Need opinions on what to do please

[jcaj558]

Just tested my water with the Taylor k-2006. Here are the readings. Last night it rained a lot so I would think that matters. Please let me know what I should do. This is my first time not having the pool store do the analysis.
Fc-2.0
Cc-.04
Ph-7.8
Ta-200
Ch-130
Cya-140

 

[Jimrahbe]

558,

The first thing you will need to do is reduce your CYA level.. It is way too high.. Until you do that, it does not make sense to add any chemicals.

Unfortunately, the only way to reduce CYA is by draining water.

You need to reduce your CYA to under 50 ppm, so this would be most of your water.

With a liner pool you want to make sure that you don't drain to much at once.. You will need to leave about a foot in the shallow end to keep the liner from moving.

Let's see what some of our other members have to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'd take that Frog device offline and stop using pucks as they're probably the cause of your high CYA.

Liquid Chlorine from now on, please. Put gallon of Walmart's 10% Pool Essentials in there to avoid algae while you debate this dilemma in your head. No need to invite algae to the party.

Will you drain that down at one time or in steps to lower that CYA?

Maddie

 

[setsailsoon]

Jca,

Please read thisABCs of Pool Water Chemistry. Sorry to say this but looks like the pool store has done you wrong Buddy. But no big deal... you have experts already on it! You can get straightened out quickly just follow their advice. While you correct the problems you'll learn TFP methods and be on the way to perfect pool the easy way. Oh and don't forget we don't sell anything. Amazing how different the advice gets when this is not the motivator. And the pool always looks great!!

Good luck!

Chris

 

[jcaj558]

I don’t know if this makes any difference but the pool store tells me to add 2 pounds of smart shock, 4oz of algae all complete, and 10oz of pool complete every week for maintenance.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Please stop going to or listening to the pool store. The chemicals that they want you to BUY from them are wastefully expensive and hardly warranted if you're going to be draining a lot of the water. Go basic, liquid chlorine is what you need.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

Non-Recommended Pool Chemicals

These pool chemicals should not be added to your pool. Save your money and frustration and avoid these chemicals!

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

 

[setsailsoon]

I don’t know if this makes any difference but the pool store tells me to add 2 pounds of smart shock, 4oz of algae all complete, and 10oz of pool complete every week for maintenance.

Terrible advice! Please let our experts know everything you've added to the pool. Also how does your pool look? Please post a photo.

Thanks.

Chris

 

[setsailsoon]

Jca,

I see you actually joined several years ago. I guess there are a lot that join and for whatever reason they don't really read up on how we do things so different from pool stores that are highly incentivized to sell very expensive chemicals you don't need. For the most part we treat our pools with generic dirt cheap chemicals available from big box stores. Ingredients are identical to the active components in the pool store potions but they don't have the expensive adders. Some of them actually have identical ingredients and just waaaay cheaper. I've been doing this for 6 years and it works great. My pool chems averaged about $10/month. Crystal clear pool. I hope you'll dig in a little deeper. You will benefit tremendously like thousands of the rest of us.

Chris

 

[jcaj558]

Ok so first off let me thank everyone for their thoughts thus far. I really appreciate it.
So here we go. Every Sunday evening I do my weekly maintenance which is 2pounds smart shock, 4oz algae all complete and 10oz pool complete. Also refill the frog xl with Bioguard Silkguard complete tablets. I take my water to the PS every 2 weeks to get tested. My ph is usually a little high so they usually tell me to add 2-4 pounds of lo n slo (sodium bisulfate). Here are my numbers from the PS 2 weeks ago.

CATEGORY	RESULT
Analysis Type	In Season
Temperature	80
Saturation Index Ideal: -0.3 - 0.3	-0.2
TDS Ideal: < 2,500	1100
CYA Ideal: 30- 200	167
Total Chlorine Ideal: 1- 3	6.9
Free Chlorine Ideal: 1- 3	6.9
pH Ideal: 7.4 - 7.6	7.7
Total Alkalinity	143
Adj. Total Alkalinity Ideal: 125- 150	93
Total Hardness Ideal: 175- 225	107
Optimizer Ideal: 30- 35	12
Copper Ideal: 0	0
Iron Ideal: 0	0
Fresh Fill	No
Quat Ideal: NaN	Not Tested

They told me my alkalinity for to low and to add like 20 pounds of balance pal 100.
I will say in 3 years my pool has always been clear. Never green or cloudy.

