CYA - cure is worse than disease?

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apv

apv

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2019
62
Austin, TX
We're closing on a house with a pool that a pool company has maintained for about a year. The pool company has just informed us that the CYA levels are much too high and are locked, and we need to drain the pool completely, pressure the sides of the pool and refill to (hopefully) allow us to get to a lower CYA level that doesn't have the pool locked.

Questions for all you folks more experienced out there:

1) How does it make sense that a pool company can suggest such an intervention that they clearly created? It's like a doctor breaking your leg and then suggesting he put you in a cast. What am I missing here?

2) Aside from the above philosophical point -- is this the only method to lower CYA? Is it safe or do we run the risk of damaging our pool by getting a few dudes with pressure washers blasting away?

Any and all advice is appreciated. TIA.
 
Welcome to the forum!
That is the pool service business model. That is why TFP advocates owner pool water testing and maintenance.

Draining or exchanging the water is the only way to effectively lower your CYA. I would not have a pool service do it as it is easy but that is up to you. There is no need to pressure wash. Biggest risk is the pool shell popping out of the ground. But that can be mitigated by exchanging the water. A pool service will not do it that way as it takes time. And they want fast and easy and $$$.

Order a proper test kit now. We suggest the TF-100. Add the Speedstir, it makes testing much easier and more accurate.

I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.
 
Thanks for the head's up, mknauss. Will take your recs and run with them. The forum came recommended by a neighbor.

Question: in terms of us draining the pool ourselves, should we do it completely in one fell swoop? Or should we drain 1/4 or 1/2 -- then refill and retest? (And repeat, if necessary/)
 
Ain't that a great business plan? You now understand why the website is needed, and why it has grown to be so huge. You're smart -- you haven't climbed onto the pool store merry-go-round, so you don't have to get off with broken spirit and empty wallet.

Draining is the best way to reduce CYA. There is a CYA remover. We all got excited when it appeared. It didn't live up to the hype. I don;t think it even came close to 50% successful. It's not recommended.

If the pool is vinyl-lined, you don't want to drain it all or the liner can shift and wrinkle. You'll need to leave a foot or so in the shallow end. If the water table in your area is close to the surface, you also don't want to drain it completely, lest it float up and break the pipes, even if it's concrete. So look around the neighborhood. Is there a pond? A shallow creek full of water? If anyone is on a well, ask 'em how deep it is.

But whatever the case, we can get you past it all. A test kit and a cheap submersible pump (or a rented expensive pump) will no doubt be less than hiring these guys. The only reason to hire them to drain and clean is if you have Calcium scale that needs to be sandblasted. You'd know it because the walls will feel like sandpaper.
 
Draining depends on several factors. What type pool do you have (filling out your signature would be a great help)? Do you have shallow water table in your area? You need a sump pump to drain. You can rent a high power one at Home Depot or buy a lower power one from Amazon or Harbor Freight for the same price.
I do an exchange process. But we can discuss that later.
First I would get a proper test kit, like I linked to in my first post, before doing anything. Who know what your CYA level is? The test the pool service did is likely very incorrect.
 
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Hi Richard320 and mknauss,

Just ordered it the testkit per your rec. Thanks again.

Order Summary
--------------------------
1 - TF-100 Test Kit ™ @ $144.00
Optional Items : pH Meter
Optional Items : Speedstir Magnetic Stirrer
Optional Items : XL Option

The pool isn't vinyl. Appears to be standard quasi-kidney shaped concrete pool. Here in Austin Hill County, there isn't actually a lot of soil, we sit atop a limestone escarpment.

The house is on the side of a tall hill, probably 100 yards above a creek that cuts through limestone to Lake Austin proper.

I assume that a rental sump pump like this would work, right?

www.homedepot.com

Wacker Neuson Sales Americas Submersible Pump 2" Rental 0009112 - The Home Depot

Rent a Submersible Pump 2" Rental from one of our over 1,200 THD rental locations. Call your local store for same day pickup availability.
www.homedepot.com
 
It will. You will need to know where you are supposed to put the water. With that pump I would not suggest your sewer cleanout as it may back up into the house. Hopefully you are allowed to go to the gutter.

You do not want your plaster exposed to direct sun and to dry out. So if you drain and refill, best to do quickly and preferably on a cloudy day. Or you can set up a sprinkler to keep the plaster wet during the drain.

Do wait for your test kit. Good choice on getting that ordered.
 
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I absolutely agree with the experts- why risk any problems with your pool? Also they need you're test results from your test kit. I have O (zero) confidence in test results from somebody that's selling you something.

Chris
 
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