Starting our journey, questions

[kangawookie]

Let our pool guy go, he wasn't even handling some basic things like cleaning the skimmer basket. Not vacuuming leaves, etc etc. Betta SE Pro and Scuba S1, pool looks pretty good.

Worst of all, when I went to check the pool after the last time he was here June 19th, the pool to SPA/Pool Boost and it had been on that for at least June 5th. How the pool didn't turn into an algae mess I have no idea. It is set back to filter as of the 19th. I included a pic of the pool today.

So anyways, the last thing he did June 19th was fill the chlorine floater with 3-4 pucks which are now gone.

I bought a TFPRO test kit and did some testing last night as the package took a while to arrive.

I assumed we would have high FC and high CYA and looks like it. Entered the following into PoolMath.

Free Chlorine : 14.0 PPM
PH: 8:0
Total Akalinity: 90ppm
CYA: 100pm (diluted to make sure i was at 100)
Calcium Hardness: This test is hard for me as im not sure when to consider the color not changing : 225ppm.

Today I went to the pool store and got 3 gallons of HASA Chlorine and 1 gallon HASA muretic acid.

I brought a water sample and the guy got the same results and recommended only adding muretic acid. He thinks I probably didnt do the calcium hardness correctly. But said my results look similar. I was thinking of taking some water to Leslie's tomorrow to see what results they get.

I also bought some tablets and a new floater, as in a few weeks we will be gone for 7 days at teh end of july and then another 5 days at the beginning of aug with only a week between and I don't have anyone to test and add chemicals when we are away so I assume the only option i have is to put tabs in the water.

Questions.

Pool is in the sun during summer from 8:00am to about 4:00pm when a huge oak tree shadows the pool. My pump runs from 8:00am to 7:00pm while im running on Solar generation.

1. So I know the first thing is, CYA is too high. What should I strive for? The app says 45, but im concerned with letting out alot of water. This week is going to hit 107 on Friday.

2. Chlorine is also high... Should i be adding Chlorine now or waiting for it do go down to 11 and maintain it daily at 11 even with high CYA?

3. Should I start adding the liquid acid as well to get to 7.6 ph? A quart a day with daily testing?

4. Also I'm not sure if the pool guy was using DE or cellulose. I bought some aquaperl today as well. Can I add aquaperl when i backwash or should i just empty the filter, clean the grids and start fresh with only aquaperl?

The gauge on top of the filter was busted stuck at 10 no matter what, so I also replaced that and bought a new skimmer basket since the old one.. was cracked.

5. To backwash, I do have a sight, once that runs clear i dont have a rinse. Run waste for two minutes instead? Since I have to get rid of water for CYA levels, I figure I can start with backwashing. But this ties into 4. since I'm not sure I can mix aquaperl with whatever is in the filter (assuming DE).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

It will be difficult to manage a pool with a CYA of 100 ppm, but not impossible assuming you follow the FC/CYA Levels. This brings us to the next issue which is algae. The pool looks green/cloudy in the photo, but that may just be the lighting. If algae is present, you'll need to complete the SLAM Process. Trying to maintain and test FC at the SLAM level of 40 ppm is not practical. You'd want to lower CYA to 50
ppm or below before starting the SLAM. To rule out algae, complete an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.

Leave pH alone for now. When FC is between 10 and 20 ppm the test will provide a false high reading.

I know nothing about the DE media. I would do a complete changeout as opposed to mixing DE and the new media.

 

[PoolStored]

1. So I know the first thing is, CYA is too high. What should I strive for? The app says 45, but im concerned with letting out alot of water. This week is going to hit 107 on Friday.

Read "no drain water exchange" Here, lower your CYA to 50. Replace 1/2 the water.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

2. Chlorine is also high... Should i be adding Chlorine now or waiting for it do go down to 11 and maintain it daily at 11 even with high CYA?

It will drift down. Maintain an FC between 11 and 13 until you have exchanged water.

