First time pool owner. CYA reading 100+ in green pool. How and how much to drain to lower it?

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achenx75

Well-known member
Jun 4, 2022
67
Central New Jersey
Hey all,

I just bought a house and opened the pool to find it was green. 2 months prior during inspection, it looked relatively clear. I tested my CYA levels and it reads 100+. Looks like the only way is to drain the pool to dilute it. Can someone give me pointers on this?

Do I set the pump to the drain setting? And I assume I can attach a hose and snake it to my driveway to dump into the street right?

I have a 26,000 gallon pool. How much should I expect to drain?

And if I use the pump to drain it, what happens when the water goes below the skimmer?

During this time, should I be doing anything about the algae? I assume the CYA levels need to be between 30-60 ppm before I can start the SLAM process to get rid of it right?

Any and all tips are appreciated. I apologize for the flood of questions. Just overwhelmed with house ownership in general.
 
Before you start, get a better handle on your CYA level. As you know, the test tube doesn't read above 100. So what if your real level is 150 or 200? You should perform the diluted CYA test for better accuracy on how much water to drain and refill.

You should not drain via the main filter pump. As you realize, that's a problem when water sinks below skimmer level. We recommend a submersible pump instead.

PS: Welcome to TFP!
 
Rocket J Squirrel said:
Before you start, get a better handle on your CYA level. As you know, the test tube doesn't read above 100. So what if your real level is 150 or 200? You should perform the diluted CYA test for better accuracy on how much water to drain and refill.

You should not drain via the main filter pump. As you realize, that's a problem when water sinks below skimmer level. We recommend a submersible pump instead.

PS: Welcome to TFP!
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Strawberryshortcake said:
What type of surface do you have? Maybe you've said somewhere, I might have missed it. That greatly effects how you would replace the water
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It's vinyl. Sorry, first post here so I'm probably forgetting to include a lot of crucial info.
 
Rocket J Squirrel said:
Before you start, get a better handle on your CYA level. As you know, the test tube doesn't read above 100. So what if your real level is 150 or 200? You should perform the diluted CYA test for better accuracy on how much water to drain and refill.

You should not drain via the main filter pump. As you realize, that's a problem when water sinks below skimmer level. We recommend a submersible pump instead.

PS: Welcome to TFP!
Click to expand...
Gotcha, thanks for that tip! I'll visit Harbor Freight and pick up a sump pump and some hose tomorrow. Any idea where I can pump the water? My backyard isn't very big and one of the streets I'm on has a storm drain close by. Is that okay?
 
achenx75 said:
Gotcha, thanks for that tip! I'll visit Harbor Freight and pick up a sump pump and some hose tomorrow. Any idea where I can pump the water? My backyard isn't very big and one of the streets I'm on has a storm drain close by. Is that okay?
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Your municipality probably has rules about where pool water can be drained. I’d search for that.
 
achenx75 said:
It's vinyl. Sorry, first post here so I'm probably forgetting to include a lot of crucial info.
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Don’t drain down beyond 18” of water in the shallow end. You don’t want your liner to shift. It’s being held in place by the weight of the water.
 

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achenx75 said:
This one? Wacker Neuson Sales Americas Submersible Pump 2" Rental 0009112 - The Home Depot

Thanks for that heads up! I'll check it out tomorrow. Seems more efficient than a cheap $65 pump.
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I would buy your own sump pump. Get one without a (float) switch and a 12' plugged cord. You will use it all the time. I use mine to aerate and to lower the level of the pool after rains so that my skimmers continue to work. SWCG, Robot, Smart Stir and my Sump Pump are my CRITICAL TOOLS.
 
achenx75 said:
I just need to figure out how much to drain now.
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That all depends on how much you need to dilute your CYA. That should be your first order of business - get a reliable CYA reading. Then we can help you get that down to a manageable level before you worry about adjusting anything else. The sooner you do though, the sooner you can attack that algae and get yourself a nice clear pool!

When you get a chance, fill out your signature with your pool and equipment specs. Are you chlorinating with bleach or do you have an SWCG?
 
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