Please tell me if I am on the correct path....

[primetime]

I spent a lot of time on the site and I THINK I am on the right path but I would like some confirmation from you guys.

My pool has been open for one month. Here are my readings (Hopefully I got these right. I just received the TF100 test kit today. Prior to that I was using a smaller Taylor kit my PB gave me.)

FC = 2.0
CC = 0
TA = 130
PH = 7.8 (my best guess because 7.6, 7.8 and 8.0 all look pretty much alike to me.)
CH = 300
CYA = 40
Borates = ??? ( I did not add any so I guess 0 )
Phosphates = 500 (I am not testing for these. This was from my PB on Saturday when I took my water into them for testing)

Here is my plan that I would like your opinion on:
1) Use muriatic acid to lower PH and TA. Aerate to increase PH. Keep at it until I get TA = 90 and PH = 7.8
2) Add stabilizer until I get CYA = 70 (Can I add this while I am also lowering my TA? Or does this need to happen first?)
3) Increase SWG so that FC = 5
4) After I get 1, 2, and 3 finished, add Borates to 50.
5) I do not fully understand the phosphates. According to my PB this is the food of Algae so besides the FC, I should lower this to zero via a product he has called PhosFree. That way the Algae will not even have a food source. What is the Trouble Free Pool recommendation for Phosphates?

Are my target numbers correct? Is my plan in accordance with what I think I read on the site?

I feel like I am getting close so thanks for all your help.

By the way, I think my water looks and feels great now; so I am curious to see if it gets even better once I finish the above steps.

 

[duraleigh]

Hey, primetime,

1. Make your first priority to get your FC up.....around 3-5ppm.....never below 3. Low FC causes far more issues than TA. Make FC the primary focus of your pool water care.

2. I would leave the TA alone for a while. You may want to fine tune it later but you are in an acceptable range. I would keep the pH down around 7.5 on average (which will lower TA )

3. Phosphates.....disregard them. They are essentially irrelevant unless you have a pool store and want to sell phosfree.

Basically, I am saying that your plan is fine. I want to make sure you put chlorine in the proper priority.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Ditto - what he said

 

[primetime]

Thanks guys for the advice on FC. Should I add bleach or just wait for the SWG to increase the FC? I am new to pools so I do not know how long it will take the SWG to get the FC up to 5.

If I understand correctly, if my FC is always at 5 them I do not need to worry about phosphates?

Will the borates help a SW pool? Can I start to add them now and slowly build up to 50?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Correct, maintain your FC and phosphates won't matter.

I would add bleach to raise it, then the SWG should be able to maintain it.

Lots of users report postive benefits of borates. I would wait a while, get to know your pool, and when you are feeling confident, then add them.