow, with so low a cya, it goes down fast. So I added some chlorine last evening and now it's registering 12.5 but with a dip stick only looks like about 4. So I'm suspect about the test kit material at the moment. All my other readings were pretty much the same as Agway. So two problems to solve.
Can I make a slurry since my water is so cold? I need to add almost 4 pounds.
What about my chlorine discrepancy. I am a very careful tester so I do not think it's tester error.
Thanks.
 

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poolcrazed said:
*-Can I make a slurry since my water is so cold?
Click to expand...
You can, but -pour it very slowly.

poolcrazed said:
What about my chlorine discrepancy.
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Disregard store testing. Too many variables that make them unreliable. Trust only your onw testing with a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C. Which one do you have by the way? Please add it to your signature.
 
Texas Splash said:
You can, but -pour it very slowly.


Disregard store testing. Too many variables that make them unreliable. Trust only your onw testing with a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C. Which one do you have by the way? Please add it to your signature.
Click to expand...
I use TF-100. That's a huge discrepancy....what about the strips showing I'm under 4....I'll look at the simplified Taylor, too.
I may try the slurry method. thanks.
 
poolcrazed said:
I would never put my hands in that ungloved, though!!!
Click to expand...
Been doing it for over 7 years. Diluted stabilizer is generally quite harmless. However that's not to say than some people may react differently based on their own skin sensitivities. No worries, there's more than one way to reach the end result.
 
Texas Splash said:
Test strips are even worse. With a TF-100, your testing is much more reliable. We are more than happy to coach you through any TF-100 test if you need help. Just let us know. Also remember that there is a YouTube channel that shows many of the tests as well.

Click to expand...
Thanks, I used the test kit the last two years and have always trusted it. This was just so different. I'll go with it which means no rush getting the CYA in......I have never added CYA before...I spent two years deleting it! If my cya is still under 30 and my water is cold and not a lot of direct sun, how much chlorine do you think I will lose in a day? I know it's hard to answer that..just trying to get a sense of how quickly it disappears with so little stabilizer. Would love to go swimming sometime soon!!!! Thank you for your help!
 
Based on your cool conditions, I would only add about 10 ppm worth of stabilizer for now. As you learned the past two years, it's much easier to add than remove. :) In your 24K pool, 10 ppm worth of stabilizer is 2 lbs. Once it's all dissolved and added to the water, maintain a good FC of about 5 ppm and you can swim. Re-test the CYA tomorrow to see if you notice any real changes. Eventually you want a CYA of at least 30, so if after 2-3 days the CYA still seems low (dot visible), then add another 10 ppm of stabilizer. As long as you go in stages you will be fine.
 
Ok, I put in one # last evening and it's mostly dissolved from the sock in the skimmer. And I just mixed up another 1lb 13oz into a slurry.....with hotish water...but it still takes awhile to really become a slurry....so I haven't added it yet. I could cover this, re-test tomorrow, and maybe just add half of it for a second step? Re-test and then see where we're at. I am anxious to get the chlorine level down. I still find that discrepancy troubling. 3.3 v 10+). This was upon opening after having added lots of water (5+ inches). It doesn't make sense that it would be that high. Maybe I will try testing it again with last year's powder. I know the pool store's readings can be off, but they're not usually that off (MY CYA AND ALK READINGS WERE NEARLY THE SAME AS THEIRS)........and the strips, too.....if I'm really at 10+, they should be really dark colored.
It's 90 degrees here today so too bad, it's not ready--and how ironic that I'm waiting for the chlorine to get down to be able to use it, and adding CYA at the same time......at least it looks good! But I really want to know that chlorine number is good. Thanks for the support.
 
I want to re-cap a couple things. Your last FC test of 11 is not dangerously high. You do have some stabilizer in the water, so it's fine. You're just close to SLAM level is all. It will fall quickly on it's own. To be sure about your FC testing, it should be like this:
Grab a 10 ml water sample size then add ONE generous scoop of R-0870 powder. It should turn Barbie pink. Mix and add R-0871 drops carefully until clear. Divide the number in half. Example: 20 drops equals an FC of 10.
Click to expand...

As for the CYA, don't try to analyze what it might be below 30 (i.e. 16, 20, 25). It doesn't work that way in those tubes. If teh dot is still visible all the way to the top, it's less than 30 and you add more - just like we discussed above. If later in the year you add more and it appears to be 45, call it 50 when you go to the FC/CYA Levels.
 

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