Moved into a new house. I have high CYA ~100, but I can't drain pool in summer in NV. Water is clear but I have green on walls. What's the strategy ?
SLAM - High CYA - Can't Drain Pool in the Summer
- Thread starter NoviceSwimmer
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,085
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
You can try a simultaneous water exchange. It's not as efficient, but it works. There are some other ideas on the link below as well. Also be sure to visit our Pool Care Basics and with an elevated CYA, keep the FC elevated as well as seen on the FC/CYA Levels.
www.troublefreepool.com
You can try a simultaneous water exchange. It's not as efficient, but it works. There are some other ideas on the link below as well. Also be sure to visit our Pool Care Basics and with an elevated CYA, keep the FC elevated as well as seen on the FC/CYA Levels.Draining - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,085
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I wouldn't take any action based on their testing. Order your own TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit to verify that CYA and other levels. Pool store testing is often incorrect, especially with the CYA.
I'm asking a question, not taking action. Surely draining the pool isn't the only solution for a pool with CYA over 80. Let's pretend the test is accurate; I'm gathering ideas.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,099
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- 26000
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Reverse osmosis or water exchange are your two options for reducing cya.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,099
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,085
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Or, as I mentioned earlier, just maintain the corresponding FC level for that CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. CYA degrades slowly each month by around 5 ppm +/- a couple. That could buy some time with someone with a CYA of 80-90.
The point was that you may not need to lower the CYA at all. CYA testing at the pool store is THAT bad.
Only way to get rid of CYA is to get rid of it through exchange or the RO process both which waste lots of water.
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
Assuming that Nevada sun is a hot as our current heat wave, and your water temp is better of 90-degress like mine, your CYA should drop pretty fast. I started losing about 10ppm/month in recent time, and it is only getting hotter.
Over 80 and over 100 are two different discussions. At 80ppm your results in theory could still be accurate. Over 100 however you’ve hit the limitations of the tests themselves so the odds your results are incorrect are HUGE. Even if (and it’s a strong if) Leslie’s results are correct, at 100ppm you’re needing to take some action.
What test do you use to verity that Taylor is correct? Is there a post where you tested water and then took it to a lab that you're 100% sure is accurate? Have you had 2 different people do Taylor tests on 2 different samples from different locations in the same pool and get absolutely identical readings? I've seem some novices report some pretty impossible numbers using taylor kits. I have a basic drop kit and I can barely distinguish between 7.2 and 7.8 for PH.
The local pool guys I've asked about this (2 store guys and 2 local pool professionals) all say the same thing; drain off some water next winter. I get that the pool service industry isn't laden with MIT grads, but nobody thinks it's a hair-on-fire situation outside of TFP.
The local pool guys I've asked about this (2 store guys and 2 local pool professionals) all say the same thing; drain off some water next winter. I get that the pool service industry isn't laden with MIT grads, but nobody thinks it's a hair-on-fire situation outside of TFP.
My Water is 76 this morning and gets up to low 80s during the day. Its 106 during the day but cools off to low 70s at night.
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
- May 3, 2014
- 62,750
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
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- Vinyl
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Drop-based kits are using proven chemistry. Human error certainly will exist - people may go too quick with the drops, or not hold it straight up and down, and so they're too small, as an example - but we can work with people whose numbers don't make sense and help them to improve their testing. We can't tell what sort of testing a pool store does, or how well their instruments are calibrated, or their people trained. So we only trust the kits people get, and help them out if their results don't make sense.
If you want to follow the standard pool store / pool service advice, you can. It's your call. It might work well, too. The way we do things is more certain, repeatable, and doesn't involve a bunch of additions of chemicals when you're not sure what exactly they're doing to the water. If you'd like to use their methods instead, that's fine. It's your pool.
If you want our assistance, we can help, but we can't really offer advice on testing we don't feel is going to be reliable enough to offer advice on. In your case, your CYA could be higher than 100 and so your chlorine isn't going to do much to try and fight the algae - or the test could have been wrong, and your CYA could be well below 100 and so a water exchange isn't needed.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 6,455
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Pat provided the no hair-on-fire solution, until winter.
This is kinda a game-changer. You'll need to complete the SLAM Process process which requires accurate CYA results. To maintain FC levels during the SLAM, you'll need to test frequently for a couple to several days. To complete the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test, you'll need to test after sunset and before sunrise. Even if the pool store did provide accurate results, you'll spend more on gas than the the kit itself.
A SLAM at over 100 CYA will require massive amounts of chlorine to get up to SLAM level.
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,240
- Pool Size
- 26000
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- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP! Hello fellow Las Vegas pool owner.
This site is pool owners helping pool owners. There is no ulterior motive. Unlike a pool store whose business model “sell you something”. Or a pool man whose business model is to get done as fast as possible to get to the next house with a pool. Dump some tablets into a feeder and who cares how high CYA may get. You can always drain, but not here in Las Vegas.
TFP just wants to help you, like they’ve helped hundreds of thousands of forum posters. The above are intended to help and nothing else. I have a Taylor
K-2006C test kit. I spent $$$,$$$ on my pool build last year. I spent $120 for my test kit. The best money to test my own water and put into my pool only what it needed.
This site is pool owners helping pool owners. There is no ulterior motive. Unlike a pool store whose business model “sell you something”. Or a pool man whose business model is to get done as fast as possible to get to the next house with a pool. Dump some tablets into a feeder and who cares how high CYA may get. You can always drain, but not here in Las Vegas.
TFP just wants to help you, like they’ve helped hundreds of thousands of forum posters. The above are intended to help and nothing else. I have a Taylor
K-2006C test kit. I spent $$$,$$$ on my pool build last year. I spent $120 for my test kit. The best money to test my own water and put into my pool only what it needed.
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,240
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Congrats on the new house! My above post didn’t provide my solution to your situation. The pool may be lower on your to do list. Knowing what I know about the TFP methods and knowing how LV has water restrictions. However, water restrictions or not, pools are being built and filled all the time here.
1) I would call the water company and let them know I would be lowering my water level and refilling. What would be the water cost? Half the volume, quarter the volume, etc? Also, I would tell them to add a note to my account, I have a pool.
2) Drain as much as point one above allowed. Refill.
3) Buy one of the recommended test kits, either the TF-100 from tftestkits.net or the Taylor K-2006C from Amazon.
4) Stop using tablets for everyday chlorinating needs, I would use liquid chlorine because it doesn’t add anything to the water other than FC and small amounts of salt.
5) If I have or kept the pool service from the previous owners, I would let them go at the end of June. I could manage my own pool with TFPs forum help and the extensive documentation with a cost savings of $150 month. After the first month managing the pool on my own, point 3 above is paid for!
That’s my strategy.
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