Starting all over again -- how do I do it right?

[CrazyMan]

I posted the thread before about my pH not increasing. Well, I finally got it up, and it turns out my CYA level is insane (probably 200+). So the pool is draining right now, and I wondered if there's a thread somewhere that explains a general way to take care of this thing the right way.

The one thing I'm most concerned about is CYA levels and chlorine. I had the trichlor tablets floating in my pool to keep chlorine good for a while. If I only use liquid chlorine (like sodium hypochlorite) then will I need to check every day? Or can the chlorine level last long enough to only be maintained once or twice a week?

Thanks

[Backglass]

I posted the thread before about my pH not increasing. Well, I finally got it up, and it turns out my CYA level is insane (probably 200+). So the pool is draining right now, and I wondered if there's a thread somewhere that explains a general way to take care of this thing the right way.

The one thing I'm most concerned about is CYA levels and chlorine. I had the trichlor tablets floating in my pool to keep chlorine good for a while. If I only use liquid chlorine (like sodium hypochlorite) then will I need to check every day? Or can the chlorine level last long enough to only be maintained once or twice a week?

Thanks

Step one is to "Know Thy Water". You need to invest in a good test kit that includes CYA. Only when you have a reliable point of reference can you make good adjustments.

The only difference between using liquid chlorine and pucks is dosage and the CYA issue which you already understand. If you have a proper CYA of 30-50, you wont need to add liquid chlorine every day. I don't, but I don't let it go a week either. I check my water probably every other day on average. If you do it often you wont get into trouble and it takes no time at all. I do it in the early morning before I leave for work while the coffee is brewing. I test the ph and chlorine, and tweak if needed. It takes no more than 5 minutes and I am off to work.

And keep the pucks around, they are still great to use for vacations, etc when you need an extended release or a novice is watching your pool.

Just so you know, you don't need to drain the entire pool to lower your CYA...just a portion of it.

[CrazyMan]

Are there any good test kits that use the strips, or do drop tests work better? I have a bunch of Aquacheck strips that check pH, Alk, CYA, and free chlorine. However, the pH is hard to determine exactly -- I thought it was less than 6 and a pool store strip (different than mine, more tests) showed it to be around 6.8. I think I was looking at the lightness of the color more than the hue.