Puzzling cya result

[AveMaria472]

We uncovered our pool a few days ago and need to have water hauled in to raise the water level several inches in order to hook up the pump and filter. I wanted to get an idea of where my cya was at before diluting it further. Using room temp water (it actually sat inside the house for two days) I did the cya test according to kit directions, mix, wait, mix again, and I filled the view tube all the way and could still see the dot. The sample wasn’t very cloudy at all. I have done this test a number of times before so I know how it usually looks. My test kit is almost two years old. Could the testing materials be too old?
The pool water is very clear. FC was 3, a bit low after a couple sunny days, so I added LC and circulated with my robot and now it’s 10. We put the solar cover on to slow the burn off from the sun until we can get the pump and filter going. Which brings me back to the water delivery arriving shortly!

So should I assume I have no cya? I believe my level at closing was 40.

 

[Texas Splash]

So should I assume I have no cya?

That is very possible. We lose about 5 ppm per month, in some cases a little more. R-0013 is an inert product, so unlike other reagents it doesn't generally go bad. I would assume the CYA is low and add at least 20 ppm to see where that gets you. Your pool and water look great, so if you don't see anything odd, there's no real urgent need to keep the FC elevated either. Maybe do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test if you want to be sure. Once you get a little stabilizer in there, test again to see if there's a difference. Nice work.

 

[AveMaria472]

Thank you, @Texas Splash !
Since the water temp is ~60, I was so nervous my pool would start to turn green after opening to a crystal clear pool!!! I wasn’t sure how many gallons we had since the level was so low so I figured I’d aim the FC for the high side knowing it would be a few days til we had everything connected.

water just delivered and hubby hooking up pump and filter... now the fun begins!!

 

[JamesW]

When opening a pool, don't rely on tests until you get good circulation.

 

[simon SPRAGG]

If the FC is 3 & CYA less than 30 your pool is going to be well disenfected.
If you test FC at end of the day and find it is zero then you need CYA.
After the winter CYA goes astray so now is a good time to get to say 30...then as summer sun gets stronger increase to 50. Now your FC consumption "is what it is".
If you can test and add chems after sun. down.

 

[wireform]

AveMaria, Pretty pool you have there along with a nice list of equipment in your signature. The only thing missing on that list is an SWCG. It's early in the season and maybe a good time to go for it with this virus going on and LC isn't that available all over as it has been in past years.

 

[kimkats]

Look at the clear pool!! WELL DONE!!!

So should I assume I have no cya?

I would add as if you have 10 CYA so you don't over shoot. You can adjust up if needed. We don't want you to have to drain any of that new water!

Kim

 

[AveMaria472]

AveMaria, Pretty pool you have there along with a nice list of equipment in your signature. The only thing missing on that list is an SWCG. It's early in the season and maybe a good time to go for it with this virus going on and LC isn't that available all over as it has been in past years.

Thank you! I’m very proud of my first crystal clear opening! With the addition of the propane heater this year, a SWCG is out of the question as it will corrode the heater. We had a SWCG on our last pool at our previous house and loved it. I haven’t had any trouble finding LC in my area. I’ve stocked up on 10 cases (40 one gallon jugs) of 12.5%, stored in my basement.

Thank you for the other replies... I will shoot for a low CYA to get us going this season. After using pucks the first year we built the pool, I hit the rock wall pucks will drive you into, battled algae late in the season, and had to SLAM with 100 CYA ?. I vowed I’d never do that again!!!

My duck puck dispenser hadn’t been in the pool since that first year... until my CYA reading came out super low. I tossed him in overnight with the old pucks that were left in there. Not sure those old pucks would even make a difference. I took him back out in the morning to put the solar cover back on. I think he enjoyed his short swim! Well... my 3 year old enjoyed seeing him swim! I went out and picked up some granulated CYA and will use the sock method to dispense.

TFP has been invaluable to me and I recommend it to other pool owners every chance I get!

edited to add:
I forgot to mention that I retested the CYA the next day after the addition of water and several hours of circulation and got the same result.

 

[mknauss]

With the addition of the propane heater this year, a SWCG is out of the question as it will corrode the heater.

FYI -- that is not true. Low pH will corrode the heater. The low salinity of a salt water pool is of no consequence.

 

[wireform]

What Mknauss said. ??
Non of it is true. There are many of us here on the forum using SWCG a good time with a very different experience to say the least.

 

[AveMaria472]

FYI -- that is not true. Low pH will corrode the heater. The low salinity of a salt water pool is of no consequence.

Wow... really? I wonder why I thought that? Even the rep who sold us the heater asked what we used in our pool and I told him liquid chlorine. I assumed he was making sure we didn’t have a salt pool/SWCG.

We were also told that using a SWCG would void the warranty on our pool... but our pool is made of resin (except the wall) so I would think that the rusting issue wouldn’t apply to us.

Am I all wrong with all of this? Does someone want to set me straight? Thank you!

 

[kimkats]

Psssssssssssstt every time you add liquid chlorine you are adding some salt!! We do suggest people test their salt levels before they add any for their new SWG. Some have found they already have plenty from the years of chlorine!

I wish you had said you used "bleach" just to see his eyes bug out of his head!!