CYA notes and results

[jstblush]

Just an update. Still using pucks.

CYA has stayed in the 40-45 range so far. And FC has stayed in the 6-7.5 range which is perfect for a CYA of 40 or 50.

The only time I had to add bleach so far was when I had to add 4 more pucks to the chlorinator. They weren't dissolved yet and it took them until the next day to register FC as high as I needed it to be. So I just supplemented with the LC.

I also have not had to add any acid at all to lower my pH which has been nice. It's stayed in the 7.4-7.5 range.

So, I am enjoying using the pucks for as long as I can. It is a nice break from lugging the bleach back and forth and so on. It also lets me breathe if I have to be gone and can't get to my bleach dose for the day because the pucks provide a constant flow of FC.

I am still checking FC everyday since I am only experimenting with the pucks to learn how they affect FC and CYA. And I was planning on raising my CYA to 50 anyway because it is so hot here (100-106 lately) and the pool has sun from almost sunrise to sunset.

So I am learning a lot! And if we need to be away, I know how the pucks will affect my FC now. I thought my CYA would raise faster than it has. so was surprised by that.

Even if I have to switch back and forth between pucks and LC, it's a win in my eyes! It's been a nice break and I will take it. I started with the pucks on July 1st.

Have a great day everyone!
Sherry

 

[DeanP66]

I would stop using the pucks since your CYA is effectively 50 right now. You really don't want to go any higher. Save them for vacations.

 

[jstblush]

Thanks Dean.

I'm going to stop using the pucks when the CYA reading is all the way to the 50 mark line. It's been mostly between 40 and 45. That will get me a little more time before going back to hauling the bleach. And then I will know it's really at 50. And then I want to see if being at 50 instead of 40 really saves FC or not. So that's the next thing I will be learning.

By the end of summer i should know exactly (if there is such a thing as exact ) what I want to do with my CYA next summer. It's been interesting and keeping track of everything daily is really the only way I know how things are changing.

Then I will post if I save any LC at 40 compared to 50. It might be helpful to someone else wondering the same thing.

Sherry

 

[jstblush]

Things I've learned:

4 pucks last 9 to 10 days in chlorinator (set dial at 4)
it kept FC between 6.5 & 8 at all times

added 4 more pucks after 9 days
So 8 pucks raised CYA from approx 40 to 50 in approx 21 days (still a little under 50)

So I've used 8 pucks and got almost 20 days from them. Great info for vacations and anytime you have to be away from your pool. Also have added no acid because the pH stayed in range (mostly 7.4-7.6).

I'm back to using bleach now and I'm going to see if the CYA of 50 helps with FC loss compared to CYA 40.

I loved being able to use the pucks. Sooooo easy! :sunny: But I am also very interested to see the difference in 40 and 50 CYA levels. Our temps are in the 100 to 108 range for at least the next week. So it will be a really good test on the higher CYA level.

Still learning a lot!
Sherry

 

[Donzi 18]

Great info, I've been keeping my CYA in the 35-40 range all summer long adding 2.5 FC of liquid through my stenner 3 times a day. I add 3-4 pucks in my chlorinater per month set on 1 1/2-2 setting and what I've found is I havent had to add any acid my PH holds steady in the 7.2-7.4 range TA 90 I did add borates and maintain that level in the 40-45 range, I didnt use pucks in the later part of last year and was adding acid a lot, didnt have borates, I've learned 3-4 pucks per month maintins my CYA and PH rise and the borates has also helped with the PH. I've found my CYA level to decrease 5-6ppm each month so adding a little back with the pucks also helps keep PH in check I don't think pucks are totally bad if used correctly as you have found, are they my main source of chlorine, no but I've found them to be useful if used in small increments. Good luck sounds like you are the right track.

 

[jstblush]

Hi All,
Well it's been almost a month since I quit using the pucks and went back to LC. My CYA is 50 now and I do see a difference in my FC usage. I'm using approx. 1.5-2.5 FC per day. I was using around 3-4 ppm per day with a CYA of 40. So I am definitely glad I raised my CYA to 50.

From July 16 to Aug 16 there were approx 16 days of 100-106 degree days. The rest were in the mid to high 90's, so very hot weather. And the water temps were high, as you can imagine. And I still used less FC so that tells me all I need to know.

Next year I will definitely get CYA to 50. But I may do it the way I did this summer and use the pucks to get a break from lugging the bleach until it gets to 50. And that got my CYA up to 50 when it was the hottest part of summer.

The one thing I need to do is check my CYA again just to verify where I'm at with all the hot weather, pool water temps and back washes and splash out. Curious if CYA has decreased.

I am really happy to know how the pucks work with my pool. It is great to be able to use them if the need be like being away from home or something like that.

I want to thank everyone here for all your help and advice. I couldn't do it without you! And hopefully some of this info may be helpful to someone else.

Sherry

 

[jstblush]

Well, checked my CYA and it is back down to 40. So I do lose CYA with these hot air and water temps. I'm sure the splashout and backwashes decrease it too.

So from the 23rd of July to the 23rd of Aug I lost 10 ppm CYA.

This will be helpful to me next summer to be able to go back and forth between the bleach and pucks. I am happy because I will be able to get breaks from lugging the bleach around from the store and the garage. This experimenting this summer has turned out to be quite useful to me in a couple different ways. I can take approx 4 week breaks from hauling bleach and use the pucks. So basically switching back and forth bleach, pucks, bleach, pucks, etc And I also know just how to 'feed' my pool with pucks when we are away, like how many the pool takes and how much FC and CYA they produce.

So all in all, I am happy with my results.
Sherry