Taking over pool duties. CYA 500+

[mknauss]

There is 0 CYA in tap water. That shows how accurate the test strips are.

You will be adding acid on a regular basis to your pool water. Depends on how much evaporation you get (thus putting your alakaline water into the pool).

Your CH is actually pretty low, so that is good.

Once the pool is full, just add 3 ppm FC worth of chlorine, start dissolving 30 ppm of CYA, and add acid to get the pool to a ph in the 7's.

Is this a plaster pool? If so, you might even want to add a touch of calcium. But, wait until the pool has been mixing for a few days and test your CH. You may just be able to use some cal hypo for this summer and all will be good.

 

[IceShadow]

Just found this info in the wiki:

CC - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Why Do CCs Test in Drinking Water[edit]
Chloramines that appear as CCs are added to municipal water in some areas.

Chloramines (also known as secondary disinfection) are disinfectants used to treat drinking water and they:

• Are most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water.
• Provide longer-lasting disinfection as the as the water moves through pipes to consumers.

Chloramines have been used by water utilities since the 1930s. More than one in five Americans uses drinking water treated with chloramines.

 

[pink]

Alright pool finally drained to about 90-95% last night and I’ve started refilling. This morning it’s about 1/3 full and it’s looking kinda green...

 

[IceShadow]

When it's full up you can test the CYA levels, adjust as needed to get to 30, get pH down to 7.2, and start the SLAM Process.

 

[pink]

Ok a few questions about the SLAM.

The video says to lower ph to 7.2, but then says, "Until SLAM is complete, forget about ph." ???

I've done my testing on the fill water.

CC is 2.2
PH is 8.0+

The water is clear green. I have no way to test if it is Iron.

Ok so let me know if this is correct.

Step 1 - Get CYA to 30-50
Step 2 - Lower PH to 7.2? (It will be at 8.0+ in a 20,000 gal pool, is it ok to add more than 2qt muriatic acid at a time?)
Step 3 - SLAM with liquid chlorine (refer to CYA chart and keep levels of FC to corresponding CYA level)

 

[DeanP66]

You can add more than 2 quarts of muriatic acid at a time. Just plug the numbers into Pool Math and it will tell you how much to add. Everything else looks fine.

 

[mknauss]

The water is clear green.

The water is not cloudy at all? Can you post a picture?

Sorry -- fresh fill. All pools look a little green with a fresh fill -- carry on.

 

[pink]

Ok, so pool finished filling last night. I woke up this morning to test some numbers. Luckily my CYA was where it needs to be. I was worried I wasn't draining enough so I went down pretty far. Maybe 90-95% drain. Two 1/6hp pumps working for 36 hours, I called it at 12:30 am the night prior.

Here are my numbers today.

CH - 180
ph - 8.0+
FC - 0.4
CC - 1.6
TA - 150
CYA - 40-45 (woo hoo!!)

During the CYA test, the dot started to get hard to see around 50. I checked this around 9:00am this morning, sunny day. I first looked at it with my back to the sun but not in the shade. It was difficult to see in the high 40s. I moved to the shade but plenty of ambient sunlight. I could still see the dot till just about 40. I think I'm good with CYA! So happy it's gone down!

Current pool situation is green and just slightly cloudy. I'm going to lower ph and SLAM. Hopefully, things start to clear up.

 

[Richard320]

Ok, so pool finished filling last night. I woke up this morning to test some numbers. Luckily my CYA was where it needs to be. I was worried I wasn't draining enough so I went down pretty far. Maybe 90-95% drain. Two 1/6hp pumps working for 36 hours, I called it at 12:30 am the night prior.

Here are my numbers today.

CH - 180
ph - 8.0+
FC - 0.4
CC - 1.6
TA - 150
CYA - 40-45 (woo hoo!!)

During the CYA test, the dot started to get hard to see around 50. I checked this around 9:00am this morning, sunny day. I first looked at it with my back to the sun but not in the shade. It was difficult to see in the high 40s. I moved to the shade but plenty of ambient sunlight. I could still see the dot till just about 40. I think I'm good with CYA! So happy it's gone down!

Current pool situation is green and just slightly cloudy. I'm going to lower ph and SLAM. Hopefully, things start to clear up.

View attachment 140337

You're doing great!

There are a lot of people who would call your pool clear because they've never seen any better.Just wait. You're going to even impress yourself.

 

[pink]

Wow, so that was quick! After waiting a few hours after adding 2.5 qts muriatic acid the ph moved from 8.0 to 7.2 no problem! WIth my previous numbers my TA was so high (270-290) I put in 1.5 gallons over a few weeks and it only moved ph from 8.3 to 7.8. Happy to know I can use less MA with my TA at 150.

I put 3 gallons of 10% liquid chlorine in per the pool math calculator to bring me up to the SLAM value of 16ppm for CYA at 40. I measured after an hour and I was at 17 FC and 0.5 CC. Pool went from green to the turquoise that we know in minutes!

It still has a tiny bit of cloudy, but this is the color of our pool. The plaster is a sand color so the water is like a tropical turquoise.

