CYA Disaster?

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aspiringnobody

Well-known member
May 25, 2019
59
Chicago
I'm wanting to know if anyone knows if the Boraxo soap I added to my pool could be causing a high CYA reading. I added 1lb 8oz to my 9'x18'x52" pool (fresh fill), and when I checked my reading today after the sock was empty I got a value of 70 or maybe 60 if I really strained to see the dot.

My test strips show somewhere between 0-30/50 for sure, but the Taylor test is very cloudy. I got concerned so I took a sample to the pool store as a second check and they tested with the machine and got 59, and with the taylor kit and got the same inconclusive ~70.

Any ideas?
 
Boraxo would not raise CYA. My guess is you need to give the CYA a day or two to mix well. If you had fresh fill water, your CYA level would be 0. Trust your Pool Math calculation. For your pool, I got 5300 gallons. 24 oz. of CYA would raise your level 34 ppm.
 
Rancho Cost-a-Lotta said:
Boraxo would not raise CYA. My guess is you need to give the CYA a day or two to mix well. If you had fresh fill water, your CYA level would be 0. Trust your Pool Math calculation. For your pool, I got 5300 gallons. 24 oz. of CYA would raise your level 34 ppm.
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So the pool has had sufficient time to mix now (about 4 complete cycles); I've checked the water from four different locations (return, bottom of the pool, surface in the corner furthest the return, and 24" under the surface. All 4 tests give me 60 CYA. So now my only option is to drain and fill? I'm so completely demoralized by this. Of all the things to have happen, high CYA is like the worst. This really sucks.
 
mknauss said:
60 ppm CYA is manageable. As you have splashout, rain, etc it will go down some.
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I just don't understand how this happened. I was so careful not to add anything that would raise my CYA too high. I really didn't want to try to deal with sky-high FC levels all year.

I am a bit confused why the aquacheck strips are so low of a reading. I was hoping that the residual soap in the pool might be interfering with the test.
 
60 CYA is livable. The chlorine level has to be higher, but the daily losses are pretty much the same. So, yeah, a few extra ounces to get you to target and then the rest is the same. You'll lose some CYA to natural breakdown and some to splashout.

And I question your results anyway. The CYA test has to be done in bright sunlight so unless you're in Hawaii, it's dark. Indoor lighting is seldom strong enough. So the dot disappears sooner which reads as higher CYA.
 
Which of the variables effecting your CYA level is most likely inaccurate?
  1. Pool volume?
  2. Volume of CYA added?
  3. Test interpretation?
Again, assuming fresh fill water, an accurate pool volume calculation, and an accurate dose, your CYA is 30-35.

I think you're good. Just my 2 cents...
 
Richard320 said:
60 CYA is livable. The chlorine level has to be higher, but the daily losses are pretty much the same. So, yeah, a few extra ounces to get you to target and then the rest is the same. You'll lose some CYA to natural breakdown and some to splashout.

And I question your results anyway. The CYA test has to be done in bright sunlight so unless you're in Hawaii, it's dark. Indoor lighting is seldom strong enough. So the dot disappears sooner which reads as higher CYA.
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Fingers crossed then, I'll check it tomorrow when I get home.
 

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Not really a disaster. A disaster would be alligators or jellyfish in your pool. Check it again in the daytime. If you find you want to drop the CYA by 10 or 20 ppm use the calculator to estimate how much water to replace.
 
Yes the CYA test is a turbidity test and is unique. The reagent is inexpensive and and stable so get a big bottle. Be sure the water is at room temp, well mixed and in good outdoor lighting but not in direct light. Also monitor your FC loss per day now and again if you do slowly drop your CYA to get an idea of your pools sweet spot.
 
aspiringnobody said:
I'm still getting 60+

How hard am I supposed to be looking for this dot?
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I stand on the patio in full sun so I get maximum reflected light. I turn sideways so I don't get a reflection off the surface of the viewtube to confuse things. I hold the tube just at the top, two fingers only, about waist level. Yes, holding it more naturally with more fingers messes up the test. I sprung for the CYA standard so I know this for a fact. Then I dribble the solution in until the dot disappears. Any doubt, I look away at something in the distance, then look back. It's like those optical illusions otherwise, where the image is burnt into your retina so you see the negative.

I generally pour the stuff back into the mixing bottle and repeat the test a few times. When I've had three tests within 5 of each other (not really 5, half a graduation) that's what i call it. WIth time, those three tests usually come back-to-back-to-back. Used to take 8 or 10 to convince myself.

103846
 
Check out the post from @PoolGate in this thread:

CYA test

The 50 is 60. Great to know. Maybe I’ll email them and let them know. I just pretend I have 30. I can also read the bottom line of an eye exam chart. That’s my down fall. Actually the 50 is 40. I changed my post on that.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
I tend to take a bit of a mathematical approach to my CYA.

CYA only gets into my pool in the form of powdered stabilizer as I only chlorinate with bleach or cal-hypo. I can trust the test "well enough" to be accurate to a delta of +/- 10 ppm and I normally shoot for between 20 and 30. As long as I am SURE I can't see the 20 dot any more, I'm in the clear. It takes a bit of getting used to, but having bright full light helps. I wouldn't also "look hard" for the dot. If you have to really strain to sorta make out where the dot is, then it's gone.

The mathematical part comes in the form of me knowing how much water is in my pool, and knowing how much a pound of stabilizer will do to add to my pool. If every pound adds X amount, and I add 4 pounds.... then I know how much I've added. If my pool is reading at or near zero, then I know how many pounds I need to add to my pool to hit my target range. I add it, and call it a day. I do test afterwards, but I don't struggle to make sure the dot is 100% gone and worry about the accuracy. If it's even close to where I calculated it should be, I don't worry.
 

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