I was just looking for a discussion on the merits and pitfalls of higher CYA concentrations.
Instead of either starting a discussion or being directed to some other source, I received several repetitive posts on pool water maintenance in a highfalutin tone.
I was a bit protracted in the beginning, granted. I asked about the chemical mechanism that supplies HOCL from chlorinated cyanurates.
My though process was that typical residential SWCGs (like the Intellichor series, TurboCell series, Autopilot series, Aquapure series) produce a relatively small amount of chlorine and to support a higher CYA concentration there would have to be a higher FC. With varying loads on water and sunlight exposure, most of these salt cells may have trouble keeping up with higher CYA/FC ratios without supplement. As I tell my clients, it's really not that difficult. I'll find out what works for your pool and keep it there while trying to target minimums (runtimes and FC with room to move).
The scenario I try to avoid is high CYA with pools that are in distress. Something like a pump failing half way into the weekly service cycle, electrical outage, cell inspection timer reached, cell end of life reached, filter occlusion, etc etc. I can pivot to manual dosing very quickly and keep the pool water maintained while simultaneously fixing other issues.
You have realize that I am dealing with a lot of swimming pools and I need to incorporate risk management. I'm not poolside everyday or most days like homeowners or TFPers. However, y'all have some really sharp folks here that I enjoy chatting with. In that same vein, it's quite well known that TFPers are rather quick to defend the methodology.
I was not, in any way, trying to question the TFP method (which I find odd that I have to even mention). I was asking about the chemistry around CYA. There's a lot of points and counterpoints out there and there's regulations that prevent me from using all the tools available because of the lack of understanding/confusion/firewalls in the industry.
Specifically, the ratio between CYA and FC is crucial and is exactly what mgtfp eloquently and articulately posted. However, most regulations are based on recommendations by the alphabet people which regulate CYA and FC independently.
Regulators assume that pool operators are stupid and need things to be super simple (I guess they think a ratio is over our heads), but then you have a pool with 100ppm CYA and 1ppm FC.
The limits in South Carolina: 1ppm to 8ppm for FC and 0ppm to 80ppm CYA. There's a ton of combinations in there!
However, I can't run higher CYA without breaking the limit on FC when maintaining a proper ratio. I think regulators also want to ensure that FC is not ever at hazardous level regardless of CYA even though CYA buffers its potential. This buffering is the crux of my question. How the concentration of HOCL is modulated via equilibrium reactions. Basically, at certain CYA:FC there's a certain amount of HOCL which is maintained almost instantly until the FC runs out. If the FC is consistently being supplemented by a feeder or whatever at a rate that does't break the ratio, then everything is hunky dory. This can get a bit hairy without knowing the body of water and equipment well.
And because there is no barrier to entry in the pool industry, it is assumed that we are mostly uneducated morons wielding a cal-hypo scooper or a jug of bleach. In a lot of cases, this is very true. Most pool pros around here overdose pools to keep them clear, but as mgtfp said swimming in 4ppm is not great; well think about 10ppm with 15ppm CYA and you'll get an idea of what a lot of pool techs tend to do. Why? They are seasonal workers and it's easier to drop 2 pounds of cal-hypo into a skimmer.
99% of my clients are high-net-worth and completely hands-off. Y'all are doing exactly what I tried to do in the beginning of my business which is "teaching a man to fish." My clients don't wanna fish; they want to pay.
