Need help/advice on how to fix the chemistry issues on my pool -updated

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SplashyJon said:
Wow no response for 2 days?! Everyone is on vacation.
your CYA still looks high. use the chart to see how much more chlorine ppm you need with high cya. FC/CYA Levels
50-60 CYA may be a better level to manage FC levels more easily. Unfortunately that means drain and more fresh water to reduce CYA. Then you will need to do the SLAM process FULLY to kill all the algae. Read other posts about scrubbing the heck out of everything touching the water too. Lights. Ladders etc. to get rid of hiding algae.
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Thanks 🙏
 
Does that brush off relatively easily with a pool brush? Or does it stick? It could be algae, or it could be a bit of staining. Both can be corrected. :)
 
OK, so good that it's not staining. Algae needs to be eradicated with the SLAM Process. You have a good test kit now so you can get this done.

Your CYA is kinda high for a SLAM but it can happen. Since you're on water restrictions, reducing your CYA will be difficult, so you may just need to SLAM with CYA being 80. Not impossible but it will take a LOT of liquid chlorine. Do you have a good source for it?

If you have a way to reduce CYA before SLAMming, that would be a good thing and likely would cut down on the amount of chlorine needed. But the only way to do it is to exchange water or reverse osmosis (which is expensive and still causes water loss to be refilled).
 
The HD stuff is fine so long as it's not too old. Be careful with draining - you don't want your plaster exposed to the dry heat too long, try to keep it wet. If you could exchange about 50% of the water it'd be best, but it's safer to do an exchange without draining, if you can. See here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Once the water is changed out, let it mix for a good few hours, and then run another set of tests and let us know what it looks like. We can SLAM from there to ensure we get rid of any algae. :D
 
A CYA (rounded up to 80) would require a SLAM FC level of 31 per the FC/CYA Levels. If you are good with that, then all you have to do right now is lower the pH to about 7.2 then increase the FC and maintain it until you pass all 3 SLAM Process criteria. But if you still wish to exchange a bit more water in hopes of lowering the CYA a bit more for a lower FC SLAM level, do that first.
 

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It's been 5 days since I started the slam process:
my CC is about 0; OCLT is probably.5 or less; pool water is crystal clear in the last 5 days.
the FC drop steady during day time was about 3 to 3.5 points per day.
Initial FC I got it up to 30 points because my CYA is about 70, so after 5 days it dropped to 13.5 now. Here is the test numbers:
FC 13.5
CC 0
PH 7.6
TA 130
CH 500
CYA 70
Per the CYA and target FC chart, seem like I need to keep FC at about 8-10? Does it meant I cannot use the pool because of the FC is high compare to the ideal FC level 2-4 ppm?

Thanks in advance.
 
John2016 said:
Per the CYA and target FC chart, seem like I need to keep FC at about 8-10? Does it meant I cannot use the pool because of the FC is high compare to the ideal FC level 2-4 ppm?
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The "ideal level" is the level shown in the FC/CYA chart. Keep the FC at that level and enjoy your clear pool.

FWIW, you can safely swim in the pool with FC anywhere up to SLAM level (28 ppm for your 70 ppm CYA concentration).
 
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John2016 said:
I wonder how the pool service guy kept the pool's chemicals balance while only visited once a week? Anyone have any idea on this matter?
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In my experience, they don't! I've seen people around here call the typical once-per-week pool service "Dump and pray". That is, they show up, maybe do some basic measurements (FC via OTO or DPD, pH, TA) and cleaning, and just raise the FC level really high, drop a few trichlor tabs in a floater, and hope it holds until their next visit. All this done, of course, without regard for CYA or CH. Maybe some pool owners out there use a service in this manner in perpetuity and never have issues. But everyone here on this forum who had a service like this is here because their service, eventually, failed.
 
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The reason I mention about the weekly service because I recently understand a bit more on how the chemical level should be to keep the water clear (shamed on me for not study enough when I take over the pool myself and keep using tablet or bucks chlorine that shoot up my CYA for the last 3 years). It's seem like that I have to add liquid chlorine daily now or every two days to keep up with the normal lost, that is why I wonder how my pool's guy keep the water clear when only came once a week.
 
John2016 said:
The reason I mention about the weekly service because I recently understand a bit more on how the chemical level should be to keep the water clear (shamed on me for not study enough when I take over the pool myself and keep using tablet or bucks chlorine that shoot up my CYA for the last 3 years). It's seem like that I have to add liquid chlorine daily now or every two days to keep up with the normal lost, that is why I wonder how my pool's guy keep the water clear when only came once a week.
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Liquid chlorine breaks down faster. That’s why you have to add more frequently. (Daily) But no CYA is added.
Pucks dispense slowly so they last longer. (through the week for pool guy) But also increase CYA over time. bad for algae management.
LC is a daily small inconvenience in order to avoid a major inconvenience later.
 
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