 

[setsailsoon]

Jca,

Your pool is not safe because it has so much CYA that your FC is not effective to kill bacteria. Please read the reference information and go back to Jim's post # 2. Ask any questions you may have about how to replace water or anything related to your pool maintenance. You have to get your CYA level right. If your pool is still not algae infected you're fortunate you got here before it turned green. Many, many of us got here that way. Also, know your test results are more accurate than the pool store tests.

Good luck to you!

Chris

 

[jcaj558]

So I have a couple questions. They might be stupid but here goes. What would happen if I don’t address the cya issue and just try to keep the other numbers in line?

I’ve seen multiple people make the comment that the pool store numbers are basically no good. Why?

 

[setsailsoon]

First, let me say it's not two different opinions. It's about science and facts. If you ignore the CYA your pool isn't disinfected properly. That's what happens. There are some pool stores that have people that have trained themselves. But most do not really have a grasp on the science. Many have no idea about the relationship between CYA and FC that is required. Testing equipment needs to be properly maintained and properly trained personnel. This is very is not always done right. Does this mean all pool stores have bad testing? NO, some days you have somebody that properly cleans, calibrates, and knows the proper procedure and had clean glassware to work with. It does happen. Problem is you don't know if you got a "good test" or not 'till its too late.

If you have questions about how to use TFP or why it works we are happy to answer. But we're not really here to debate. It's up to you to decide if you want to do this and even if you decide not to we'll be here to help any way we can. I hope you decide to give it a try.

Good luck.

Chris

 

[jcaj558]

First, let me say it's not two different opinions. It's about science and facts. If you ignore the CYA your pool isn't disinfected properly. That's what happens. There are some pool stores that have people that have trained themselves. But most do not really have a grasp on the science. Many have no idea about the relationship between CYA and FC that is required. Testing equipment needs to be properly maintained and properly trained personnel. This is very is not always done right. Does this mean all pool stores have bad testing? NO, some days you have somebody that properly cleans, calibrates, and knows the proper procedure and had clean glassware to work with. It does happen. Problem is you don't know if you got a "good test" or not 'till its too late.

If you have questions about how to use TFP or why it works we are happy to answer. But we're not really here to debate. It's up to you to decide if you want to do this and even if you decide not to we'll be here to help any way we can. I hope you decide to give it a try.

Good luck.

Chris

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to debate. Not at all. I appreciate all the information/tips. As someone who really knows nothing about pool chemistry, I’m just trying to have an understanding of why people are saying what they say.

 

[setsailsoon]

Jca,

Sorry, I may have over-reacted. Ask away with anything! Very glad to have you here.

Chris

 

[Wobblerlorri]

Jca, welcome to TFP!

First thing to do is stay far, far away from the pool store. Their only interest is in separating you from as much of your money as possible. The testing is unreliable, which brings me to my next point:

Get a good test kit and do your own testing. You have a vested interest in testing and maintaining your pool; the pool store doesn't. It's not difficult, just takes a few times to get confident.

Next is dealing with that CYA. Don't do anything until you have your test kit and can test CYA for yourself. At least a partial drain is in your future.

Start now chlorinating with liquid chlorine. Use PoolMath to figure out how much to add at reach a free chlorine FC of 5 ppm.

If I missed any of your concerns, please ask.

 

[jcaj558]

So 1st step is to drain and refill pool as suggested. Then I assume I should retest and work off fresh analysis numbers. Correct?
However if I keep using the chlorine pucks won’t the cya just go back up? Is there a lot more involved using the liquid chlorine?

 

[Flying Tivo]

You only need to measure Oz of liquid bleach, so not that difficult. PoolMath will tell you how much.

 

[jcaj558]

So when you say liquid bleach do you mean just like Clorox bleach from any grocery store?

 

[BadDogPSD]

So 1st step is to drain and refill pool as suggested. Then I assume I should retest and work off fresh analysis numbers. Correct?
However if I keep using the chlorine pucks won’t the cya just go back up? Is there a lot more involved using the liquid chlorine?

No. The first step is to get a good test kit, TF100 or Taylor 2006C, to find out what your pool chemistry really is. Then, based on the test results, we can make recommendations to help keep your pool clear, algae free, and sanitized!
I also would recommend the PoolMath app. It makes logging your test results, determining the amount of chemical needed, and tracking your progress so easy.

 

[BadDogPSD]

So when you say liquid bleach do you mean just like Clorox bleach from any grocery store?

No, stay away from Clorox as it has other additives you don't want in your pool. Chlorinating liquid, 10% or 12.5% is what you want. Most Home Depots, Lowes, and farm type stores carry it, as does Walmart. We typically use Walmart Pool Essentials 10% as it's the best value in our area.