Here’s my update. Since my last post I discovered my CYA dramatically dropped from 60 to 30 in one month. I was under the impression that CYA only raised over time and only dropped if there was a lot of rain or a leak. After reading up on TFP I learned that high water temp’s can degrade CYA (we’ve had high 80’s and low 90’s).This possibly explains why I’ve needed to keep raising the production percentage on the SWG. In the last few days I now have the CYA to 70.
Yesterday I was able to collect a small amount of sediment, after drying I test it with a few drops of MA and it fizzled and foamed, just as JoyfulNoise thought (thanks JN).
After reading rmboreswim's post, I was reminded to check our salt cell. I was checking every 3 months and there was hardly any build up and pressure washing cleaned that out. The last time I checked was 5 months ago, so I went to check and there was a huge calcium buildup (see photos). I started with a pressure wash which helped some. Next a wooden toothpick and another pressure was got a little more off. The CSI is all over the place. it gets up to +3 or more, I knock it down to -.05 or -.1 and if a wait for 2 or 3 days it's back up to .3+
This was my first cell acid wash since the pool was completed over 2 yrs ago. I started with 5:1 then 4:1 (water/MA). Each time allowing it to soak for a couple minutes. Only a teeny tiny amount of bubbles were produced – not what I was expecting. Instead of subjecting the cell to longer exposure to the acid I dumped and rinsed it out and went back to the toothpick and pressure wash. A couple chunks were stuck between the cell blades, an extra long toothpick completed the job.
Lessons I've Learned:
1 - Check CYA more frequently in summer.
2 - Go back to checking the salt cell every three months (how lazy can I be, it’s less that two minutes)
3 - Be more diligent to keep my CSI under 0.
Questions:
1 - I use 14.5 MA. What dilution should I have used to get a proper foaming reaction when cleaning the salt cell with that much buildup?
2 - Why am I seeing that brown stuff getting in the salt cell. How is it getting past the skimmer, pump and filter?
3 - To keep my CSI under zero, I will need to add at least 16oz every day. Will this eventually lower over time. Does our 1200+ CH factor in this? (CH of our fill water 320).
4 - We seldom get any sand and very few leaves or debris in the pool. For a while now we mostly only brush and vacuum the pool once a week. How ashamed should we be? (I hope not to be kicked out of the club
Thanks again for your time - York