Plan of attack - Request for Comments

[hobbzilla]

I'll save a bit of the backstory & commentary and get right down to it. Over the past week I've hit the pool pretty hard w/ 3lbs of HTH Cal Hypo shock, 4 HTH Cl Tabs, 2 Gal. 10% NaOCl & a bag of Clorox pH down, and a bottle of Clorox algaecide, twice/daily brushing & I completely cleaned the pool filter and recharged with fresh cellulose. This is all before I started really reading this site... (so thanks in advance for taking it easy on me for action taken).

The pool actually looks really good now, better than when we had weekly pool service, however after taking out two dying and infested bushes near the pool, there is a ton of dead aphids floating on the surface and I still see a "poof of cloudy stuff" when I brush (which I think is just dead algae). That said, here is my plan of attack for everything including the CYA & CH being fairly high and would greatly appreciate any recommendations before pulling the trigger.

My measurements today from the K-2006 testing today:
FC: 11.5 | CC: 1 | CYA: 100+ (Pool Store measured 113) | PH: 7.4 | TA: 110 | CH: 550.

1. Turn off the pump this evening. Return the pump back to a normal 8-hour a day normal cycle (down from 24/7).
2. Add Flocculant
3. Brush the pool
4. Vacuum in the morning to waste
5. Continue to backwash from floor drain until 1.5'-2' from normal water line.
6. Refill the pool with city supply from garden hoses
7. Clean the filters again (post-algae)
8. Run the pump as soon as water is at or above return lines
9. Re-run Testing after 8 hours
   
   Thoughts ?
   Thanks in advance!!

 

[ajw22]

1. Do the dilution CYA test…

For CYA > 90ppm, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

1. Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
2. Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
3. Shake briefly to mix.
4. Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
5. Continue the test normally from adding R-0013, but multiply the final result by two.

If you need to dilute the pool water further then apply these ratios:

Pool water	Tap or distilled water	Multiply result by
1	1	2
1	2	3
1	4	5

Note that when doing a diluted test not only do you multiply the range of the test you multiply the error rate of the test, so results are a ballpark - not an absolute.

See CYA Testing for tips in how to read the test results.

 

[ajw22]

2. You need to drain 70+ % of the pool to lower the CYA. No reason to do other stuff with water you are going to drain.

Do the drain and then assess what the pool needs on the refilled pool.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

3. Read…

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

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

Flocculant - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[hobbzilla]

So, I would like to avoid draining that much water at one time until I need to resurface the pool. I figured that this drain & fill process could be incremental over a period of time instead of a reverse SLAM.
After reading the flocculant article, it sounds like that step may be unnecessary, I really just wanted a quick fix to any remaining dead algae still lingering in the pool, I've been warned against using any sort of clarifier with the cellulose fiber that we swapped our DE out for.

 

[ajw22]

Do the dilution CYA test and report the results.

The quick fix for algae is the SLAM Process. No pool store magic potions will do the job.

 

[hobbzilla]

Do the dilution CYA test and report the results.

The quick fix for algae is the SLAM Process. No pool store magic potions will do the job.

Done. Looks to be around 130 as the results diluted were around 65

 

[ajw22]

Well you can see how far an incremental drain and refill will lower the CYA.

 

[hobbzilla]

So I did an incremental drain of only about a foot (~4,500 Gal.) & filled from hose as well as a few inches from the rain.

Post drain results:
FC: 5.5 | CC: nil | CYA: ~75 | PH: 7.4 | TA: didn't test | CH: 460

After 3 tests for CYA, I have completely used an entire bottle of the Taylor CYA reagent (R-0013-E). Looks like I need to invest in one of the 16 oz. bottles!
So far, it seems like it was a good idea!?! Dropped my FC back to swimmable level and my CYA dropped to closer to where I think I need to be. I also think my earlier measurement of 130 was too high and was likely more what the store measured (113) as I don't see how draining 30% would have dropped CYA 42%+. I would expect it to be 1:1 (presuming there is no CYA in rain or municipality water.

Thinking I probably need to do another drain & refill of about the same amount before we close the pool this winter.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Hey neighbor. Round up your CYA to 80, which is still a bit high, but manageable.

With that said, make sure you take a look at the FC/CYA chart in my signature. For a CYA of 80, your FC should be 9-11 and never ever ever below 6. Your FC currently is 5.

 

[hobbzilla]

AUG 20th
FC: 11.5 | CC: 1 | CYA: 120 | PH: 7.4 | TA: 110 | CH: 550.

AUG 23rd (after chemicals, dilution & rain)
FC: 8.5 | CC: 0 | CYA: 75 | PH: 7.6 | TA: 90 | CH: 425

Pool is crystal clear. I brushed the walls and bottom and still have a few poofs of cloudy material. I suspect I will be doing another partial drain & refill after which I will completely wash grids to see if I can't get down another 20 or so.

 

[ajw22]

CYA: 75

Your CYA is 80. We round up. If the dot disappears between 80 and 70 we round up and call it 80.

The scale between the lines is logarithmic, not linear, and halfway is not 5. You can't eyeball a value and a precise number is not necessary.

See if your pool passes aOvernight Chlorine Loss Test.

At CYA 80 your SLAM Process FC level would be 31 ppm.