Just tested 4 hours later and FC has fallen 1.0 ppm to 16 ppm. I'll continue the SLAM process until I pass the OCLT.

So happy I found this place, thanks TFP!

 

[pink]

I took a reading of the chlorine at 10:00 pm last night before I went to bed. It was at FC 14 and CC 0.5.

I woke up this morning to take a reading at 6:00 am. FC had only dropped 0.5 to 13.5. CC remains at 0.5.

Water is very clear and even getting bluer than yesterday. We don't remember it being this blue ever, we're more used to the color in the previous post.



So does this mean I can let the chlorine levels fall to within range for CYA 40 and be done with the SLAM?

There were small piles of fine precipitate of a bright white/bluish color on the deep end that I vacuumed up this morning. Could this be from left over phosphate remover killing phosphate in the new fill water?

Lastly, my pool guy was putting in phosphate remover weekly. (Due to massively high CYA levels I assume. ?‍ ) I no longer need to add this if all my numbers are in check correct?

 

[Richard320]

I'd give it one more day, since there is still stuff settling out. Would the water still be clear if you brushed vigorously?

But of course that's easy for me to say because I'm not buying the bleach. Just know that I have seen many many people let up too early and start posting things like, "I slammed it two weeks ago and it's looking cloudy again but my chemistry is perfect."

You don't need phosphate remover. Phosphates are food for algae. Keep enough FC in the water and you won;t have algae, no metter how how the phospghates are.

 

[pink]

I'd give it one more day, since there is still stuff settling out. Would the water still be clear if you brushed vigorously?

Sounds good. Gave it a hard brush and it did distort the clarity some. I just put another gallon in. FC was at 11, CC 0.5 at 1:30 pm today. 2.5ppm loss from 6:30 am. Pool gets a lot of sun.

That should bump me back up around 17, I'll let the pump continue to run. Thanks again!

 

[mguzzy]

well done.. I've been lurking in your thread and following your journey.

In case you didn't figure out you don't need to test pH during the SLAM because the test doesn't work when Cl is that high.. Also you shouldn't need the phosphate stuff anymore. That is what the old pool guy was using to keep your algae in check since the FC was doing nothing with that high a CYA.

You never put your equipment in your sig. Depending on your filter, the phosphate stuff can clog stuff up. Hopefully things are well rinsed by now.

Fly be free.....

 

[pink]

Thanks! I have a Hayward 4820 DE filter. I've read that you have to watch the filter pressure when using the phosphate remover. My taking over the pool all started in early April when I got furloughed and I had plenty of time at home. The pool guy said it's time to clean the filter and it's $98. I said, "I think this time I'll watch Youtube and figure it out." So I cleaned the filter back in April by removing the grids and spraying them down. He would always take it completely apart twice a year. I don't think he ever backwashed.

That brings up the question do I need to backwash/clean the filter after adding the new water?

The filter has moved maybe 1 PSI since I've cleaned it 6 weeks ago.

Also is backwashing essentially the same as taking it apart and spraying down the grids just only easier? I need to get a backwash hose to our cleanout but the outlet is not 2", it needs a reducer from 2.75 to use a hose...haven't figured out a backwash solution yet.

 

[Richard320]

Thanks! I have a Hayward 4820 DE filter. I've read that you have to watch the filter pressure when using the phosphate remover. My taking over the pool all started in early April when I got furloughed and I had plenty of time at home. The pool guy said it's time to clean the filter and it's $98. I said, "I think this time I'll watch Youtube and figure it out." So I cleaned the filter back in April by removing the grids and spraying them down. He would always take it completely apart twice a year. I don't think he ever backwashed.

That brings up the question do I need to backwash/clean the filter after adding the new water?

The filter has moved maybe 1 PSI since I've cleaned it 6 weeks ago.

Also is backwashing essentially the same as taking it apart and spraying down the grids just only easier? I need to get a backwash hose to our cleanout but the outlet is not 2", it needs a reducer from 2.75 to use a hose...haven't figured out a backwash solution yet.

Backwashing runs the water backwards through the grids and supposedly blows the DE off and out. The reality is it never cleans them 100%. If you're comfortable opening up, do that. There's never any question if its clean that way.

Just wait until the pressure rises 25% over clean pressure before cleaning. And don't use phosphate remover.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Do you have a light nitch? Have you taken the light out and brushed the nitch? I would also let the slam go on for 2 or 3 days more.

 

[pink]

Hmm, No I have not cleaned the niche. Is it pretty intensive? It's ok to get in the pool with high chlorine? The light is pretty deep acutally.

 

[IceShadow]

If the light can come out it's a good idea. It's safe to swim in a pool that is up to SLAM level of FC (and you want to be able to see the bottom, but when you're in it for repairs instead of leisure it's a different story I'd think).

 

[Richard320]

Hmm, No I have not cleaned the niche. Is it pretty intensive? It's ok to get in the pool with high chlorine? The light is pretty deep acutally.

Typically there's a screw you undo and then the light pivots and unhooks. And then you unwind all the extra cord and bring it up and set it on the deck. Here's what you might find. Think I may have found my FC demand issue?