New homeowner and high pool values... need help
- Thread starter mwpow3ll
- Start date
You've only got two numbers horribly off so to speak. PH is first which you can fix in 5 minutes with some muriatic acid-----see the pool calculator for how much to add-guessing 36 ounces or so. CYA is another matter. Can only be fixed by a partial drain. We recommend 50% drain at a time to get it into reasonable territory at that level-anything testing over 100 is highly suspect to be more than that. Welcome to the forum!
How did you get 140 for the CYA? I thought the test only went up to 100. Either way, you may want to mix 50% pool water and 50% tap water and do the test again. You then take the results of that, and double it. Also, why do you say you were unable to test CC?
Welcome to TFP!!!
Yup. pH and your CYA are the problems. Why could you not test the CC?
Unfortunately, your CYA is likely WAY higher than 140ppm ... it is a logarithmic scale. You can try using 50/50 split of pool and tap water to start the CYA test and then double the result, but I am guessing that will still be below the 100 line meaning you are over 200ppm
Can you add your location to your profile? Do you close the pool in the winter (partial drain, etc)?
Yup. pH and your CYA are the problems. Why could you not test the CC?
Unfortunately, your CYA is likely WAY higher than 140ppm ... it is a logarithmic scale. You can try using 50/50 split of pool and tap water to start the CYA test and then double the result, but I am guessing that will still be below the 100 line meaning you are over 200ppm
Can you add your location to your profile? Do you close the pool in the winter (partial drain, etc)?
CYA is too high. And it's getting worse because you're using the trichlor.
Stop using the pucks - switch to liquid bleach for now.
Dilute your sample water 50/50 with tap water then use that mixture with the reagent to test CYA. Double your reading to see what CYA really is. Then drain accordingly and refill.
Keep the pH in range and the FC above minimum for you CYA level and it should clear up nicely.
Your filter will eventually catch up. Once it stops loading up so quick, you might try addinga little diatomaceous earth to really get the water sparkling, but that can wait.
Stop using the pucks - switch to liquid bleach for now.
Dilute your sample water 50/50 with tap water then use that mixture with the reagent to test CYA. Double your reading to see what CYA really is. Then drain accordingly and refill.
Keep the pH in range and the FC above minimum for you CYA level and it should clear up nicely.
Your filter will eventually catch up. Once it stops loading up so quick, you might try addinga little diatomaceous earth to really get the water sparkling, but that can wait.
[s:1igjvyul]Something doesn't make sense... Trichlor is very acidic. I have trouble keeping the pH up while using it to start the pool up. That being said, how can the pool have a pH of 8?[/s:1igjvyul]
Never mind, I noticed the FC is at 12.5, which could make the pH test read higher than it really is.
Never mind, I noticed the FC is at 12.5, which could make the pH test read higher than it really is.
That just means your CC = 0 ... which is good 
As was eluded to above, when the FC > 10ppm, the pH is inaccurate and reads high.
As far as the CYA goes, seems like a 50% water replacement and then a retest is required to get that back into the recommended levels. Then you will need to stop using the pucks and switch to liquid chlorine.
If you have not already, read Pool School a few times.
As was eluded to above, when the FC > 10ppm, the pH is inaccurate and reads high.
As far as the CYA goes, seems like a 50% water replacement and then a retest is required to get that back into the recommended levels. Then you will need to stop using the pucks and switch to liquid chlorine.
If you have not already, read Pool School a few times.
Why not just drain your pool and start with fresh water. I did when I was faced with a pool in our new home whose chemistry was really out of whack. Starting with tests on the new city water, it was easy to determine dosing to get the chemistry at proper levels.
Paul, There is no point in replacing more water than is required to get the CYA level down to something reasonable (and possibly CH, though not in this case). Draining the pool completely risks damaging the pool and forces you to spend extra money on water and chemicals that there is no reason to spend.
Clamp on discharge hoses like that are very cheap, usually less than $25 at places like Tractor supply, etc.. If you want a better quality longer lasting hose, you can often find old fire hose cabinet hoses on ebay for under $50 that have been removed from service due to age, many were never used, just measure to make sure you get the right size, most likely 1.5 or 2 inch.
Ike
Ike
If you are going to use the pump to drain the pool, you must be able to turn off the skimmer. Although, you generally would not want to do this in the backwash setting as any dirt that is pulled out of the pool will end up on the bottom of the sand bed and when you turn it back on filter, it will all be blown back into the pool. If you had a multivalve, you could use the waste setting to skip the filter.
Renting a submersible pump from Home Depot with 100 ft of hose is less than $50 for a day.
Renting a submersible pump from Home Depot with 100 ft of hose is less than $50 for a day.
Also if you have a lawn or landscape plants you can use the old pool water to irrigate your plants or even a neighbors yard if they are willing. If you have an auto fill feature make sure the valve is off before you start your drain.
mwpow3ll said:
One is more than likely your aerator and the other may be another water feature like a slide slide or fountain. Turn'em on see what happens.
I believe pool school has the proceedures you need to properly drain with your type of filter.
Have you made the decision to step away from pucks and use liquid chlorine? It would be ashame to do all this work and spend the money on water just to get yourself in the same situation again in a couple years.
Oh, forgot about the small pipes. I would be curious and just open the ball valves and see what they do ... kind of odd and pretty small so will not get too significant of flow.
Another random thought ... maybe the small pipes actually run as some irrigation lines? Allowing small drains to water plants? Never heard of anyone doing this, but it is possible.
It is a mystery until you step up and turn them and report back
It is a mystery until you step up and turn them and report back
Those are probably to cool the water. Some people don't find swimming in bath water to be refreshing.mwpow3ll said:UPDATE: I turned the two knobs on the two small unknown lines and water shoots out of two plastic ports, like a sprinkler fashion, from either side of the pool... is this another water feature or something else that I shouldn't be messing with?
I imagine they will do wonders for aeration, too, if you need to drive down TA.
