Newly filled pool already has cyanuric acid?

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Amama

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Jun 19, 2017
22
Holden, MO
We had to get a new liner for our 15,000gallon above ground pool at the house we bought, and we filled the pool, checked the cyanuric acid level and it was 30-50 on the 7 way test strips, which said ideal. Is that normal not to have to add any CA to a new pool? It's hard city water, out in the country. I looked at a few posts and seems like a new pool shouldn't have any CA in it, makes me wonder if the strips are okay? They seem fine, have been measuring consistently with everything else and showing change after we've added chemicals.

The pH was also super high, we finally got it down with muriatic acid and added chlorine last night.

Thanks
 
Hey Amama.

Don't trust the test strip results. They are super inaccurate. If you have fresh water you have no CYA.

Grab one of the test kits linked below my post. The TF-100 is sold by the owners of this site and includes better quantities of reagents. The K-2006 or K-2006C are available on Amazon and some pool stores, and is a good option as well. The $70 investment now will save you $$$$ and hours of frustration with your pool. Pick up the speed stir upgrade if you have the extra cash, trust me it's worth every penny! Being able to accurately self-test is the secret sauce that makes all our pools trouble free.

Until your kit arrives, add a 1/2 - 1 gallon of bleach each day. Once it arrives, post a full set of test results and we will get your water balanced in no time.

Welcome to the forum!!

:testkit:
 
Welcome to TFP!

That is why we absolutely despise test strips, they are not worth the paper they are made with. I encourage you to take a look at investing in a kit like Woody suggested and to have a look around the site and Pool School. With a brand new liner you know how much they cost to replace and accurately measuring and caring for pool chemistry can go a long way in making sure it lasts. Glad to have you on the site!
 
If you have not added any solid forms of chlorine then your CYA should be zero, and your FC would be zero as well because it all burned away in the sunlight. Until you get your kit and can get things set up properly, you can use Pool Math above to figure out how much chlorine to add to bring your FC up to 1 (make sure you put in your pool size and what strength chlorine you are using). Add that to the pool with the pump running and allow it to circulate for about 15 minutes and it should be safe to swim. Tonight after the sun is off the pool you will want to add more as any remaining FC after their swim will have burnt off in the sunlight.

This is all a temporary solution, once you have a kit and are able to get good measurements you will be able to add CYA to the pool and that will keep the chlorine from burning off as much and you can go to a much more regular schedule. Also note that with zero CYA the 1 ppm FC will be harsher than any TFP levels we run. It is plenty safe, but it will be more like a public pool feel with strong chlorine smell on their skin and hair afterwards. A TFP pool will smell more like just normal water, and won't cause nearly the same smell or feel as the CYA buffers the FC and when the those values are properly balanced creates a very pleasant swimming experience.
 
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