This site is great.

[poolowner]

Watermom,

I'm not aware of a way to test for CYA using my kit. Having only used bleach until this point, I would assume the CYA is probably low. Right?

The puck I added should release CYA right?

(CYA = cyanuric acid that acts as a chlorine stabilizer correct?)


FC and TC were low yesterday but only reached zero for this mornings test.

I added the puck earlier today and just checked everything again before dinner. FC and TC are at about 0.4 now.

Just to be safe in case that was the start of an algae bloom, I used the pool calculator and added enough liquid bleach that it should bring my level from 0.4 to 4.0.

Strange thing is, my test kit literature says the ideal chlorine levels should be between 1.0-1.5. Everything else says 3.0

The clarity is coming back already but it's still not where it was. I can see the drain again in the bottom but there is some cloudiness still. The DE filter is very old, original I'm told from the 70's, and probably should be replaced. A few of the cartridges are slightly broken along with the top cap that helps separate all the elements. Unfortunately it appears so old, I doubt parts are available.

Thanks for the help.

Current numbers are:

FC: O.4
CC: O.4
TA: 120
PH: 7.3

[Watermom]

If your kit can't test CYA, ask a reputable pool store to test it and report it here. Just don't buy everything they are going to try and sell you. Bleach doesn't add CYA but something that might have been used last year might have. So get it checked. We really can't advise you very well how high to take the chlorine without knowing that level.

Test kit literature is wrong. Chlorine levels needed to sanitize a pool are dependent on the CYA level. Take a look at the Best Guess Table in my signature below. (It is not a guess, it is factual.) Take your chlorine up to 4 is not adequate when you are trying to clear a pool. For now, take it on up to 12ppm and try and hold it there without letting it yo-yo up and down. Test as many times per day as you can (minimum of twice, more is better) and each time, add enough bleach to get the cl back up to 12. If you tell us the volume, we can help with amounts of bleach to add. As a reference, each quart of 6% bleach will add 6ppm to a 10K pool. Until we know your volume, you can use that to help you determine how much bleach to add to get back up to 12ppm.

I still suspect that your DE filter may be the problem because DE should not cause a pool to become cloudy. When added to the skimmer, the DE should stay in the filter. If the filter is in disrepair and it causes the DE to shoot into the pool, that would cloud a pool. That is why I suspect the filter may be the problem, but I am not the DE filter expert around here. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this thread about that issue.

Repost with CYA level when you get it tested, and with volume.

[poolowner]

Thanks Watermom,

Volume is 11,200.

I have been using a pool calculator to give specific amounts of chemical additions. Before this season, chlorine pucks were the only chlorine used in the pool, other than packages of "shock" (as far as I know). This is the first season of bleach.

I'll get the water tested for CYA though. Is the kit that everyone recommends on here able to test CYA? My kit is a dropper kit but I'd like to be able to test for more. And I looked at the best guess chart yesterday, that's when I understood that the CYA level directly effects your chlorine goals.

Anyhow, whatever caused the slight cloudiness is gone because the pool is as clear as a bell again. This morning the readings were:

FC: 3.0+ kit only measures to 3.0 but it was a tad darker yellow.
CC: 3.0+
TA: 120
PH: 7.3

Thanks again.

[PoolDoc]

Your best choice for periodic testing is probably the Taylor K2006 -- links to Amazon below, but only order if the Amazon seller is "Amato Ind"; other sellers seem to mixup the K2005 (no FAS-DPD) & K2006. Regardless, you need kit that includes an FAS-DPD test, and a CYA test; 'goofy strips' are just not accurate enough.

Ben

[Watermom]

Glad the pool is clear and it appears that the DE filter was not the problem. Good. Do yourself a favor and order that good test kit. You won't be sorry you did. It will do everything you need a kit to do and it will make your pool maintenance much easier as well as make it a lot easier to clean up if you ever have a problem. Good luck.