Cyanuric Acid at 75 ppm: What to do?

[Striving]

I slammed my pool two weeks ago after some minor algae flair-ups. Before slamming, I brushed the pool vigorously, vacuumed extensively, and cleaned my DE filter the following day. Two weeks later, the pool is crystal clear, and the FC and TC are 3.0 ppm and 0, respectively. However, my cyanuric acid is 75 ppm. I want to reduce that to the prescribed level of about 30 ppm. However, because I live in Southern California, and we are having a drought, I will drain the pool only as a last resort.

I read about the Bio Active brand cyanuric acid reduction treatment and decided to try it as an alternative to draining the water. I bought an 8 oz package on eBay ($28). Some have suggested it is more effective in warmer water, so I heated my pool from 71F to 82F before starting the treatment. A day after starting, the cyanuric acid is at 74 ppm. The package states it can take up to 10 days to realize the full results, but I'm becoming increasingly skeptical that this treatment will do much.

My question is, if this treatment is ineffective, how important is it to get the CYA levels down from the mid-70s?

BTW, my CYA increased gradually over the summer due to using Chlorine pucks in a floating dispenser. I did not realize until recently that the pucks included CYA, and have stopped using them.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Striving !!!

First things first. How'd you get 75 ? Test strips and pool stores are notoriously wrong for CYA. Confirm a drop based kit says so.

Then round up to 80 because the scale is logarithmic amd not linear so it doesn't read like our brains want it to. A 71-79 is an 80 (etc).

The CYA reducers just don't work at all for most people. It's rumored they work in the lab but the enzymes die in shipping and sitting on a shelf somewhere, before you even get the chance to try them.

An 80 CYA won't be miserable to limp along with. It degrades about 5ppm a month and you'll have a 60 before too long, which is entirely manageable. Many in the hot climates use 50 and even 60 during the peak season.

 

[nobody291]

Two weeks later, the pool is crystal clear, and the FC and TC are 3.0 ppm and 0, respectively.

In addition to the good advice above, if your CYA really is 70 or 80, your FC is well below the minimum, and way below the target value. If you haven't done it already, check out Pool School in the margin on the left, and you'll find the FC vs. CYA chart there. Otherwise, your pool won't be clear for long! There's lots of other good info in there too.

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum

BioActive is an ineffective product. Time and again, people have tried it on this forum and report results like yours. It simply doesn't work. There have been some shill testimonials on this forum but the product does not work.

how important is it to get the CYA levels down from the mid-70s?

Since you don't want to drain, keep your FC at 10 ppm. Please read "Pool Care Basics" up in Pool School and it will show you the relationship between FC and CYA. You will need to keep you FC up in that 10 ppm range until the CYA slowly degrades.

I assume you are not closing your pool.

We hope you will continue to read the info in "pool Care basics". It will teach you to stay out of the pool store and do your own testing.

 

[Newdude]

Nice catch @nobody291

Get that FC up, yesterday.

FC/CYA Levels

 

[Striving]

Hey Striving !!!

First things first. How'd you get 75 ? Test strips and pool stores are notoriously wrong for CYA. Confirm a drop based kit says so.

Then round up to 80 because the scale is logarithmic amd not linear so it doesn't read like our brains want it to. A 71-79 is an 80 (etc).

The CYA reducers just don't work at all for most people. It's rumored they work in the lab but the enzymes die in shipping and sitting on a shelf somewhere, before you even get the chance to try them.

An 80 CYA won't be miserable to limp along with. It degrades about 5ppm a month and you'll have a 60 before too long, which is entirely manageable. Many in the hot climates use 50 and even 60 during the peak season.

Thank you...I used a PoolLab photometer. It's reliable (test-retests are highly similar), and the results have been quite similar to pool store estimates. Other than that, I can't verify the accuracy of the device, but some others have made favorable reviews, with the exception of total alkalinity. I have ordered a TF-100 kit, but it hasn't arrived yet.

I use a pool cover and swim in the winter w/ a wetsuit (water about 65F), so I don't think CYA levels above 30 are needed, at least during winter. Thanks again.

 

[JamesW]

Maybe switch to SWG.

What is your current salt level?

 

[JamesW]

I don't think CYA levels above 30 are needed

They might not be necessary, but if that is what you have, simply maintain the FC at the correct level and you should be fine.

Don't waste your time or money on the reducer products.

If you have some extra money that you need to spend.

Become a TFP Supporter

Help Support TFP Trouble Free Pool is run by a dedicated group of volunteers that … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

In any case, avoid adding more CYA from any source.

Consider going to a SWG.

Your salinity is probably already pretty high.

Taylor K-1766 Salt Test Kit

tftestkits.net

 

[Newdude]

I have ordered a TF-100 kit, but it hasn't arrived yet.

Awesome !!!! Hang tight until it gets here. Many, and I mean MANY, have been surprised to get a new reading. Here's to hoping it's in your favor.

I use a pool cover and swim in the winter w/ a wetsuit (water about 65F), so I don't think CYA levels above 30 are needed, at least during winter

As James said, they aren't needed, but it's what we have to work with at the moment.

 

[Striving]

Welcome to the forum

BioActive is an ineffective product. Time and again, people have tried it on this forum and report results like yours. It simply doesn't work. There have been some shill testimonials on this forum but the product does not work.

