How to keep the chlorine and CYA levels good

[SouthernComfort]

Hi everyone! So my dad is kicking off a pool service and been hitting the books for about six months, he's working on the CPO right now.

He wants me to help him, but one thing that's got me scratching my head is keeping the chlorine and CYA levels good with just a weekly visit.

I get why CYA's important, and since I'm starting up in South Florida, these pools are gonna be going non stop.

Using those stabilized pucks seems like it'll just keep adding CYA, but going with unstabilized chlorine could mean the levels tank between services.

I'm curious, what's the best way to handle the chlorine so it doesn't get too low between visits, but the CYA doesn't go crazy either?

Is it a good idea to drain a bit and refill every so often, or just use a few tabs and do a weekly shock with the unstabilized stuff?

Just wondering how other people do it.

 

[Nicoleee]

Hi everyone! So my dad is kicking off a pool service and been hitting the books for about six months, he's working on the CPO right now.

He wants me to help him, but one thing that's got me scratching my head is keeping the chlorine and CYA levels good with just a weekly visit.

I get why CYA's important, and since I'm starting up in South Florida, these pools are gonna be going non stop.

Using those stabilized pucks seems like it'll just keep adding CYA, but going with unstabilized chlorine could mean the levels tank between services.

I'm curious, what's the best way to handle the chlorine so it doesn't get too low between visits, but the CYA doesn't go crazy either?

Is it a good idea to drain a bit and refill every so often, or just use a few tabs and do a weekly shock with the unstabilized stuff?

Just wondering how other people do it.

Use liquid or cal-hypo as your primary and save tabs for backup or vacation holds. Weekly shocks with unstabilized chlorine help a lot too

 

[BlueLagoonGuy]

I deal with this too. Best bet is using liquid chlorine weekly and limit pucks to when it's really needed. CYA creeps up fast in FL heat. I do a small drain/refill every couple months to keep it in check. Works pretty well so far.

 

[Smoothsailer]

Ask any pro in south Florida and they'll tell you to use liquid chlorine because it doesn't add cya. Stabilized trichlor tablets are good enough, but over time they can raise the cya levels, which you should aim to keep between 30 and 50 ppm. If levels go too high you should do a partial drain and refill like @BlueLagoonGuy mentioned. It's all about balance and monitoring

 

[chad.t1718]

Hi everyone! So my dad is kicking off a pool service and been hitting the books for about six months, he's working on the CPO right now.

He wants me to help him, but one thing that's got me scratching my head is keeping the chlorine and CYA levels good with just a weekly visit.

I get why CYA's important, and since I'm starting up in South Florida, these pools are gonna be going non stop.

Using those stabilized pucks seems like it'll just keep adding CYA, but going with unstabilized chlorine could mean the levels tank between services.

I'm curious, what's the best way to handle the chlorine so it doesn't get too low between visits, but the CYA doesn't go crazy either?

Is it a good idea to drain a bit and refill every so often, or just use a few tabs and do a weekly shock with the unstabilized stuff?

Just wondering how other people do it.

From experience, draining a bit of water periodically was more effective to lower CYA than trying to chase it with other chemicals.
For the weekly shock, I would use liquid chlorine on service day to bump up levels levels without adding more CYA.
It also helps to be proactive with water replacement when CYA starts creeping up!

 

[filterflunkyforever761]

Had the same problem when I was managing my uncle's rental property pool. I initially tried using chemical reducers, but found that partially draining the pool was much more effective. We used liquid chlorine on a weekly basis and topped off the water as needed. We made sure to keep the CYA balanced and maintained consistent chlorine levels between visits

 

[strang3rdang3r]

Just got a small 12k gal in-ground pool with my first house last summer. I've been trying to understand CYA levels and didn't realize draining a bit could help manage it better. I've been using dichlor for shocking, but maybe switching to liquid chlorine is smarter long-term.

 

[chad.t1718]

Had the same problem when I was managing my uncle's rental property pool. I initially tried using chemical reducers, but found that partially draining the pool was much more effective. We used liquid chlorine on a weekly basis and topped off the water as needed. We made sure to keep the CYA balanced and maintained consistent chlorine levels between visits

Just got a small 12k gal in-ground pool with my first house last summer. I've been trying to understand CYA levels and didn't realize draining a bit could help manage it better. I've been using dichlor for shocking, but maybe switching to liquid chlorine is smarter long-term.

Yeah, doing a partial drain and refill is a solid move to get a handle on high CYA! It's just a great way to reset your water chemistry. Switching to liquid chlorine is definitely a smart long-term strategy! It'll keep your CYA from creeping up in the first place, which makes everything easier.