CYA Dilemmas

[JustWater]

Okay, I’ve successfully used the TFP SLAM Method to turn my dark green frog bog into a crystal clear pool. I’m embarrassed to tell you how much chlorine bleach I had to add to figure this out. In fact, when I couldn’t find liquid chlorine, I turned to bags of Clorox dichlor shock.

As you would guess, after reading all of these posts of CYA, my CYA, which started at next to nothing, is now way over 100. I am typing this thread while waiting for my pool to refill after a 50% drain.

Additional research reveals that. It only is there CYA used in dichlor Shock, it’s in the trichlor chlorine pucks we use in the feeder.

If CYA can’t be removed from my pool, wouldn’t this mean that I will eventually raise the CYA to over recommended levels just through routine maintenance???

Inquiring minds really need to know.
BTW - just asked my brother in law who’s had a pool for years and he’s never even thought of checking his CYA.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

Have a look through these links. You will need to start adding liquid chlorine daily for sanitizing your pool water. All other forms of chlorine leave either CYA or calcium to build up in the water. Unless you install a SaltWater Chlorine Generator.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP. Yes dichlor and trichlor dry chlorine products contain CYA. The only way to get rid of excess CYA is to partially drain and refill with fresh water. How much to drain depends on how much CYA you have. Some folks have a short swim season and enough water exchange through winterizing and backwashing that they keep the CYA level in check.
The way we deal with keeping CYA in check is to use liquid chlorine. Unfortunately liquid chlorine may be hard to find in some areas. I'm happy to see you have a good test kit! What does your calcium level look like? If you are at the low end of the calcium range you may be able to use cal-hypo for a little bit while you look for sources of liquid chlorine. This liquid chlorine tracker might help. Liquid Chlorine Tracker - Trouble Free Pool

 

[Rossterman]

If you get an accurate cya reading (if at or over 100 do a 50% dilution with tap water and restest) you can manage higher cya with a commensurate higher amount of free chlorine. But, as others have said, the only way to lower cya is drain the pool. There is a cya/fc chart on tfp.

 

[Richard320]

If CYA can’t be removed from my pool, wouldn’t this mean that I will eventually raise the CYA to over recommended levels just through routine maintenance???

Congratulations! You've figured out something that has baffled pool store professionals for years.

When you see "99" on a pool store CYA test result, that's code for "off the scale". Their solution is to sell you more stuff because you you have "chlorine lock," and after a couple weeks, determine the problem is too many Total Dissolved Solids, and you must drain. And then they sell you this startup kit so you can do the same thing all over again.

It's Pool Store Wheel of Fortune, but they play the game and win the fortune.

WheelofFortune2.jpg

• Richard320
• May 29, 2019

Image5

• Richard320
• May 20, 2014

 

[JustWater]

Congratulations! You've figured out something that has baffled pool store professionals for years.

When you see "99" on a pool store CYA test result, that's code for "off the scale". Their solution is to sell you more stuff because you you have "chlorine lock," and after a couple weeks, determine the problem is too many Total Dissolved Solids, and you must drain. And then they sell you this startup kit so you can do the same thing all over again.

It's Pool Store Wheel of Fortune, but they play the game and win the fortune.

WheelofFortune2.jpg

• Richard320
• May 29, 2019

Image5

• Richard320
• May 20, 2014

That's hilarious Richard320 - I likened it to "Sylvester McMonkey McBean" from Dr. Suess' "Sneeches" book - they'll get you in the cycle of throwing more and more cash at a circular problem. Thanks.

 

[JustWater]

If you get an accurate cya reading (if at or over 100 do a 50% dilution with tap water and restest) you can manage higher cya with a commensurate higher amount of free chlorine. But, as others have said, the only way to lower cya is drain the pool. There is a cya/fc chart on tfp.

Rossterman - I wasn't too worried about getting an accurate reading past 100 given that everything I've seen says that my FC simply won't be an effective sanitation agent with CYA levels that high. I suppose getting the accurate measure would tell me exactly how much water to remove, but my pool is so irregularly shaped, I'm not sure here 50% really is (lol). Kind of like a pregnant peanut with a deep end (LOL).

 

[JustWater]

Hi, welcome to TFP. Yes dichlor and trichlor dry chlorine products contain CYA. The only way to get rid of excess CYA is to partially drain and refill with fresh water. How much to drain depends on how much CYA you have. Some folks have a short swim season and enough water exchange through winterizing and backwashing that they keep the CYA level in check.
The way we deal with keeping CYA in check is to use liquid chlorine. Unfortunately liquid chlorine may be hard to find in some areas. I'm happy to see you have a good test kit! What does your calcium level look like? If you are at the low end of the calcium range you may be able to use cal-hypo for a little bit while you look for sources of liquid chlorine. This liquid chlorine tracker might help. Liquid Chlorine Tracker - Trouble Free Pool

No problem finding liquid chlorine now - I've found a second source.
So, what you're telling me is that I should probably forget about using dichlor and trichord and just stick to liquid chlorine???

 

[mknauss]

So, what you're telling me is that I should probably forget about using dichlor and trichord and just stick to liquid chlorine???

See Post #2. The links describe the issues with using stabilized chlorine for daily maintenance.

 

[zea3]

No problem finding liquid chlorine now - I've found a second source.
So, what you're telling me is that I should probably forget about using dichlor and trichord and just stick to liquid chlorine???

Yes

 

[JustWater]

Things are looking good guys. I got the CYA down to 60 and successfully got my CC down to .5 consistently for the last three days. Now just waiting for my FC to drop from shock levels to the target range so I can test the pH again and hopefully let the family jump in.

FC - 19.5
CC - .5
CYA - 60
Temp: 61 deg F

 

[zea3]

Oooh! A nice little chlorine string to keep the algae vampires away! Great work with your pool! Feel free to post pictures of your success!

 

[jimbethesda]

It’s safe to swim up to SLAM level, which with a CYA of 60 is 24. Have your family jump in now!

 

[JustWater]

It’s safe to swim up to SLAM level, which with a CYA of 60 is 24. Have your family jump in now!

Thank you guys! We had a great socially distanced party swim yesterday. I ran my heater most of the day and had a great time.

 

[JustWater]

Okay - once my FC came down to the target range, I tested everything. My pH was a bit low (7.0) so I had to add 4 lbs 4 oz of soda ash o bring it up a bit. Current numbers:


CYA: 60
FC: 9
CC: 0
pH: 7.6
TA: 80
CH: 90
Temp: 72 deg F

Here are some before and after photos:

 

[mknauss]

Great transformation!

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[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Great success story...the pool looks beautiful! I bet you'll miss the frogs though.

Enjoy!

 

[Oly]

Nice work JW!
That pool shape reminds me of a guitar pool in Nashville.

 

[Richard320]

Now all you need is for it to warm up. 72 is a bit chilly for me.

 

[JustWater]

Great transformation!

We are glad you have found our information helpful. Please, if you can, consider making a donation to TFP.
We are staffed by volunteers and are registered as an IRS 501 (c) (3) charity and donations are what keeps the forum operating without advertisements.
Support TFP!

You got it!