Newbie needs HELP!!

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sherron100

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Jun 27, 2011
15
Tomorrow makes two weeks that I have had my pool. I have an Intex ultra rectangle pool. 8500 gallons. I upgraded my pump to the 4000 gal per hour. I also have a salt water generator. Except for the salt the only thing that I have added to the pool is Cyanuric Acid (4 pounds total on two different days). I got up this morning and the sides of the pool felt a little slimy. I am new to the whole chemistry part. I tested the water this morning but, wanted another opinion. I went to Leslie pool's and this is what they got.

0 FC
0 TC
7.6 PH
140 TA
40 CA
250 CH
3300 Salt
200 Phosphates

This is what they want me to do:

Put in new filter
Add 16 oz of Chlor Brite
Add 14 oz of Algae Control
Wait 12 hours, then vacuum pool
Change filter again
Add 1/2 bag of salt
Run salt generator for 24 hours, and then turn it down to 8 hours
Add 48 oz of water conditioner
Wait 4 hours
Add 26 oz of phos free
Every week add two caps of phos free

This seemed like a lot of stuff. Does this seem right? I bought everything and it came to $133.00. Thought it was high but, I am new at this. Thank you for any help.
 
I'm assuming you didn't add any chlorine at all other than the SWG? Use the pool calculator to see what level of CYA adding 4 lbs. did to your 8500 gallons. You want between 60 and 80 depending on the SWG. Then add enough plain old bleach to bring it to the target level for FC using the chlorine/CYA chart in pool school. I'd put a gallon or two in it real quick myself! You may already need to go thru the shock process though. See pool school. Use the SWG to maintain your FC levels by pump run times. Then brush the pool and hope you get lucky for no algae or slime. Welcome! (Feel free to return all that stuff you bought!) Kept a receipt I hope. People clean their cartridge filters and use them long as they can. Please consider ordering one of the tests kits this site recommends. Best pool money you'll ever spend.
 
Thanks woodyp. Really, thanks a lot.

I didn't have any bleach so I went ahead and put in the chlor brite from Leslie's pool. Better than nothing until I can go to the store tomorrow. I tested the water about an hour after I added it and my FC was 7.5 and TC was .5. Should I do anything else? When should I retest?
 
Phosphates are irrelevant. You should also return everything you can to the pool store except the conditioner (CYA). You don't need it.

Your pool needed chlorine and very probably still needs more than your SWG is currently producing.

If the walls are slimy, you have algae and need to shock the pool.

Please read exactly what it means to shock your pool in Pool School and follow those directions. The slime will go away and the swg will be able to keep chlorine in the pool once you complete the shock process.
 
What they said.. you can clean it up w/o all that expense and unnecessary product. Read through the entire pool school and the "how to shock" section. It is loaded w/lots of great information. Questions after that.. just ask. Plenty of caring people around here that help!

Also helps to have your pool specs in your siggy line :)
 
I just read the section on "how to shock". I have a question about that. My pool tested this morning at FC 7 and CC .5. My question is, should I bring the FC level up to the "shock FC". My CYA yesterday was 40. The chart for SWG doesn't have 40. Should I bring that up at the same time to like 70 and then bring the Shock FClevel to 28? Not sure what I should do. Also will the pool be safe to swim in today? Even if I bring up the shock level to 28?? Ok, just one more question does the CC matter?
 
sherron100 said:
I just read the section on "how to shock". I have a question about that. My pool tested this morning at FC 7 and CC .5. My question is, should I bring the FC level up to the "shock FC". My CYA yesterday was 40. The chart for SWG doesn't have 40. Should I bring that up at the same time to like 70 and then bring the Shock FClevel to 28? Not sure what I should do. Also will the pool be safe to swim in today? Even if I bring up the shock level to 28?? Ok, just one more question does the CC matter?
Click to expand...
Do not add more CYA now and use the shock value for current CYA of 40, which is about FC 15.

It cost less and is easier to shock with a lower CYA value. Takes less bleach $$ to reach shock level and you have fewer jugs to carry :wink:

Once you are completely done shocking (see red lines in my sig), you can increase your CYA levels to the recommended of 60 to 80. And yes, CC matters.

We don't recommend swimming at shock level or above. But, if FC drops below 15 today & water is clear, you should be okay to swim.
 
Butterfly,

Last night I shocked my SWG pool. I started out with 0 FC. After an hour I retested it and it was 7.5. This morning I tested it and it was 7. The water is clear, I only lost .5 overnight and my CC this morning is .5. My question is, should I go ahead and bring the FC up to 15 even tho the water looks good?
 
sherron100 said:
Butterfly,

Last night I shocked my SWG pool. I started out with 0 FC. After an hour I retested it and it was 7.5. This morning I tested and it was 7. The water is clear, I only lost .5 overnight and my CC this morning is .5. My question is, should I go ahead and bring the FC up to 15 even tho the water looks good?
Click to expand...
If you had your SWG running last night, then the overnight test is inaccurate, and you should continue to shock.

If the SWG was OFF, then it appears that you passed the OCLT and have .5 CC. Is your water clear?
 

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sherron100 said:
The water is very clear and I did run the SWG all night and it is still running.
Click to expand...
Well, the overnight test has to be done with the SWG OFF.

I suggest you increase your FC levels today w/bleach to just below shock level and swim and have a good time and leave the SWG running. Keep a check on the FC level thruout the day.

Then tonight, shock and turn off the SWG and do the OCLT. Hopefully you will pass with flying colors :)
 
Well, I tested this morning but, it was at 9. Didn't read the OCLT till just before testing. Oh Well. My FC was 11. Water was very clear. Should I keep shocking today and bring it up to 15 again tonight? Thank you so much Butterfly for your help. I would have been lost.
 
Yes, you need to stay in Shock mode until you don't lose more than 1ppm FC overnight. The SWG must be off so that you know exactly how much FC you have lost. With the SWG running, it is adding more FC through the night and that will throw off your numbers. If you are losing FC overnight, it means organics are eating it, as the sun has now been taken out of the equation. If an algae blooms is trying to take hold, backing off even a little can give it the opportunity to do so.
 

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