New Pool Owner with high CYA

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Z

Zane1234

Member
Mar 26, 2023
12
West Texas
Pool Size
30000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hey Folks!

Just bought a house with a roughly 29k vinyl unground pool. I ordered the Taylor T-100 test kit and I think the link below will show you my levels.


I took a water sample to the pool store and they confirmed roughly the same numbers but stated 30-200 CYA is fine but that even with CYA of 150 I only want 3-5 ppm FC… I’ve read the articles here about CYA and why it’s important but I just can’t understand how stores and the vast majority of their customers can follow their recommendations and be just fine.

Can someone help reassure me I’m making the right decision by draining roughly half of the pool?
 
Last edited:
Zane1234 said:
Can someone help reassure me I’m making the right decision by draining roughly half of the pool?
Click to expand...
Welcome to TFP!!! :shark:

Sorry for that! I had to do the same thing. If you tested your CYA properly using the dilution method, Yes, you should replace 2/3rds of your pool water.

Read up on no drain water exchange.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Cool Pool!
 
I can guarantee the pool store methods can't do this:

How Clear is TFP Clear? Let's See (Pics Only Please).

How clear should my water be? A very common question. Here is mine on a calm morning where I could finally vacuum. Yes I know, I'm still manually vacuuming. It took me 7 years to finally get an SWG, I'm working on a robot. :) So now let's see your water clarity.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88
In looking at your pool and thinking about your situation. They "I bought a house and a pool" think got to me. I was in the same position as you a few years ago.

If I was myself, knowing what I know now, having just bought your house, I'd get a Salt Water Chlorine generator and upgrading that pump to a variable speed. Have you thought about how you are going to chlorinate?
 
  • Like
Reactions: proavia and Mdragger88
They aren’t just fine, they spend hundreds of dollars on magic potions & bandaids with every trip to the pool store to keep it looking like it’s somewhat fine even though it’s not actually sanitary. By 200 cya the magic potions can’t even keep it 1/2 way decent then they’ll tell you to drain some & sell you some more stuff. Rinse & repeat 🔁

You have visible algae so the
SLAM Process is in your future- this is much easier & cheaper to accomplish at 30-50ppm cya levels which would be at least a 70% water exchange.
6C3B6110-58D9-413A-9EB7-7E471965D404.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zane1234
PoolStored said:
In looking at your pool and thinking about your situation. They "I bought a house and a pool" think got to me. I was in the same position as you a few years ago.

If I was myself, knowing what I know now, having just bought your house, I'd get a Salt Water Chlorine generator and upgrading that pump to a variable speed. Have you thought about how you are going to chlorinate?
Click to expand...
There is one of those slow release chlorinators plumbed in-line but honestly I have no idea if it works. I was planning to using liquid chlorine to have better control over the stabilizer in the pool.

Ironically the sand filter isn’t filtering well and I’m 99% sure the main drains in the pool floor aren’t working either. The earliest I could schedule a professional to come out and change the sand is a couple weeks out. I’m not opposed to switching to SWG if that makes the most economic sense longer term.
 
Zane1234 said:
There is one of those slow release chlorinators plumbed in-line but honestly I have no idea if it works. I was planning to using liquid chlorine to have better control over the stabilizer in the pool.

Ironically the pump isn’t filtering well and I’m 99% sure the main drains in the pool floor aren’t working either. The earliest I could schedule a professional to come out and change the sand is a couple weeks out. I’m not opposed to switching to SWG if that makes the most economic sense longer term.
Click to expand...
I would do it in a HEARTBEAT...and Iive in Ohio. If I was in TX? I will save you money in the long run. Get one.

My first year, pucks...then I got pool stored. Next year I did LC. Got sick of pouring stuff in every day, so I got a stenner pump for auto dosing. @Newdude forced me to buy an SWCG last year. I wish I had done that in the first place. I do not miss schlepping jugs from the store and replacing LC in the tank. I adjust the SWCG every 2 weeks or so as the season change. Stupid Simple. And, we have at least 3 threads on the price of LC doubling this year...crazy prices.

Oh, and the best part? I don't have to worry about who is going to chlorinate the pool when I'm on vacation. Even did a three week vacation FC was the same as when I left!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zane1234 and Mdragger88
If you have the coin and want to reduce maintenance and cost, I'd certainly get a VSP (variable speed pump). I run 1400 rpm 24/7. I make even chlorine production all day long. Costs me less that $20 a month. With a pumps, the electrical consumption is exponential vs speed. i.e. Running the speed at 2x, increases the electricity usage 4x. (not those exact numbers, every pump is different, but you will save $$ running slow on a VSP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zane1234 and Mdragger88

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Zane1234 said:
There is one of those slow release chlorinators plumbed in-line but honestly I have no idea if it works. I was planning to using liquid chlorine to have better control over the stabilizer in the pool.

