Pool builder was setting up inline chlorinator for when we go on vacation- he asked why I wouldn't just make my life easier and use it all the time… Of which I tried to explain the BBB method and he looked at me like I was crazy ? He then said that there is a chemical (maybe a powder?) you can put in your pool that sequesters the CYA so that you don't have to drain the water. Is this true?
CYA sequesterant?
- Thread starter houston_tink
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 62,885
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- May 23, 2015
- 25,786
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
He's probably talking about the BioActive stuff that is supposed to lower CYA levels but has not been shown to work by anyone here who has used it...
- - - Updated - - -
And, yes, PBs often know nothing about water chemistry....
- - - Updated - - -
And, yes, PBs often know nothing about water chemistry....
Hmmm, that's really unfortunate because they just put in a commercial chlorinator that holds 39 tabs because the 5 tab one never touched my FC levels. That's going to put in a ton of CYA!!
In TX, there is no way you should be using Trichlor tablets. Season is too long and not enough rain to dilute the CYA.
Your CH from the tap is likely also high, so you should not use cal-hypo.
That leaves you with liquid chlorine or SWG.
Your CH from the tap is likely also high, so you should not use cal-hypo.
That leaves you with liquid chlorine or SWG.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,786
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Tablets typically weigh about 8oz. If it's pure trichlor tabs (no X-in-1 products), the 39 fully dissolved tablets will raise your CYA by 46ppm.
I would suggest you DON'T fill it up all the way. Once tablets get wet, they are very hard to dispose of and will generate chlorine gas if you pull them out of the water and let them dry.
too late, they did it while I was gone today and it's full of tabs
But I can dial it way down, right?
- May 23, 2015
- 25,786
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
too late, they did it while I was gone today and it's full of tabs
Sure you can....you can pull tablets out, my warning was that they will emit chlorine gas until they are fully dried so if you do pull them, be very careful.
i will say we have an infinity edge and live in a very windy area so we do have a lot of water loss. But I realize that's not enough to dilute CYA.
I never add cal-hypo as we have very hard water
- May 3, 2014
- 62,885
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Water loss due to evaporation leaves the CYA behind.
You need to get a SWCG or Stenner pump with liquid chlorine.
You need to get a SWCG or Stenner pump with liquid chlorine.
forgive my ignorance, but when the autofill puts in new water to accommodate for all the water loss, isn't it like it is diluting it?
Yes, I have been starting to research stenner pumps. We have only had our pool 2 months so this is all new and overwhelming at this point! We were originally going to to SWG but due to limestone everywhere around our deck and tons of splashing due to kids, I didn't want to worry about having to seal stone and so we stuck with chlorine.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,885
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
CYA is dissolved in the water, like salt. When water evaporates, it leaves the solids (CYA, or salt) in the water remaining in your pool. The concentration of those solids increase in the remaining water. You then add in water without those solids, and the concentration of those solids in the total water mass returns to the concentration they were prior to the evaporation.
The only way to remove CYA is to physically take water out (drain, backwash, etc) the pool water and replace with water that has no CYA.
The only way to remove CYA is to physically take water out (drain, backwash, etc) the pool water and replace with water that has no CYA.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,786
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
CYA only leaves the pool when water is physically removed from the pool in it's liquid state. So if your infinity edge tends to spray a lot of water out of the pool or you have kids that like to do big cannonballs and splash lots of water out of the pool, then any water replaced by your autofill will dilute the CYA. When water simply evaporates from the pool surface, only water molecules leave and everything else stays behind. So, like a cup of hot tea left on the counter, it will just get stronger and more concentrated as the water evaporates away. When your autofill replaces that quantity of water that has evaporated, your CYA levels stay the same.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,885
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Also -- what is it with Texas and SWCG's?!? Only place it is an issue. Though we have lots of members of this forum, in Texas, with SWCG's. And no issues.