Since you don't want to drain, keep your FC at 10 ppm. Please read "Pool Care Basics" up in Pool School and it will show you the relationship between FC and CYA. You will need to keep you FC up in that 10 ppm range until the CYA slowly degrades.

I assume you are not closing your pool.

We hope you will continue to read the info in "pool Care basics". It will teach you to stay out of the pool store and do your own testing.

Thank you for these helpful suggestions. I will continue reading those pages and posts, as I still have much to learn. The reason I allowed my FC level to get low (i.e., 3.0) is the CYA reduction treatment recommends levels between 2 and 4 ppm during the treatment. I will bring it up again in a few days (I still haven't completely given up on the CYA reduction treatment).

Because I swim daily, I prefer to have the chlorine level at or below 5 ppm. I'm just wondering what the best course of action is when CYA is 75ish. So far, it seems some combination of waiting for the CYA to degrade and partial draining of the pool, is the only option.

 

[Striving]

Awesome !!!! Hang tight until it gets here. Many, and I mean MANY, have been surprised to get a new reading. Here's to hoping it's in your favor.



As James said, they aren't needed, but it's what we have to work with at the moment.

Hope you're right. I'll update when the new kit arrives.

 

[Newdude]

Because I swim daily, I prefer to have the chlorine level at or below 5 ppm

As you'll read in the Pool Care Basics, the CYA and FC have a relationship. The more CYA you have, the more it buffers FC so you need more of it to have the same level of sanitizing.

Any target level per CYA level on the FC/CYA Levels is less harsh than tap water with 0 CYA and a FC up to 4.

'The industry' is literally stuck in the 80s and haven't evolved with the times. Lots of science has advanced since then, including here. It's alot to process but read up and ask away at any time. In the end, you'll at how easy it all is, once you get over the information overload. Any snippet of it is simple as can be.

 

[Striving]

Maybe switch to SWG.

What is your current salt level?

Thank you. I never measured the salt, and don't know how. However, the pool was emptied and refilled 4 months ago, so it might not be very high. What is the advantage of an SWG? My pool is cement w/ plaster.

 

[JamesW]

However, the pool was emptied and refilled 4 months ago

Wow, that is a big buildup of CYA in only 4 months.

A SWG provides a steady source of chlorine and make maintenance much easier.

 

[Striving]

As you'll read in the Pool Care Basics, the CYA and FC have a relationship. The more CYA you have, the more it buffers FC so you need more of it to have the same level of sanitizing.

Any target level per CYA level on the FC/CYA Levels is less harsh than tap water with 0 CYA and a FC up to 4.

'The industry' is literally stuck in the 80s and haven't evolved with the times. Lots of science has advanced since then, including here. It's alot to process but read up and ask away at any time. In the end, you'll at how easy it all is, once you get over the information overload. Any snippet of it is simple as can be.

Thank you. This is my first pool and I've been at it for 4 months. I'm glad I found this website a few weeks ago, before wasting more $$ on unnecessary chemicals.

 

[JamesW]

That's about 1 ppm of chlorine a day for 4 months and a total of 19 lbs of trichlor tabs.

 

[Newdude]

What is the advantage of an SWG?

Never lug another jug. Well, ok, you'll still need to step in and make a liquid correction once in a while, but yeah. 2 or 3 gallons will probably last the whole season.

However, the pool was emptied and refilled 4 months ago,

OK so it's still probably low. Everything you add is a salt, or breaks down to salt. Most liquid chlorine pools approach salt pool levels in season or two.

I'm just wondering what the best course of action is when CYA is 75ish. So far, it seems some combination of waiting for the CYA to degrade and partial draining of the pool, is the only option.

To lower the level it's an even %. Drain 30% to lower 30% (etc). Some choose multiple drains but each subsequent drain loses good water with it, so they become less efficient with each round. Read up here too.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

My vote will be to limp along as is, if the TF100 agrees the CYA is 80.

 

[Striving]

Wow, that is a big buildup of CYA in only 4 months.

A SWG provides a steady source of chlorine and make maintenance much easier.

I actually started at 40 ppm b/c I added some CYA after I refilled the pool in July. Here in Riverside, CA, it is super sunny and hot all summer, so the FC burns fast. But it did go from 40 to 75 in four months due to chlorine pucks in a floater. I would typically have 2-4 pucks in the floater at a time. I removed the floater altogether three weeks ago, so no new CYA has been added since.

 

[Striving]

Never lug another jug. Well, ok, you'll still need to step in and make a liquid correction once in a while, but yeah. 2 or 3 gallons will probably last the whole season.

OK so it's still probably low. Everything you add is a salt, or breaks down to salt. Most liquid chlorine pools approach salt pool levels in season or two.

To lower the level it's an even %. Drain 30% to lower 30% (etc). Some choose multiple drains but each subsequent drain loses good water with it, so they become less efficient with each round. Read up here too.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

My vote will be to limp along as is, if the TF100 agrees the CYA is 80.

I'll definitely consider an SWG given the low maintenance benefits. I'm going to take your advice and limp for a while and see what happens. In fact, that's my mentality on a lot of things these days!

 

[Striving]

That's about 1 ppm of chlorine a day for 4 months and a total of 19 lbs of trichlor tabs.

View attachment 460101

Yeah; I started at about 40 ppm, b/c I added CYA after refilling the pool (sorry for the miscommunication). So I did use 8-10 pounds of pucks/tabs. I started with a 25-pound bucket and it's over 1/3 gone. BTW where did you get that calculator?