Getting it Right on my own

[ajcoxfamily]

Hello! My pool guy has informed us he is raising rates understandably because of increases in prices for chemicals ($30 a month more) so we’re debating if we should begin taking care of it ourselves because we’re already questioning his methods. Occasionally we’ve had our pool tested at a local pool store and they tell us our CYA is too high (last test at store on 7/30/22 was 161) and to partially drain or throw in the water hose for a few days. My pool guy says the cya is fine, there’s no algae and the water is clear. Of course he has to keep the FC levels high to manage the pool with a high CYA. I bought a Taylor k-2006 C test kit and here are my levels below. Should we drain, start over, and do it ourselves or pay him more to keep using TriChlor and keep increasing the cya? I just don’t feel experienced enough to test and add liquid chlorine myself every day. Other pool companies have said I need to completely drain and power wash the plaster to get rid of cya in the plaster. Is this true or would just a partial drain and refill be good enough?
With these levels what would you recommend for a 18K gal pool with these levels?
Taylor K-2006C test kit-tested myself today
Free chlorine 13ppm
No combined chlorine
Ph 7.4
Total alkalinity 70ppm
420ppm calcium hardiness
Saturation index less than 0.1
Cya greater than 100

 

[amymeme]

I would go DIY. That CYA is NOT acceptable. This forum has lots of good info and people willing to help. Not sure where you're located - here in the northeast, with enough rain/snow fall and pool under wraps for 9 months, CYA, at least for us, tends to disappear over winter. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're in for a drain and refill. I use trichlor in the spring until I get a level of 30-40 CYA then switch to liquid chlorine. I save my bleach jugs, use a johnny pump, the cheap plastic manual ones for dispensing chlorine to transfer the chlorine from 5 gal jug into the bleach jugs so I can manage the weight. Or you can buy smaller jugs but it's not as cost effective - I used to use Walmart 8% bleach but that is way too expensive now for the quantities I need. You don't need a PhD in chemistry to manage a pool! The pool math app makes it very easy to figure out what you need. Good luck.

 

[Newdude]

Hey AJ !!! First things first. We need to know the actual CYA. Mix up half tap water and half pool water in a cup of your choosing. Use that as the pool sample and add the CYA reagent to it like normal in the squirter doohickey. Double the result.

You may get lucky with a low 100 and only need to drain / exchange half of the water. If it's near 200 or over, you're going to need to drain 80% + of the pool.

Until we get a better #, read up on

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

To see which method will work best for you.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
A good read.

DIY Pool Care: The Benefits of Taking Charge of Your Pool Maintenance - Further Reading

(Redirected from Phasing out the Pool Guy)

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajcoxfamily]

I would go DIY. That CYA is NOT acceptable. This forum has lots of good info and people willing to help. Not sure where you're located - here in the northeast, with enough rain/snow fall and pool under wraps for 9 months, CYA, at least for us, tends to disappear over winter. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're in for a drain and refill. I use trichlor in the spring until I get a level of 30-40 CYA then switch to liquid chlorine. I save my bleach jugs, use a johnny pump, the cheap plastic manual ones for dispensing chlorine to transfer the chlorine from 5 gal jug into the bleach jugs so I can manage the weight. Or you can buy smaller jugs but it's not as cost effective - I used to use Walmart 8% bleach but that is way too expensive now for the quantities I need. You don't need a PhD in chemistry to manage a pool! The pool math app makes it very easy to figure out what you need. Good luck.

Thank you for the help and info. We live in Houston, Texas area so it’s warm most of the year with unexpected weather changes but rarely freezes or snows.

 

[gingrbredman]

Occasionally we’ve had our pool tested at a local pool store

Step one is to get rid of your pool guy. He is doing you no favors to your pool, the methods he is using will always give you problems, and his advice is wrong. When asked, the answer is almost always, get rid of the pool guy. Step 2 is do not going into the pool store for water tests. You already have the kit you need for proper testing, and any issues or concerns, this forum will surely help you get there.

Should we drain, start over, and do it ourselves or pay him more to keep using TriChlor and keep increasing the cya?

As @Newdude points out, you will need to know the actual CYA number before you know how much to drain.

Other pool companies have said I need to completely drain and power wash the plaster to get rid of cya in the plaster. Is this true or would just a partial drain and refill be good enough?

A partial drain is all you will need, I have never heard of "power washing the CYA out". Thats pool service garbage advice to keep you on their service.

 

[ajcoxfamily]

Hey AJ !!! First things first. We need to know the actual CYA. Mix up half tap water and half pool water in a cup of your choosing. Use that as the pool sample and add the CYA reagent to it like normal in the squirter doohickey. Double the result.

You may get lucky with a low 100 and only need to drain / exchange half of the water. If it's near 200 or over, you're going to need to drain 80% + of the pool.

Until we get a better #, read up on

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

To see which method will work best for you.

This is super helpful! I was wondering how I could do this at home. At first it seemed to disappear at 80 then after ten seconds I could see the dot so I added a few more drops and it disappeared at 70. So would you consider it 160 or 140? How much water should I drain? Do you think I can rent a pump to remove the water or should I hire someone to come? That article about how to drain gave me a headache.

 

[mknauss]

How much water should I drain?

At that level of CYA, nearly all of the pool water.

Where in Katy? Depends on are you near surface water or not. When you drain a pool, it can pop out of the ground. So that is why the Exchange process is described in the article that gave you a headache.

You can do this, just need to be cognizant of the risks and the processes to mitigate those risks.

 

[Newdude]

At first it seemed to disappear at 80 then after ten seconds I could see the dot so I added a few more drops and it disappeared at 70

The test is supposed to be a lightning fast glance. Both your eyes focusing and the swirling of the turbulant water settling will alter the test if you wait. So fast glance and call it.

Either way you are well above 100 and the draining is proportional to thr CYA. A 75% drain will lower you 75% and put you in the 30 to 40 range. The diluted test has more error factor to it so it's not an absolute value, just a good guess. But. We know it's not 300, so there is that.

 

[jesse-99]

A partial drain is all you will need, I have never heard of "power washing the CYA out". Thats pool service garbage advice to keep you on their service.

'*as he's powerwashing the plaster* .. "Oh man, look at that CYA coming off! You're really getting your money's worth having me do this for you!"

LOL