Confused about increasing my CYA

[WBW]

New pool owner since Nov 1 and I've been using bleach since (except for the first 2 weeks when the pool company added pucks to our chlorinator). My water chemistry has been perfect for all these months based on Pool Math and thanks to this site members for their insight. My CYA has been 30-35 consistently. I have an automatic cover which during the winter and early spring has been covered at least 95% of the time. I add about 8-16oz of bleach about every two-three days, sometimes longer depending on the temps. Although Pool Math recommends having FC at 4 based on my pool gallons, I always add a bit more bleach and like to hover around FC at 5+. Nervous newbie I guess.

My question is, we are coming to a hot Texas summer and I'm just thinking I'll probably have the cover off during the afternoon/evening more often, should I be raising my CYA? When looking at Pool Math, raising CYA to 40 and even 50, which still stays in the ideal range, I will need to add more bleach. Also, based on reading other posts, adding bleach won't be a two or three-day task in the summer. So why increase my CYA if I will need to add additional costs of adding more bleach? If I need to add bleach every day, I might as well add just 8oz. and nothing more, based on my CYA at 30. Is my thinking correct here? I'm only questioning this because I've read from numerous posts to have more CYA during the summer so as to maintain FC longer. Is that correct?

Also, if adding CYA to 40 or 50 is the way to go, I have a few pucks hanging around from the pool company. Based on Pool Math, adding one 8oz puck will give me FC 9.1 and CYA of 5.5. But I assume this is only if I set the chlorinator to the highest level, 5, correct? If I set it at 1, I assume it will provide a gradual increase in FC and CYA. To what degree setting is confusing but can I assume its just a trial and error? Thanks,

 

[duraleigh]

AS the water and air warm up, your chlorine consumption will increase rather rapidly from where it is now. CYA will slow this consumption by acting as an "umbrella" from the UV in the Sun's rays.

My suggestion would be to bring your CYA (now) to 60 ppm and plan on going to 70 or so in August or thereabouts.

You are still going to lose more chlorine than you are accustomed to but you will REALLY LOSE IT if you don't increase your CYA.

Refer to the chart in Pool School for the dosage.

 

[WBW]

Thank you for the input. I’m not a salt pool. Isn’t that a bit high? I guess since my pool is small, I can always reduce the water to remove cya ax we get to the winter. Did you read my para on adding Cya by pucks and at what level on the chlorinator? Thanks again

 

[mgtfp]

When looking at Pool Math, raising CYA to 40 and even 50, which still stays in the ideal range, I will need to add more bleach.

Don't mix up the amount of chlorine you have to add as a one-off to increase FC from the old target (for CYA 30) to the new target (for CYA 50) with the amounts required for daily maintenance at constant CYA. Your daily chlorine loss at CYA 50 will be the same, or even a bit less, when maintaining the same FC/CYA ratio. I just gave a more detailed explanation on a different question with basically the same root in another thread:

Minimizing CYA to Maybe ~30

I live in the San Jose CA area and do not have a SWG. Over the winter rains and pumping water out my CYA dropped below 30 and I can now bring it up to whatever I want. I see the commonly recommended range of 30-50, and some on TFP suggesting higher - even without an SWG. For maximum life of...

www.troublefreepool.com

Also, if adding CYA to 40 or 50 is the way to go, I have a few pucks hanging around from the pool company. Based on Pool Math, adding one 8oz puck will give me FC 9.1 and CYA of 5.5. But I assume this is only if I set the chlorinator to the highest level, 5, correct? If I set it at 1, I assume it will provide a gradual increase in FC and CYA.

Once the puck has dissolved, it will have added the amounts of FC and CYA you are quoting from PoolMath. The chlorinator setting only determines how fast the puck dissolves and over which period those quantities are slowly released.

 

[WBW]

Don't mix up the amount of chlorine you have to add as a one-off to increase FC from the old target (for CYA 30) to the new target (for CYA 50) with the amounts required for daily maintenance at constant CYA. Your daily chlorine loss at CYA 50 will be the same, or even a bit less, when maintaining the same FC/CYA ratio. I just gave a more detailed explanation on a different question with basically the same root in another thread:

Minimizing CYA to Maybe ~30

I live in the San Jose CA area and do not have a SWG. Over the winter rains and pumping water out my CYA dropped below 30 and I can now bring it up to whatever I want. I see the commonly recommended range of 30-50, and some on TFP suggesting higher - even without an SWG. For maximum life of...

www.troublefreepool.com

Once the puck has dissolved, it will have added the amounts of FC and CYA you are quoting from PoolMath. The chlorinator setting only determines how fast the puck dissolves and over which period those quantities are slowly released.

Thanks for the detailed explanation of my questions as well as the other post you recommended to read. Based on the input I received, I'll start to raise my CYA before the warm weather hits our region.