Newbie here...First tests with K2006

[Fieldsdj]

Ok, so I've been adding a 121oz jug of 8.25% bleach everyday and running the pump consistently on low speed while I've been waiting on my Taylor K-2006 to arrive. It came in today so after the kiddos got out of the pool I ran my tests. I put a jug of bleach in this morning before work, that was the last time anything has been added.

Here are my numbers (I have no idea if I did this right)

FC=.5ppm
pH=8.0
TA=180ppm
CH=20ppm
CYA=0

I plugged these into the pool calculator and I think it's telling me to add:

1) 2 quarts/3 cups of 8.25% bleach
2) 40oz of 31.45% muriatic acid
3) 38lbs of calcium chloride (I have a vinyl AG so do I really need to worry about this? Are there any benefits?)
4) 5lbs 11oz of stabilizer (I purchased Aqua Chem from Lowes. I keep reading about putting this in a sock or something and hanging it in front of the return...can it just be dissolved in a 5 gallon bucket and added all at once?)

If this is correct, should I add all of this at once or do I need to break it up somehow?

I'm also leaving for a two week vacation this Saturday morning. The timing sucks but it's been planned for awhile. What can I do to prevent having a nasty pool when I come home mid July?

Thank you so much for answering my questions. I can't wait to get the hang of this and become self-sufficient!!

 

[Abigail K]

In future, please post related questions in the same thread as it allows us to see the history - you have another thread here.

You have a relatively fresh fill - was it municipal water?

For all additions, wait for half hour between each other (except stabiliser - it takes time to dissolve) and leave pump running for at least half hour after addition to allow everything to mix.

Add bleach and muriatic acid in that order.
For muriatic acid, be sure to test pH after the water has been allowed to mix - pH 8 is the max reported by the test and it might be higher.

No benefits of calcium chloride in AG pool.

Stabiliser does not dissolve significantly in a bucket of water thus the recommendation of adding with a sock. 24 hours after adding stabiliser assume it is at your target and dose FC accordingly.

As for the vacation, I have a general idea of what most members do, but being that you've recently gotten your pool, certain recommendations might be different for you - I'll let someone else answer the question.

 

[Fieldsdj]

Sorry about that. I was going to post in the first thread but then I thought it would be better to post in the water testing thread. I know now so won't happen again.

It is a fresh fill, it's been 4 days and yes it was municipal water. I went ahead and added the bleach and muriatic acid and I'll test again first thing in the morning to see what my results are.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Fieldsdj]

Ok, so I tested this morning and my results were:

FC=1.8
pH=7.5
TA=160

I'm planning on adding more muriatic acid to get the pH level to about 7.2 which will in turn lower my TA (shooting for 100). Is that correct? I put my CYA in a sock and it's in the pool now hanging in front of my return. I added about 40oz of bleach after this test to try and get the FC to 3.

I think I'm on the right track. I'm still not sure what to do about being gone for two weeks. Any tips? Thanks.

 

[duraleigh]

A pool unattendeed for two weeks is gonna' be troublesome. You can put in some tri-chlor floaters, run the pump for a few hours each day and keep your fingers cross but that is generally a bit too long to go without some maintenance.

If your pool is green when you get back, we can help you get it back to clear but it will use a lot of chlorine.

 

[SwimAustin]

If you are going to use tri-chlor floaters while on vacation, then don't add the acid, because tri-chlor is acidic.

 

[Fieldsdj]

Dang, I was afraid of that. I don't have a timer so the pump will be on the entire time; hope that's ok. I already added the acid...now what. I hate to get this thing all perfect and then come back to a headache. What if I could have someone dump in a half jug of bleach every other day? I may have to do some balancing when I get back but that should at least prevent having a swamp, right?

 

[Fieldsdj]

So, back from vacation and everything tested great. I used a tri-chlore floater all in one jug from Wal-Mart and it worked great. Here are the test results after being away for 10 days.

FC=5ppm
CC=.5ppm
pH=7.5
TA=160
CYA=42

The water level was a little low so I had to add and the pool needed a good vacuum but other than that it was good. Thanks for all the help getting my new pool up and going.