New member with new pool in Orlando

[Jecraigvt]

Hi all,
We just moved into a new home with a brand new pool. Last week I had pool school and now I'm really digging in to try and figure all this stuff out. I got my Taylor kit and tested the water for the first time today
FC: 9.6
PH: 7.7
TA: about 31
CH: 84
CYA <30

On pool school day (6 days ago), stabilizer was added to skimmer (not sure how much) and liquid chlorine was added with some algaecide (dont know what kind). And we put salt in. A little concerned that CYA isn't registering. I got the baking soda and some stabilizer from Lowes, but they didn't have any Calcium Chloride so I went to the pool store and she told me not to put any in for at least the first year.

I have a few questions: I realize the chlorine is super high, is that maybe why the stabilizer isn't registering on the Taylor test? Do I need to add more CYA? Do I need any of that salt cell protector they sell? Pool guy said salt cell will need cleaning every 3 months or so, are there directions on how to do that around here?

Thanks! So glad I found this forum!
Jeremy

 

[YippeeSkippy]

It takes CYA <aka Stabilizer> aprox a week to show up in tests. Were you there when they tossed all that stuff in, or do you see a bottle around you could determine how much they poured in?
Hopefully they showed you how to backwash your filter *before* they dumped all the CYA in, otherwise it very well may be sitting on your lawn somewhere flushed immediately out. TFP recommends putting CYA into a sock to allow it to dissolve in to the water directly just to avoid such a situation). Give it a couple of days and retest. In hot Florida sun you'll want a bit more CYA than others to help protect your chlorine. Heavy Florida rains may keep your pool chemistry labile, so its important to have a good test kit and know how to use it.

If this is a brand new plaster pool, you need the pool builder to advise you on exactly what they want done so to protect your warranty. Do NOT rely on a pool store as they're not in the warranty chain but rather in a business to sell you chemicals. Are you brushing your pool as directed?

Don't assume your SWG will need cleaning "every three months" as that seems very excessive to me. I've never done mine (light use) and its fine.

 

[Jecraigvt]

Thanks YippeeSkippy. I will get in contact with the pool builder and see what they say about the CH. Pool school guy never showed me how to clean the filter, although I know how to do it from my days as a life guard. I did clean it today so maybe I just washed all the stabilizer out of the filter, oops. I will wait til Wed. (a full week) to test the CYA again and then add some if needed. I am brushing everyday, although they didn't tell me to do that until pool school, so I'm a little upset that I should have been but didn't know. I know they weren't brushing every day so I think it only got brushed once a week for the first 3 weeks. Good to know abou thte SWG cell.