Getting Ready to Close Pool - Do not want to repeat last year - Need Help!

[dkite22]

So this is my second experience with closing the pool and last year things must not have been done correctly because I had ammonia issues when I opened this last Spring 2017. As I prepare to close my pool, here are my current numbers:

FC = 5.0
CC = 0
Calcium = 175
Alkalinity = 170
PH = 7.6
CYA = 0

I am planning to backwash the system just to make sure the pump is clean and ready when it's time to start up next Spring 2018. However, I am hoping to get advice on what level to take my chlorine to. I have been using the TroubleFree methodology all summer again and the water has stayed perfect. I use the Menards liquid chlorine. I have increased the CYA throughout the summer but never really got it past 20. I didn't ever notice that I was losing too much chlorine so wasn't too concerned. When I tested it today, it was definitely "0".

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[JVTrain]

You need to have some CYA in the pool in order to buffer the strength of chlorine and to protect it from sunlight. I would get the appropriate amount of CYA dissolving to target 30 ppm as soon as you can. Probably quite a bit of CYA in your size pool. Use Pool Math to determine how much to add. Sock method in the skimmer or in front of the return works best.

Have you been losing water at all this summer or recently? That could explain your drop in CYA or inability to maintain a proper level. CYA does decay very slowly over time, but at most maybe lose 10 ppm over the course of a summer.