Advice from Pool Store on CYA

[etherscreen]

I just returned from the pool store who built our pool last year. My CYA is 43 so I figured I better add some CYA. I purchased the granular type and when I asked the best way to add it to the pool (I have been reading TFP and I have learned I should use a sock) he told me to just dump it into the skimmers. I was just curious why this is bad and has anyone had any bad experiences dumping it into the skimmers?

I have infloor cleaners so I am thinking of adding CYA and turning the cleaners on for 8 hours. Is this a bad idea?

 

[OTPirate]

I've been dumping my CYA into the skimmer for three years now, and the previous owner did it for five years without any damage. The words below are from JasonLion. I like his perspective on it. BTW ...what are you testing with to get a CYA of 43?

"As a general rule, avoiding adding chemicals directly to the skimmer is a good thing. However, of the common pool chemicals, only muriatic acid poses a significant risk to the pump/filter/etc. When the pump is running, large amounts of water are flowing through the system and the various chemicals get diluted quite quickly. Only muriatic acid is concentrated enough that it still poses an obvious risk when added through the skimmer.

People have been adding CYA to the skimmer for years and years. The great majority of CYA packaging specifically instructs you to add it to the skimmer. Huge amounts of CYA have been added through the skimmer, all without any significant problems showing up. That is not to say that damage is impossible, just very very rare.

Quoting lots of technical information about possible damage tends only to get people scared. Hardly anyone is likely to follow what you are saying. Scaring people about trivial issues like the extremely minor risk of pump damage from CYA is counter productive. If you want to scare people, scare them about not bothering to add any chlorine to the pool and swimming anyway (way too common in my experience), or having an unsafe main drain, or running an extension cord to an electrical device floating in the water (people actually do this sometimes, as hard as that is to believe).

Using a sock in the skimmer is not really all that different from adding CYA directly. These days CYA is produced as very small grains that are clumped into larger grains. The larger grains break up into the very small grains quite quickly, usually within an hour, and then pass through the sock and end up in the filter anyway. There are some minor theoretical advantages, you don't have the large grains passing through the pump, but in both cases the CYA ends up in the filter until the smaller grains dissolve, which takes many hours to days."

 

[etherscreen]

The Pool Store measured my water and got a level of 43. I am not sure if my testing kit tests for CYA (I am new to DIY'ing it) but if so I will test it also.

 

[Bandit5]

Do not rely on the test from the pool store. From experience they have never been accurate. One test said my CYA was at 40, and the next day it tested at 0. Shortly after it was tested at over 100. I have since learned that the pool store doesn't actually care about being accurate and just wants the results to tell you to buy their products. Do not add ANY CYA until you test with your own test kit.

 

[Leebo]

One of the main reasons why we suggest using a sock verses dumping it directly into the skimmer is due to backwashing. If you add directly into the skimmer the CYA will end up in the filter until it’s disolved. If you backwash before it’s disolved you’ll flush the undissolved CYA right out with the rest of the gunk. If you use a sock though the CYA slowly disolves and finds its way into the water with little to no waste.

 

[PoolGate]

If you dump CYA directly in the pool, it will bleach your plaster. The skimmer is the best way. Hanging it in a sock in front of a return is used often but if the sock leaks, can lead to sadness.

 

[Dirk]

If you dump CYA directly in the pool, it will bleach your plaster. The skimmer is the best way. Hanging it in a sock in front of a return is used often but if the sock leaks, can lead to sadness.

Sadness here.

While the CYA might not harm skimmer or plumbing or filter, it can DEFINITELY HARM YOUR PLASTER.

So, for me: it's sock in skimmer. Whatever the sock does for the process, I'm not in such a hurry to add CYA that I can't take a little extra effort to use the sock. It takes quite a while to dissolve before you can test for it anyway, sock or no.

Not contradicting TFP, just sayin' I'll never introduce CYA to my pool over any plaster again... though I have a cartridge filter, so can safely ignore the good backwashing advice...

 

[Oly]

Use better socks, no holes.

 

[Melnic]

I’m worried sock will fall off of what ever I’m using to hang it. How ever you guys are hanging the sock reliably, it would be good to post pics.

I have raccoons and foxes that sometimes jump into my back yard. Trapped one last year but they will just move into new territory if it opens up each spring

 

[Dirk]

Use better socks, no holes.

