Learning from my Mistakes!

[YippeeSkippy]

Pool finished in November but we didn't know to check the water before now. I hope in the interim no damage was done? Did our first test a week ago and the initial readings (per pool store, but I just ordered our own test kit last night):
Free Avail Chlorine-3.31
Total Chlorine-3.31
Combined Chlorine-0
Total Alkalinity-0
pH-8
Calcium Hardness-70
Cyanuric Acid- 8
Copper-0.1
Iron-0
Total Dissolved Solids-1005
Saturated Index- -2.4

So we were told to add: 25 pounds Alkalinity (1/2 one day, 1/2 another day)
1.5 pounds pH Down
25 pounds Calcium Hardness (1/2 one day, 1/2 another day; Not same day as Alkalinity)
4 pounds Cyanuric Acid
Because I was adding so many chemicals, I assumed that running the pump around the clock would be a good thing to help mix this soup up. Who knew (not me!) that the SWCG would also be kicking out chlorine. It was running at 30%, by the way.

So, after adding all this over a few days time we now have what looks to be bits of white precipitate (salt, I think) floating on the bottom of the pool but thankfully easy to vacuum up (another new skill I'm perfecting, yay me!) and today's pool store water test says:
Free Avail Chlorine-15.14 (holy cow!)
Total Chlorine-15.14
Combined Chlorine-0
Total Alkalinity-261 (pool guy says "I told you to put in too much")
pH-7.8
Calcium Hardness-259
Cyanuric Acid- 10 (pool guy says "I should have told you to put in 6 pounds, so add 2 more")
Copper-0
Iron-0
Total Dissolved Solids-1100
Saturated Index- 0.5

So he says to put 2 more pounds of cyanuric acid in, which I've not done yet, turn the SWCG down to 20% (to run 12 min per hour, he says) and to stay out of the pool until the chlorine is down. I've got the cover retracted to allow the sun to help burn off some of this chlorine so I wonder if besides running the SWCG too much, does having a cover on require me to change how I add chemicals? Also what does the "Total Dissolved Solids" and "Saturated Index" mean?
Any input here or suggestions? Thank you in advance!

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum. :lol: Well, I don't think you are too bad but you will be better served when you get your kit and can do your own testing.

Pool store testing can be pretty good or it can be horrific. I would suggest you not do anything other than run the pump until your kit arrives and then post your own numbers.

How does your water look?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Okie dokie! Kit arrived this AM and my results weren't that far off from the pool stores results. My results are:

FC-16
CC-1
TC-17
pH-7.8
T/A-300
CH-330
CYA-40
Temp 76
NaCl-3200

I'm talking to my husband about making a homemade pool fountain/aeration device to help drop the alkalinity, and I need help figuring out why my chlorine is staying so dang high. It was 91 degrees here today and I wanna swim soooooo bad!! I've got a sock with about 2 pounds of CYA in the skimmer also.

Any input is *more* than welcome and very much appreciated.

 

[linen]

How does your water look? CC of >0.5 ppm usually indicates a need to do the "shocking process". Maybe you should do an Overnight Chlorine Loss test (OCLT). See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/overnight_fc_test You will need to test after sun is off the pool tonight and before the sun hits tomorrow. At the same time measure CC again. Make sure the swg is off.

 

[Bama Rambler]

On the CC test, is that one ppm or did it take 1 drop to clear? Were you using a Speedstir and if so, was the light on?

What percentage is the SWCG on and how long per day are you running it?