Help with new pool start up procedures

[afreil]

Can some of you pool-knowledgeable folks please walk me through the steps I need to take in opening my new pool?
The pool was installed this past Monday. It is now filled with water halfway up the skimmer. I purchased a 12 ga. extension cord to run the pump until the electrician comes next week to install an outlet.

What do I need to do to properly start the pump and filter? (The pump manual talks about "opening air bleeders", "suction and discharge valving", and other things I've never heard of before, as if I should know what all that is!)
When do I put the salt in? When do I test the water?

Thank you. thank you. thank you.

 

[Richard320]

You have sand in the filter, correct? The manual for your filter shows a multiport valve. It has directions for initial startup. If there are shutoff valves on the lines between the pump/filter and the pool, they'll need to be open. Then just follow the sequence in the manual. You shouldn't need to bleed air out of that filter since the outlet is on top.

Once the sand has been rinsed and water is circulating with the multiport valve set to "Filter", take your test readings and add chemicals as outlined in Pool School.

Personally, I'd dose it with bleach until I had the chemistry dialed in, then add the salt. It's just one less variable to mess with initially. And here's an idea to make it fun. Check out Crek31's post in this thread.

 

[afreil]

Ah! Finally got the pump & filter going. How many hours a day should the filter run?
Now on to testing the water and figuring out the chemicals. One step at a time. My stress is beginning to subside.

 

[Richard320]

Ah! Finally got the pump & filter going. How many hours a day should the filter run?
Now on to testing the water and figuring out the chemicals. One step at a time. My stress is beginning to subside.

pool-school/pump_run_time

Let http://www.poolcalculator.com do the math for you. Be sure to enter the correct gallonage (at the bottom there's a calculation panel) and select the surface finish and the chlorine source.