I’m worried sock will fall off of what ever I’m using to hang it. How ever you guys are hanging the sock reliably, it would be good to post pics.

I have raccoons and foxes that sometimes jump into my back yard. Trapped one last year but they will just move into new territory if it opens up each spring

I was about to post, but didn't, but now will, even though I'm very careful to point out this is somewhat contrary to TFP advice on the subject. I preach here often, these guys know their stuff, and have already made, or have watched others make, all the mistakes we are ever going to! Their advice rules!

That said, there are several ways that CYA could end up on your pool floor. I could list them for you, and that'd probably be only a partial list. For me, I can virtually eliminate the possibility of any of those freakish, rare accidents by putting the CYA in a sock, putting the sock in the skimmer basket, and affixing the end of the sock to the skimmer cover in such a way that it cannot get loose, and either end up back in the pool through the skimmer door (virtually impossible), or get sucked into the pump (also virtually impossible if the skimmer basket is in place). Just being ultra, ultra, ultra careful with the stuff, which takes virtually no extra effort, so why not?

Suffice to say, I mishandled CYA and I have a permanent stain on my brand new pebble. It's embarrassing as all get out to admit, but if it saves another from the same, then I'll take one for the team.

Again, I have a cartridge filter, so heed the advice about the backwashing issue. But, for me and my pool, it's only going to be going in through my skimmer...

 

[Oly]

Tie a knot in the tube sock top, attach a stout string line to the sock knot, wrap string line around a brick and secure finally place brick on edge of coping next to return port and squeeze every few hours, low tech, no issues. Brush the bottom too.

 

[Dirk]

Tie a knot in the tube sock top, attach a stout string line to the sock knot, wrap string line around a brick and secure finally place brick on edge of coping next to return port and squeeze every few hours, low tech, no issues. Brush the bottom too.

Sorry, I keep getting sucked back into this thread. And sorry I have to respectfully disagree. I definitely wouldn't do it this way. If you're determined to hang the sock in front of a return port, over your plaster, it should be hung in such a way so that it can't touch the plaster. Like from a pole or pipe or 2x4, whatever. It would seem from your description that you're suggesting the string line just run over and down across the coping, which in some pools would put the sock right up against the plaster side, blown around back and forth across the face of the plaster by the return's current. And that just seems like asking for trouble. Not to mention the not-too-far-fetched possibility your pump could shut off (timer issue, blackout issue, whatever) and leave the sock touching just one spot on your wall. My plaster was burned in a matter of seconds. The time it took for me to run to my brush and back to brush away the pile of CYA on the bottom. I would not want a sock full of it to be rubbing or laying on my plaster for hours.

 

[Pool_Medic]

Just an FYI, there are CYA sticks that can be placed in the skimmer basket. It takes longer to dissolve but won’t clog up your filter forcing a backwash. If granular is placed in a sock in front of a skimmer it will be gone in under 8 hours. Remember, it Dan take up to a week to get an accurate cya reading after adding.

 

[pooldv]

Dirk,
It is not at all contrary to TFP methods to carefully avoid letting any chemicals spend any time on the plaster. And adding CYA in a sock in the skimmer is the preferred TFP recommendation for adding CYA and the method I use. Thanks for taking the time to help out!

From here, Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Solid/granular cyanuric acid (CYA) should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return. After adding CYA you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. Squeezing the sock periodically will help it to dissolve faster. Test and dose chemicals in your pool assuming the amount of CYA added is in the pool according to Poolmath. CYA can be tested the day after it is fully dissolved from the sock.

 

[Dirk]

Dirk,
It is not at all contrary to TFP methods to carefully avoid letting any chemicals spend any time on the plaster. And adding CYA in a sock in the skimmer is the preferred TFP recommendation for adding CYA and the method I use. Thanks for taking the time to help out!

From here, Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

No, thank YOU. I've read here so many times, the sock in front of the return, that I assumed that's all TFP preached. But here it is, right out of that link:

Solid/granular cyanuric acid (CYA) should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return.

I thought I was pushing the envelope in my pool, and was being careful not to cross up those wanting to strictly adhere to TFP teachings! My bad. I did do it right! Ha, ha, now I'm free to spread the word!!