Tetris Pool With Too Much CYA

[Wasd]

My brand new (to me) pool has very high CYA, and according to the pool store, very high phosphates. I received my test kit the same day I got a test from the pool store for comparison.

Previous to this, I had been testing with test strips and a pool calculator website for about a month, and found myself wondering why my total alkalinity still showed zero and pH remained unchanged after dumping a dozen pounds of baking soda into the pool. Very quickly discovered my mistake in using test strips to measure any important additions to the pool chemistry.

TF-Pro:
FC 1.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.4
TA 150
CH 775
CYA 100+ (didn't know about the dilution trick to measure past 100)
SALT 3200

The store covered a few more tests than TF-Pro, like copper and phosphate levels (which also seem higher than they should be).

Pool Store:
FC 0.85
TC 0.96
pH 7.4
TA 86
CH 479
CYA 160
Iron 0.1
Copper 1.1
Phosphates 3320
TDS 1600

Since I'm now in a much more arid state, I want to at least try not to resort immediately to pumping the water out, but it seems like the only option to get CYA and several other things in balance. I looked up CYA reducers and found plenty of bad news from this forum and Amazon reviews. Looks like either they don't work, or they work and they produce another problem in the form of ammonia.

 

[PoolStored]

I looked up CYA reducers and found plenty of bad news from this forum and Amazon reviews. Looks like either they don't work, or they work and they produce another problem in the form of ammonia.

They don't work. Do the dilution test. Reduce your CYA to 50ppm. It is constant ratio. If your cya is 200, replace 75% of your pool water to get to CYA 50. Trust your test kit, it is foundational to TFP. Replacing water is the place to start to reduce your CYA. Ignore phosphates and TDS. Stop going to the pool store, your test kit is way more accurate...ask me why I am "PoolStored."

Here is a great read:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Replacing water will also help your CH levels.

Some excellent reading:
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels

Welcome to TPF!!!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I would say since you live out west and use a SWG, you can take your CYA down to 70ppm which will act to protect your FC better.

Are you using copper products like copper containing algaecides, or perhaps Clorox Blu pucks at times? That copper reading is quite high...has it caused you problems?

Maddie

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Welcome to the desert

My suggestion to you, if you don’t already have one, is to install a whole-house water softener and then find a way to either hook it up to the pool’s auto fill OR get a softened water spigot outside and use that for top offs. I spent the first 5 years of my pool’s life using hard Tucson water for fill and it drove my CH through the roof. It makes the pool as unmanageable as having too much CYA. I kick myself for not doing it sooner. Hard water wrecks everything, including all your household fixtures, water heaters, washers, etc.

As for CYA, your cheapest and quickest option is still a drain and refill. I would do it next month in March after you sewer rates have been calculated but before the impending rate increases in June/July. CoT just raised our CAP fees from $0.70/CCF to $1.00/CCF … water is only going to get more expensive. Rates will go up in July.

 

[Wasd]

They don't work. Do the dilution test. Reduce your CYA to 50ppm. It is constant ratio. If your cya is 200, replace 75% of your pool water to get to CYA 50.

Yup, did a second CYA test and got a reading of about 200ppm.

Are you using copper products like copper containing algaecides, or perhaps Clorox Blu pucks at times? That copper reading is quite high...has it caused you problems?

I've only just moved in about a month ago, have added nothing to the pool other than muriatic acid and baking soda, when I initially tried to balance the pH and alkalinity thanks to some bogus test strip readings, and salt when the SWG was first installed upon move-in. My guess is the previous owner or their pool service fought some algae or used some other weird cleaners. Since the CYA is also so high, I'm betting they just kept adding chlorine pucks.

Welcome to the desert

My suggestion to you, if you don’t already have one, is to install a whole-house water softener and then find a way to either hook it up to the pool’s auto fill OR get a softened water spigot outside and use that for top offs. I spent the first 5 years of my pool’s life using hard Tucson water for fill and it drove my CH through the roof. It makes the pool as unmanageable as having too much CYA. I kick myself for not doing it sooner. Hard water wrecks everything, including all your household fixtures, water heaters, washers, etc.

Thanks! And I've considered a water softener, but that is a project for another day and another paycheck. For now I'll be getting along with whatever comes out of the spigot. According to the city, tap water hardness is about 200ppm.

As for CYA, your cheapest and quickest option is still a drain and refill. I would do it next month in March after you sewer rates have been calculated but before the impending rate increases in June/July. CoT just raised our CAP fees from $0.70/CCF to $1.00/CCF … water is only going to get more expensive. Rates will go up in July.

Yup, was going to wait til we're out of this cold spell to start the water exchange, but I'll probably wait til later if there's a big enough cost savings. I have a friend with a submersible pump that's willing to lend a hand.

Will update this thread once I've replaced the pool water!

 

[Newdude]

I have a friend with a submersible pump that's willing to lend a hand.

I bought a 1HP / 3700 GPH pump for $66 on Amazon recently. The other day I saw a 1.6 HP / 4800 GPH for $88. Or you can rent a full blown trash pump from HD with the hoses for about $200 and be done in one morning.

Will update this thread once I've replaced the pool water!

Keep us posted. We'll help every step of the way.