Closing pool with SWG, do I need salt & CYA no

[cbosterhus]

Went to the pool store 10 days ago with a water sample, and walked out with over $300 in chemicals. On advice from the previous homeowner, we used Mineral Springs Beginnings when we opened in June (that's when we bought the house) and it was $$$$ costly to get the pool clear. Now that I've discovered this forum, I'm hoping to move forward smart and not overspend on chemicals.

My numbers on Oct 20 (pool store test) were:

CYA 47
TC 0.3
FC 0
pH 8.1
TA 95
CH 289
minerals 2500 the printout recommended 139 lbs of Beginnings but the salesperson said skip that for now
borates 19

Today I cleaned the leaves, added 5 1-lb bags of their Burnout 35 and 1 gal of muriatic acid from Lowes, and 1 hr later I measured with my TF-100:

FC 0.5
TC 0.5
pH 7.5
TA 100
CYA 0
salt <380
borate 50

I have some chlorine tabs on hand from the previous owner (no idea how old they are), and they should have some stabilizer in them. What do you recommend for CYA and mineral levels before closing?

I turned off my SWG last week because of the reduced mineral levels; LCD display says 2200. But I'm confused as to why I'm measuring such a low number (<380) for salt (I used the AquaChek strip that I ordered along with my TF-100 kit). Pool Math says I'll have to add 600+ lbs salt to get back to the right level (pool store printout said 3000 was ideal for minerals). If their mineral test is measuring the same thing as my salt strip, I'm really confused; maybe it's not?

Thanks for your help!

C

 

[Catanzaro]

Someone else will chime in on the Salt and SWG. Pool Store testing and methods are not compatible with the TFP way. As you can see, there was a total of $300 in chemicals that you spent in one visit. I have spent the same amount over 5 months, although my pool is slightly smaller. If you are closing your pool, the water should be balanced prior to closing. You can still balance your water with the SWG shut off if you believe something is wrong. What exactly is Burnout 35? Sounds like maybe an algaecide.

 

[cbosterhus]

Someone else will chime in on the Salt and SWG. ... What exactly is Burnout 35? Sounds like maybe an algaecide.

Burnout 35 is a quick-dissolve shock made by BioGuard.

 

[Texas Splash]

I would agree with Catanzaro .. balance your water before closing. You also seem to be stuck between pool care methods, placing additional value on minerals and using pool store products that are not really needed. THIS is all you need. Based on your latest TF-100 test results, you should:
FC 0.5 - Increase right away to about 3 ppm (I would go higher, but you have no CYA yet)
TC 0.5 - No problem
pH 7.5 - Good
TA 100 - Fine for now as long as it doesn't make the pH rise a lot
CYA 0 - You need a minimum of 30 ppm. Use granular stabilizer via the sock/soaking method to bring that up to 30ppm. Once it's in there, you can start increasing FC to about 5ppm
salt <380 - Low yes, if tested properly; if water temp is dropping in your area, you may not need the SWG for a while anyways
borate 50 - No worries

For now, just rely on regular bleach (generic is fine) to maintain your FC if you can't get your SWG dialed-in properly. Follow the instructions on the Pool School - Closing an In Ground Pool and you will do fine. Let us know if you still have any questions.