3. Should I start adding the liquid acid as well to get to 7.6 ph? A quart a day with daily testing?

NO. After you have swapped water, allow FC to come down below 10, then test pH. Adjust and start the SLAM process at that point. Link-->SLAM Process

4. Also I'm not sure if the pool guy was using DE or cellulose. I bought some aquaperl today as well. Can I add aquaperl when i backwash or should i just empty the filter, clean the grids and start fresh with only aquaperl?

I would clean the grids to get any cellulose or DE out of the filter.

The gauge on top of the filter was busted stuck at 10 no matter what, so I also replaced that and bought a new skimmer basket since the old one.. was cracked.

Good.

5. To backwash, I do have a sight, once that runs clear i dont have a rinse. Run waste for two minutes instead? Since I have to get rid of water for CYA levels, I figure I can start with backwashing. But this ties into 4. since I'm not sure I can mix aquaperl with whatever is in the filter (assuming DE).

There is no reason to have a rinse on a DE filter. Rinse is to re-bed a sand filter.

Hope this helps!

 

[kangawookie]

Read "no drain water exchange" Here, lower your CYA to 50. Replace 1/2 the water.

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

It will drift down. Maintain an FC between 11 and 13 until you have exchanged water.

NO. After you have swapped water, allow FC to come down below 10, then test pH. Adjust and start the SLAM process at that point. Link-->SLAM Process

I would clean the grids to get any cellulose or DE out of the filter.

Good.

There is no reason to have a rinse on a DE filter. Rinse is to re-bed a sand filter.

Hope this helps!

Replied below.

 

[PoolStored]

You just copied my post and didn't say anything. FYI

 

[kangawookie]

You just copied my post and didn't say anything. FYI

I went back and edited when I realized my mistake.

I’ll post it here again:

Ordered a pump to do the no drain exchange process. Won’t be here till Tuesday. And realistically I can start the process on Friday. In the meantime should I start adding liquid chlorine or some tablets to maintain keep algae away until I can exchange? Will do overnight chlorine test to verify no algae present. Or should I try to replace the water before July 4th, when I’m expecting some people over.

 

[PoolStored]

should I start adding liquid chlorine or some tablets to maintain keep algae away until I can exchange?

Maintain 13 FC until you can exchange water.

You can swim if you can see the bottom of the deep end and your FC is between min and up to SLAM level. Can you see the bottom?

 

[Deb04]

Use liquid chlorine so you don’t continue to raise CYA.

 

[kangawookie]

Maintain 13 FC until you can exchange water.

You can swim if you can see the bottom of the deep end and your FC is between min and up to SLAM level. Can you see the bottom?

Yeah. Pool is not very deep. I think the style is called sport? It’s 3.75ft deep on the ends and 5ft deep in the middle. I’ve attached photos of the drain which is the deepest. My phone keeps focusing on the reflection of the trees.

 

[PoolStored]

Great, would be a real push to get water replaced by Thursday. Check multiple times a day and keep your FC between 13 and 20. It will be perfectly safe for swimmers and keep the algae at bay.

 

[kangawookie]

It will be difficult to manage a pool with a CYA of 100 ppm, but not impossible assuming you follow the FC/CYA Levels. This brings us to the next issue which is algae. The pool looks green/cloudy in the photo, but that may just be the lighting. If algae is present, you'll need to complete the SLAM Process. Trying to maintain and test FC at the SLAM level of 40 ppm is not practical. You'd want to lower CYA to 50
ppm or below before starting the SLAM. To rule out algae, complete an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.

Leave pH alone for now. When FC is between 10 and 20 ppm the test will provide a false high reading.

I know nothing about the DE media. I would do a complete changeout as opposed to mixing DE and the new media.

Starting the oclt. 9pm Free chlorine level is 13.5 (just .5 less than the day before and I haven’t added any chlorine). Will test in the morning before light.

 

[kangawookie]

Starting the oclt. 9pm Free chlorine level is 13.5 (just .5 less than the day before and I haven’t added any chlorine). Will test in the morning before light.

Just tested the water again and got 26 drops till it cleared so looking like 13 this morning.