Help! PB added too much salt, now chemistry is off

[Pisces]

Solar salt was added for the first time to my new pool for the Intellichlor on Saturday. We let the PB add it for "warranty" reasons. No testing of water prior to adding salt. Small pool (7000 gal. total). I tested the water yesterday with AquaChek strips, after 24 hours - pump ran about 12 hrs and I brushed. Salt was at 4240. I *guess* I could have left it at that, but wanted to start with better salt levels. We drained around 8 inches of water each time and refilled twice yesterday. Today the level is 3310.

The other values were doing well (I test and log FC and pH daily, others weekly with TFP kit), and it was going to be easy to adjust things a little to get the chemistry right for my SWG. Now they're back out of line, except for pH.

Numbers last week before salt:

FC: 5.5 - 8 (add 6% bleach to get back to 7.5-8 per Pool Calculator)
CC: 0 - .5
pH: 7.6 (I keep it here by adding MA when it drifts upward)
TA: 130 (my fill water TA is 150 - have an autofill also)
CH: 250
CYA: 70
Temp: 62-72

Tests numbers today:

FC: 3
CC: 0
pH: 7.5 (today my fill water was 7.4)
TA: 120
CH: 230
CYA: 40
Salt: 3310
Temp: 66

OK...need help adjusting this back to good without making my head explode by plowing back through a million posts.. lol. :grrrr: I have Cal-hypo 73% and Stabilizer (99% CYA). I've been using regular 6% bleach until I can use the SWG (the cell is at 0% for now). Since my CYA is 40, until I increase it back to 70 to 80 (I was going to raise it to 80 for my SWG) do I shoot for FC of 5 this week with the Cal-hypo to gradually raise the CH, or use another form of calcum in this case and continue with regular bleach? I know the ranges for CH...would you recommend around 300 for SWG and PebbleSheen?

Would you recommend putting the CYA in a sock or stocking in the skimmer to let it dissolve this week? My PB said to not put any chemicals in the skimmer at all - so could I dissolve it in a bucket of pool water and add it that way? I can get the amount from the Pool Calculator to get back to 70, and then 80 later.

TA may be a tough one, but I can try to lower it with MA and aeration later. Worth it or no?

Finally, do I keep the salt level at 3310 right now? It's supposed to rain early tomorrow. Many thanks in advance. Couldn't do this without you guys on TFP!!

 

[duraleigh]

Hey, Pisces,

Would you recommend putting the CYA in a sock or stocking in the skimmer to let it dissolve this week?

Yeah, in your case, I would. If it was a sand filter I would say put it directly in the skimmer but with a new DE and the possibility of having to make some more adjustments, I think the sock in the skimmer is not a bad approach. It won't dissolve well in a bucket so I would nix that idea.

Your water doesn't seem bad at all. If PB hadn't gotten so generous with the salt, you would've had a great start up. I think you still will.

Cal Hypo is an excellent way to bring up your CH. I'd use it and I think 300 is an ideal target.

Just to keep things reasonably simple, I would ignote your TA for now and get your pool water nice, stable, and balanced. Then, while your havin' a few cool ones, you can tackle the TA issue and bring it on down to around 80 or so. I think it's difficult to adjust TA when you've got other things going on.

 

[Pisces]

Thank you, Dave! Wow...what would I have done without your test kit?!! That thing ROCKS!! Overall, my PB has been great..I think they just aren't used to such a small volume pool. Most of their pools are ginormous! I'll use the Cal-Hypo for the next couple weeks and do the CYA in a sock thing. Many thanks! I just hated having my nice little numbers messed with...but it'll be a good learning experience to re-adjust everything this week. 8)