Polyquat or not ?

[CarlD]

OK, here's how I do it and EVERY season I open to clear water. I take into account that the PolyQuat in large amounts causes the FC level to collapse. But I don't do this until the water is AT MOST in the low 60's, colder is better.

1) shock the pool

2) Add 1 quart of polyquat.

3) Wait 24 hours for the chlorine to drop.

4) Shock it up again.

5) Close

Yes, it's really all it takes.

[haze_1956]

I found it interesting that the CYA was at 0

Wondering if the algae ate it last fall and then froze and dropped to the bottom.

[CarlD]

My CYA dropped from about 40 to 25 over the winter...but I had lot of dilution from rain and snowmelt

[chem geek]

Many people find their CYA level dropping to 0 over the winter. Though it is possible that algae eat it for food, what IS known is that there are anaerobic bacteria that normally live in soil that definitely consume CYA. It is very possible that at least for pools where the FC gets to 0 that these bacteria consume the CYA. If they do, then they produce ammonia as a by-product which would mean needing LOTS of chlorine to open a pool.

Some users report the CYA dropping over the winter even maintaining chlorine levels. This happened to me this winter going from 20 to 10 (approximately) and I had no dilution (I have an automated opaque pool cover), but in past winter's I hadn't seen this and I've maintained chlorine levels every winter.

Richard

[haze_1956]

Alk is down too. 120 to 70.

Lot of start up this year !! LOL

Hate it when an experiment turns around and bites me in the wallet.



I'll use poly this coming Fall and see what I find in Spring 2008.