Treating pool with high CYA
Well,
I had a bunch of background information that I lost when the site logged me out while I was creating this post. After I logged back in, my edit was empty :-( One more time....... (there is also history in the Introduce Yourself - Hailing from Florida)
Have had house since late April. Empty for 1 year, bank owned, no idea if pool was maintained by previous owner, but I don't think so. Bank dropped 3 tablets in pool, and set auto-chlorinator on max 5, but the filter was not running and water level was 8" low when we bought it. Bottom line, I have no idea when the last time was for quality water. The water was NOT green when we moved in.
As you can see above, I am dealing with a high CYA issue. The 105 reading was the pool store, and I doubt it is accurate. My TF-100 kit arrived on 05/24, so all readings after that date are with the TF-100 kit.
I believe I am still dealing with some algae. I do not have an auto-cleaner, and if I go 3 days without vacuuming, when I do start brushing the pool sides, I raise a "little cloud of dust" in some spots. The water is really clear other than that. Do I need to be vacuuming every day if the pool water quality is correct? Pool is in a screen enclosure, so almost no debris gets into it.
(CYA and FC tests are done with 1:2 dilution, to keep from consuming my kits)
Due to the high CYA, I believe I have to keep my FC up around 18-20 to be safe. While I was waiting for the test kit, I dumped in 3 gals of 6% bleach to hold the algae at bay. When the kit arrived on 5/24, it showed my FC was at 33. The next morning it was still at 33, and CC of 1 looked okay. Not great or good, but okay. So I interpret that to say I (algae) am not consuming much FC at night. Yesterday, I lost 5ppm during the day, assuming mostly due to sunshine, although I would have thought the high CYA count would diminish the effects of the sun??? As you can see, that FC held through the night, and my CC was an even better .5ppm this morning. Looking real good!
Then I brushed the pool and noticed I was still stirring up a few minor "dust clouds". Knowing that algae is binary, you either gots it- or ya don't, I decide to take my pool up to slam level. But what FC level would I need for CYA of 140?
I have the spa drain cracked open, and the spa return adjusted so I am just barely spilling water into the main pool, while the main pool drain is fully open, and all pool returns are at 100%. This I believe is giving me the most thorough circulation I can get in both spa and pool)Using PoolMath, I plug in my FC of 28, and a goal of 60. It tells me 663 oz of 8.25% bleach. I dump 256 oz into the pool and spa areas and gave it about 1.5 hours before I tested. FC was 54. But that was only about 40% of the amount??? So, I'm guessing it may not have circulated quite enough. 4 hours later I test, and FC is at 49. Okay, makes sense to me. I was probably not fully circulated before, and of course, the sun has been nibbling away at my FC all day as well. My CC is 0, and has been there for 2 days now, which I "think", is telling me the chlorine is not having to work at killing anything. Do I have that correct? I also have NO odor at all by the pool, and the water looks especially clear. I can still see some very small brownish colored flakes on the pool surface, and if I gently skim with the net, I will collect quite a bit of this 'stuff'. Looks like junior scum that just hasn't had time to brew yet.
Need advice at this point. Should I take it up to 60, or higher, to ensure if there is any algae that I have it killed off? Or does the CC=0 reading already tell me that, and I should let the FC level fall to 18, and then do a full strength test of FC and CC?
,
How can I test pH? If I let FC get to 10, isn't that too low for my CYA, and would I be at risk for trouble?
I will get a better photo of the pool and water later. Too many shadows being cast onto the water right now.
Well,
I had a bunch of background information that I lost when the site logged me out while I was creating this post. After I logged back in, my edit was empty :-( One more time....... (there is also history in the Introduce Yourself - Hailing from Florida)
Have had house since late April. Empty for 1 year, bank owned, no idea if pool was maintained by previous owner, but I don't think so. Bank dropped 3 tablets in pool, and set auto-chlorinator on max 5, but the filter was not running and water level was 8" low when we bought it. Bottom line, I have no idea when the last time was for quality water. The water was NOT green when we moved in.
As you can see above, I am dealing with a high CYA issue. The 105 reading was the pool store, and I doubt it is accurate. My TF-100 kit arrived on 05/24, so all readings after that date are with the TF-100 kit.
I believe I am still dealing with some algae. I do not have an auto-cleaner, and if I go 3 days without vacuuming, when I do start brushing the pool sides, I raise a "little cloud of dust" in some spots. The water is really clear other than that. Do I need to be vacuuming every day if the pool water quality is correct? Pool is in a screen enclosure, so almost no debris gets into it.
(CYA and FC tests are done with 1:2 dilution, to keep from consuming my kits)
Due to the high CYA, I believe I have to keep my FC up around 18-20 to be safe. While I was waiting for the test kit, I dumped in 3 gals of 6% bleach to hold the algae at bay. When the kit arrived on 5/24, it showed my FC was at 33. The next morning it was still at 33, and CC of 1 looked okay. Not great or good, but okay. So I interpret that to say I (algae) am not consuming much FC at night. Yesterday, I lost 5ppm during the day, assuming mostly due to sunshine, although I would have thought the high CYA count would diminish the effects of the sun??? As you can see, that FC held through the night, and my CC was an even better .5ppm this morning. Looking real good!
Then I brushed the pool and noticed I was still stirring up a few minor "dust clouds". Knowing that algae is binary, you either gots it- or ya don't, I decide to take my pool up to slam level. But what FC level would I need for CYA of 140?
I have the spa drain cracked open, and the spa return adjusted so I am just barely spilling water into the main pool, while the main pool drain is fully open, and all pool returns are at 100%. This I believe is giving me the most thorough circulation I can get in both spa and pool)Using PoolMath, I plug in my FC of 28, and a goal of 60. It tells me 663 oz of 8.25% bleach. I dump 256 oz into the pool and spa areas and gave it about 1.5 hours before I tested. FC was 54. But that was only about 40% of the amount??? So, I'm guessing it may not have circulated quite enough. 4 hours later I test, and FC is at 49. Okay, makes sense to me. I was probably not fully circulated before, and of course, the sun has been nibbling away at my FC all day as well. My CC is 0, and has been there for 2 days now, which I "think", is telling me the chlorine is not having to work at killing anything. Do I have that correct? I also have NO odor at all by the pool, and the water looks especially clear. I can still see some very small brownish colored flakes on the pool surface, and if I gently skim with the net, I will collect quite a bit of this 'stuff'. Looks like junior scum that just hasn't had time to brew yet.
Need advice at this point. Should I take it up to 60, or higher, to ensure if there is any algae that I have it killed off? Or does the CC=0 reading already tell me that, and I should let the FC level fall to 18, and then do a full strength test of FC and CC?
,
How can I test pH? If I let FC get to 10, isn't that too low for my CYA, and would I be at risk for trouble?
I will get a better photo of the pool and water later. Too many shadows being cast onto the water right now.
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