Am I crazy? Or is pool service THAT bad? (Also, dealing with high CYA)

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T

TexasDogs

Active member
May 11, 2021
34
San Antonio, TX
Pool Size
11000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I'm a first time pool owner - recently bought a house with an 11k gallon in ground pool. By the looks of it, previous owners were using pucks and building up the CYA. We hired a pool service company since we didn't know anything about pools, and now that I've started reading here, I have serious doubts. For starters, they use pucks as well, and never report/mention anything about CYA. Finally got a test kit (k2006c) last week, and CYA is off the charts. Couldn't get a reading until diluting down to 25% pool water - that resulted in 360ppm (I acknowledge the dilution adds error, but still know it's way high!).

Anywho, today when he was here I asked if he'd been testing CYA and he finally says yea and that it's high and I talk about liquid chlorine and he says it's impossible to maintain in the heat. Ok, so he wants the easy way out, that's one thing. But what's really throwing me for a loop is that I tested a few hours before and right after he did. I got 9ppm FC before and 8.5ppm after. He reported 3. Now, I know I'm new to this, but the testing seems pretty straightforward - could I really be that far off?! Or is there something more fishy?

And next question - I understand I need to drain and refill, but I just can't drain a huge amount here at once, so it's gonna take a while. Is there any way to keep the pool safe with so much CYA? I think I'm down to about 280ppm and declining. Is having the appropriate amount of chlorine even safe (aside from not being very economical...)?
 
TexasDogs said:
I tested a few hours before and right after he did. I got 9ppm FC before and 8.5ppm after. He reported 3. Now, I know I'm new to this, but the testing seems pretty straightforward - could I really be that far off?! Or is there something more fishy?
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What type of test kit was he using? Was it strips or a simple drop test. You have the proper test kit so believe your own testing.
Is he filling up your inline chlorinator? Do you know how to control the flow through it? All of that impacts how quickly those pucks dissolve.
 
@TexasDogs Pool services can be useful and helpful but depends on your needs. If you travel frequently (and do not have anyone to monitor your pool), it may be good to have that service to come by weekly. If you are unable or unwilling to brush and vacuum your pool then having a service can help you with those chores. You can define with the pool service company that they must use LC vs. pucks. I have a neighbor that worked that out but I also know someone who purchases LC in addition to having the pool service. So every service is different and probably at a different price as well. You can make them responsible for all other chemicals and provide them the LC to pour in. You have many options assuming you are confident that they will meet your expectations. I know some neighbors were happy they had a pool service doing this recent freeze because they got some priority to fix or repair damage components. Some even came to their house before the freeze to drain the pump because they felt power would likely go off due to ice on power lines - no one thought the power grid would fails so miserably. So while not all pool service companies are good, not all are bad either. You just need to define what you need and your expectations and see if that can work out at a fair price.
 
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Welcome to TFP! Before I found TFP 10 years ago, my CYA level was 500+. So you're not alone, and your problems are solvable.

You're off to a good start with a K-2006C. Your pool guy is causing problems, not solving them. After a partial drain and refill, my next suggestion would be to fire him and take care of your pool yourself (if you're able).
 
HermanTX said:
What type of test kit was he using? Was it strips or a simple drop test. You have the proper test kit so believe your own testing.
Is he filling up your inline chlorinator? Do you know how to control the flow through it? All of that impacts how quickly those pucks dissolve.
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I've never actually seen him do the testing, which is the other thing that makes me skeptical. In and out so quick. But I guess part of that's on me for not asking him more.

He had been putting the pucks in a floating dispenser, but now that I've taken it out (because I don't want more CYA!), he put em in the skimmer basket. Didn't even realize he put em in today until he was gone and I saw the report and went looking.
 

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TexasDogs said:
I've never actually seen him do the testing, which is the other thing that makes me skeptical. In and out so quick. But I guess part of that's on me for not asking him more.

He had been putting the pucks in a floating dispenser, but now that I've taken it out (because I don't want more CYA!), he put em in the skimmer basket. Didn't even realize he put em in today until he was gone and I saw the report and went looking.
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Well it is definitely time to have a sit down with him and go through the basics. What does he do weekly, what does he do monthly, how does he test, what chemicals does he use, what does he do if he sees algae, etc. You said he leaves a report so that is great, you can use that as a starting point as what has been done.
 
Jimrahbe said:
T-Dog,

You have a Sand filter.. Where I live it must be connected to the sewer.. Where is yours connected???

Thanks,

Jim R.
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Not connected to anything. Backwash/waste line just goes into the yard. I've been using a backwash hose to help distribute it a bit better, but there's still only so much I can do before I end up with a swamp.
 
TexasDogs said:
Not connected to anything. Backwash/waste line just goes into the yard. I've been using a backwash hose to help distribute it a bit better, but there's still only so much I can do before I end up with a swamp.
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Just by chance, do you have gutters on your house? do they just have a downspout to the yard or do they go to an underground drain?. Maybe that is an option if you have that drain.
 
jseyfert3 said:
Are you allowed to run it down the drain, either storm or sanitary, or is that not allowed?
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In either case, I'd have to run a hose all the way around the house. Doable probably, but quite painful. Technically, I don't think I'm allowed to drain into the street. Also, I don't have a sump pump (I know that's solvable)
 
TD, after reading your thread from last night, I see you are on the track to recovery. You just have a coupe immediate issues - where to drain water and how much. From the looks of it, you'll need to exchange most of your water, but we know you can't just empty a pool for fear of floating it. You should however be able to drain about half at a time. Best to be careful with all the rain we've received recently as I suspect your ground may be quite saturated. As for the drain location, your yard, if not a swamp already, may become one soon from the forecast I'm seeing starting Saturday. While I never hold my breath to the weatherman predictions, it looks like we have more rain in the forecast. So if you have a way to manipulate that backwash, I'd do it. You might be able to take advantage of some free/fresh water for the refill.

With your K-2006, you have 100% visibility of your water now, so no reason for anyone else (except maybe a fellow TFP member) to test your water. You've got this now. :goodjob: If you have any questions about the water exchange, testing, or any pool-related issues, don't' hesitate to ask.
 
First off fire your pool guy and do it yourself or get another one. You don't see him testing because he is using strips, if anything at all. Strips are garbage. I guarantee he is putting a puck in the skimmer, throwing in some powder shock and calling it a day. Its what 90 percent of these pool guys do. If you look close I bet you will find algae a day or two before he comes. With those CYA levels your chlorine is not sanitizing much. I would say drain most or all of the water and start over if you are sure the CYA is that high. Stay away from pool stores too and invest in a good test kit.

Go read some articles in Pool School. Using the TFP method, I never need shock unless I have a HUGE bather load and hardly ever need to brush. Haven't seen algae since. Now that I'm on salt I usually don't even shock I just let the SWG run a few extra hours after the nephews come swim.
 
Also, I drain the pool into a sewer clean out. My plaster guys drained it into the gutter... is that allowed? Not sure honestly.
 

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