Ironically the sand filter isn’t filtering well and I’m 99% sure the main drains in the pool floor aren’t working either. The earliest I could schedule a professional to come out and change the sand is a couple weeks out. I’m not opposed to switching to SWG if that makes the most economic sense longer term.
Click to expand...
You may just need to deep clean your sand, it also gives you the opportunity to inspect everything & make sure the level is correct. Sand is a bajillion years old & doesn’t really go bad unless you’ve gunked it up with floc or a bunch of clarifiers. Its not as scary as it looks - i am 5’4” & 120# & replaced my horrendous zeolite with sand. Cleaning it is definitely easier than that .

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...
www.google.com www.google.com
If you go shopping for swg’s (& you should 😁) be sure you look at 60k gal rated units. Pentair, circupool, pureline are the contenders there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zane1234
Mdragger88 said:
They aren’t just fine, they spend hundreds of dollars on magic potions & bandaids with every trip to the pool store to keep it looking like it’s somewhat fine even though it’s not actually sanitary. By 200 cya the magic potions can’t even keep it 1/2 way decent then they’ll tell you to drain some & sell you some more stuff. Rinse & repeat 🔁

You have visible algae so the
SLAM Process is in your future- this is much easier & cheaper to accomplish at 30-50ppm cya levels which would be at least a 70% water exchange.
View attachment 480635
Click to expand...
So I think what you’re seeing is dirt. Here’s another picture of that helps. I’m swept every day for the last week and it hasn’t improved much but the floor looks clean right after I sweep it to the deep end. That’s what lead me to realize the main drains weren’t running at all and the dirt just resettled.

DCCE7ADD-3702-4290-A8A0-BC6C32DD48F1.jpeg
 
Mdragger88 said:
You may just need to deep clean your sand, it also gives you the opportunity to inspect everything & make sure the level is correct. Sand is a bajillion years old & doesn’t really go bad unless you’ve gunked it up with floc or a bunch of clarifiers. Its not as scary as it looks - i am 5’4” & 120# & replaced my horrendous zeolite with sand. Cleaning it is definitely easier than that .

Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter

This post will walk you through the anatomy of a sand filter, and then provide a video at the end for how to deep clean your sand filter. The filter used in the photos and videos is a Hayward S180T top mount sand filter. The images are of a similar filter. Obviously not all filters are...
www.google.com www.google.com
If you go shopping for swg’s (& you should 😁) be sure you look at 60k gal rated units. Pentair, circupool, pureline are the contenders there.
Click to expand...
I looked into deep cleaning the filter but I think the way mine is plumbed I’d need to cut/repair some pipe? Here’s a pic and hopefully I’m wrong! I did take off the top expecting to find sand but apparently that top was the flow value thing….

C878A15F-EB89-44B3-B42E-7B01A923BE6A.jpeg
D551BE77-CDC2-449C-81CE-D45F0B27A3CA.jpeg
 
Zane1234 said:
So I think what you’re seeing is dirt. Here’s another picture of that helps. I’m swept every day for the last week and it hasn’t improved much but the floor looks clean right after I sweep it to the deep end. That’s what lead me to realize the main drains weren’t running at all and the dirt just resettled.
Click to expand...
Yeah likely dirt. However, the point that @Mdragger88 is making is that at higher levels of CYA (like over 60-80 in a LC pool), you cannot keep enough HOCl in the pool to kill algae. You may have it, and not see it. That may also be part of the problem with the filter.

The best course of action is to add 5ppm of liquid chlorine a day. Get the water exchange going NOW! Need to get that CYA out.

Then, we can do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to see if you have algae. No need to do it now, need to get that CYA out. (Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88 and Zane1234
PoolStored said:
If you have the coin and want to reduce maintenance and cost, I'd certainly get a VSP (variable speed pump).
Click to expand...
You don't even need the coin anymore. At 1/3 the cost of an intelliflo, it'll literally pay for itself in no time. Then pay for itself again and again.

3 HP Calimar VS pump
 
Zane1234 said:
I couldn’t find a single identifiable marking on the filter… there were some remnants of a label that had been torn/faded.
Click to expand...
When you can, post a straight on (top down) picture of the multiport valve handle.

@1poolman1 @ajw22 @JamesW @mas985 Do you guys recognize this filter brand/model?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply