First time servicing my pool, just making sure

[greencat]

Hello everybody,

So I serviced my water today for the first time. Tested water, here are the results:
FC = 0.5 not surprising since the pool guy has not serviced the pool in over a week and there were no chlorine tabs left in the floatie
CYA = 100 could not see the black dot before level even reached half way to 100
CC = 0.5
TC = 1.0
pH = 7.2
TA = 130
CH = 1625 southern AZ, hard water, so not a big surprise

I added two pounds of Cal-Hypo. The calculator said 2 lb, 10 oz of 53% Cal-Hypo but I used HTH Advanced Shock treatment, which is 56.44% Cal-Hypo, so I figured I'd use less.

Since my CYA and CH levels are so high, I am guessing I should stay away from chlorine tablets and Cal-Hypo for a while, and use liquid bleach only. The companies that serviced my pool were using chlorine tablets every week for the past year, so I figure that explains the high CYA.
Calculator also recommended adding Borax to increase pH, which I am planning to do, just need to go buy some.

Does this all make sense?
Thank you

 

[HermanTX]

I would not mess with the 7.2 pH. It is on low side due to the tablets which contain acid. It will rise once you just use liquid chlorine.
Your CYA is well over a 100. Your CH is out of sight and adding cal-hypo assisted in making it higher.
You really need to consider a water drain and refill. However with the heat, probably not advisable to expose your plaster.
Please read Draining - Further Reading

@mknauss lives in your area and best to provide advice on draining

 

[mknauss]

Time to drain But if are going to continue the pool service, they will just put you in the same place in 6 months or so.

 

[atxjmy512]

if you don’t want to drain all at once and expose your plaster, you could drain a few inches at a time and refill. It’ll take a lot longer but will eventually reduce your cya.

 

[Deb04]

Just to set expectation, your pool will need to have chlorine every day.

 

[greencat]

Just to set expectation, your pool will need to have chlorine every day.

Yeah, every couple of days so far. The pool does not get a lot of use. Only the dog uses it every day

 

[greencat]

Time to drain But if are going to continue the pool service, they will just put you in the same place in 6 months or so.

After servicing the pool myself for three weeks, I don't think I am going back to pool service. Not until I am somehow unable to do it anymore.

 

[greencat]

if you don’t want to drain all at once and expose your plaster, you could drain a few inches at a time and refill. It’ll take a lot longer but will eventually reduce your cya.

Good idea. I've been hoping monsoon rains might help me out with that. A good storm can easily add over an inch of water to the pool. Maybe silly, but I'll see what happens with CYA at the end of August.