Where to start?

[keithw]

First you need to get an accurate CYA. The looking at this thread, you say it's "halfway to the scale that starts at 100." The test strip is pretty unreliable so I discount that. Done it small batches the water shouldn't mess up the lawn. I've done partial drains without problem. I too had a high CYA, right around 100. I am letting evaporation and splashy kids lower mine steadily and slowly. I just chlorinate up to 8PPM at night and let it work down to 5PPM and then move it back up to 8.

[Simmons99]

I am letting evaporation and splashy kids lower mine steadily and slowly. I just chlorinate up to 8PPM at night and let it work down to 5PPM and then move it back up to 8.

Evaporation will not get rid of CYA - it will not leave the pool. Splashing the water out would get rid of the CYA that is in the splashed water - but it is way more effective to do a partial drain/refill.

I think some people here have done a 3-4" drain and refill every couple of days until the CYA level is down to a manageable level. It will also cool down the pool

[Steve #1]

What is the reason for doing a drain and refill over a few days vs doing it all at once? Seems like the latter would be more effective as far as watter usage.

My water is almost clear now. How long after I have it clear should I keep it at shock level? I want to be sure I have the algae under control. It seems like the chlorine isn't lasting long and it is still using quite a bit. Testing using the shot glass method for now.

We also had an odd phenomenon happen here last night where droplets of water were falling out of the sky. I have seen this happen before, I think it's called "ran" or something like that.

[GraceByDesign]

The main reason for doing several smaller drainn/refills is to avoid any potential problem with an empty pool... heaving, cracking, etc. If you drain the pool, there is only the pressure of the ground pushing in on the walls, and no longer pressure from the water pushing back on the walls

ETA: keep it at shock levels until you have O CC, then let it drift back down to 8 or so, if you keep the high CYA

[Phillbo]

Lets talk him into being our "BIG PLASTIC SHEET" Guinea Pig....


Ya know you want to try it Steve

[Steve #1]

BIG PLASTIC SHEET? I'm guessing I need a big plastic sheet.... then what do I do with it?

[Phillbo]

You really don't want to know ... You may be crazy enough to do it.


The theory is that if you cover your pool with a big plastic tarp and start pumping the water out from the bottom while at the same time, filling with new water on top, You can purge all the old water without risk of cracks...

[Steve #1]

ETA: keep it at shock levels until you have O CC, then let it drift back down to 8 or so, if you keep the high CYA

And remind me how I get this measurement again.

BTW: My first thought was water balloons, I just scaled it up to trash bags.

I can't find wide enough sheets of plastic.... I'm still liking the trash bag idea.

[Steve #1]

Well I decided to take the plunge and lower my CYA, but alas no BIG PLASTIC SHEET.

In the future, please refer to this as "Steve #1's Trash-bag Method". I thought I had an industrial size box of 33 gal trash bags but they were only 13 gal so I got started with the small box of 33 gal that I had. I'll hit the store for another box later.

I'm not planing on keeping it completely full, but this should be better than just draining it without replacing as I go.

And for those of you that didn't think i was crazy enough to do it......

[Phillbo]

Texans are a strange breed ... and I though the guy with the plywood pool was a little off


So do you add a bag of water every so often to keep the level at your desired height ? Do you put the bags in the pool to fill ?


keep us posted on your progress.....