I've been advised to replace the water

[dalehileman]

Because it has been at least 12 years and partly because of a fairly high CYA I've been advised to replace the water. Not sure what to do with 35000 gallons but tentatively planning to utilize our large compost pit

Although I've been advised by several sources that I need replace only half, owing to recent skin rashes we'd like to replace it all. However several sources have advised us against emptying it for fear of collapsing walls. But the fiberglass appears sturdy, while out here in the Mojave Desert the surrounding dirt is surely bone dry, thus unlikely to press inward

Opinion solicited. Don't feel restrained by any sense of liability; if I prove wrong you won't be sued. Thanks all

 

[svenpup]

You should post a full set of test results to get better feedback.

 

[anonapersona]

Do you have any idea why you got skin rashes?

Have you searched for "rash" on this forum to see what the experts have said here in the past?

 

[JasonLion]

Elsewhere, dalehileman has listed a CYA level of 150. However he is using test strips that aren't especially reliable, so there is no telling what the CYA level actually is.

As anonapersona said so well previously:

So, have you found an expert that you are willing to trust? I do suggest that you find one that you are willing to follow and to take ALL the actions that person recommends. You can't get this solved by picking some from Column A and some from Column B like some Chinese restaurant. I believe that you have posted here before and then been reluctant to actually do what was suggested. For example, you don't have a test kit yet do you? I am sure that this was recommended before.

 

[Ohm_Boy]

Generally speaking, the big bullet points are: 1) Most CYA tests have a max limit above which their readings will not change. If your max reading is 100, and your test shows 100, your actual level could be 100, 200, 500, or anything else above 100. Unless it gets below the max level of your test kit, you do not know how much you have.
2) Replacing half of the water with tap water (which has no CYA) will reduce the pool's CYA level by 50%.

Everything else is derived from these. BTW, you can do multiple, smaller drain/replace cycles to lower CYA.

 

[ride525]

Do you have any idea why you got skin rashes?

Have you searched for "rash" on this forum to see what the experts have said here in the past?

I just searched for "rash", and found two posts. This one, and one about pee in pools, and swimmers swimming with exposed rashes. Did I miss something ?

 

[anonapersona]

I just searched for "rash", and found two posts. This one, and one about pee in pools, and swimmers swimming with exposed rashes. Did I miss something ?

Search in the message topic and the message body, I got 47 posts.

 

[JasonLion]

Rashes are usually caused by too little chlorine, though about 1/3 of the time they are caused by things that have nothing to do with the pool (even though they may appear to have to do with the pool at first). With high CYA levels it is very easy to have too little chlorine.

 

[ride525]

I just searched for "rash", and found two posts. This one, and one about pee in pools, and swimmers swimming with exposed rashes. Did I miss something ?

Search in the message topic and the message body, I got 47 posts.

Thanks, I just learned a better way to search here on TFP. I was using the "Search for:" at the bottom of the forum, and realized there is a "Search" button at the top that is more powerful.

Jeff

 

[anonapersona]

So, dalehileman, JasonLion has stepped in to answer my question to you. However I do hope you did the search yourself to read the course of earlier conversations on this topic.

Because it has been at least 12 years and partly because of a fairly high CYA I've been advised to replace the water. ... Although I've been advised by several sources that I need replace only half, owing to recent skin rashes we'd like to replace it all. However several sources have advised us against emptying it for fear of collapsing walls.

Do you have some reason to believe that the skin rash requires replacing all of the water instead of some of the water?

Replacing water is an expensive proposition, even without the risk of pool damage, due to the chemicals required to rebalance the pool as well as the cost of the water and the time involved. Not to mention the moral problem of throwing away water in the desert unnecessarily.

If several sources have advised you that you need to replace only half (based on the CYA reading from a strip which is so very unreliable), why are you insisting on replacing it all? I don't get it.

I also don't get why you have not yet gotten a decent test kit. The cost of those last 20 pucks you randomly tossed into the pool to no effect would probably have paid for it.

 

[dalehileman]

"You should post a full set of test results to get better feedback."

Sorry Sven but didn't see how water test results would impinge on the collapse of its walls

 

[dalehileman]

"Have you searched for "rash" on this forum to see what the experts have said here in the past?"

Anon thank you for that suggestion but not sure how to go about such a program. Why don't you start a new thread or provide a ready-made link to such a search

 

[dalehileman]

"2) Replacing half of the water with tap water (which has no CYA) will reduce the pool's CYA level by 50%."

Thanks Ohm, so I've been advised and if it weren't for the skin rash I'd probably go the 50% route

 

[dalehileman]

"....about 1/3 of the time they are caused by things that have nothing to do with the pool (even though they may appear to have......

Yes Jason I had considered that: While other possible causes might involve my spouse and I since we share many activities, a third swimmer, daughter of a visitor, also was attacked and thus I thought it prudent to replace its entire contents but thank you for your report

 

[dalehileman]

"Do you have some reason to believe that the skin rash requires replacing all of the water instead of some of the water?"

Just seems a reasonable thing to do

Like if there's an epidemic of some sort but we bury only half the bodies

 

[ride525]

dalehileman,

After posting about searching (and using the "Search for:" at the bottom of each forum page), I discovered a "Search" button at the top of each TFP page, which is a pretty powerful tool for doing searches.

I think that was what Anon was referring to.

Jeff

 

[dalehileman]

".....at the top of each TFP page, which is a pretty powerful tool for doing searches."

Thank you jeff once again

 

[ride525]

Let me summarize my take on some of the answers.

1. Get a good test kit, to keep good track of chlorine levels, as well as ph, CYA, etc. I've had my water tested at pool stores, and have received consistent results with that at home.

2. Depending on your tested CYA levels, you may not have to drain all your pool water. I think suggestions might be that rashes have other sources than pool water, or maybe correcting any problems with chemical levels might help solve rash problems. And draining all the water, can be expensive, in that you need to add chemicals to get the pool water back into balance.

But if you have looked at #1 and #2 above, and still want to empty the pool, perhaps there are those here that have done that, and can offer tips and suggestions, for both emptying the pool, and adding the water and chemicals when starting the pool back up.

Jeff

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Dale, you're not going to get any meaningful help without posting test results. They make the world go 'round.

 

[ride525]

Dale, you're not going to get any meaningful help without posting test results. They make the world go 'round.

This sounded to me more like a structural pool problem. ie, what are the problems of completely emptying the pool of water.

The only thing dale posted related to his water quality that I saw on this post is that he had high CYA levels, and had recommendations on draining half his water. And that he wanted advice on completely emptying his pool, instead of half of it.

dale, do I have this right?