Chemical Balance Help

[Dawnmarieh]

Hi Everyone,
So I just bought an 15x48" above ground pool with a SWG. Here is what I have done so far:

I filled it up with water.
Added 100lbs of pool salt.
Turned on the regular filter that the pool came with.
24 hours later, I turned on the SWG and set it to 5 hours.
Last night, I added 1lb of cyanuric acid to the pool.
I tested the Copper and it said 0, so I started the Boost cycle at about 4 today.
I tested the other chemicals before starting the boost and just confirmed them now for writing this post-6pm (listed below):
0-FC
6.4-PH
120-TA
somewhere between the 0 and the 30-50 mark-CYA

Here is what I am confused about:

There are so many test strips. My pool/SWG came with a 3-way test kit (FC, PH, TA) and an individual strip for Copper, but I keep reading that I needed to add CYA, so I bought a 5-way test kit. If the original stuff only came with a 3-way test kit than is it good enough to just balance those 3 and swim?

THIS IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN: I have no idea how to balance my pool. What is the order of things you balance in a saltwater pool? Copper, CYA, PH, TA?

I am assuming that after the Boost system (which should be done in 40 hours I believe), the Copper might be okay and from what I have read, I think I'll need to increase the number of hours that the SWG is running so it will increase my FC. The manual said to run the SWG for 5 hours, but the test strip is reading at 0-FC.

Also, when is the best time to run the SWG. Right now it has been running from about 4pm-9pm and I have NOT turned off my regular filter yet because I wasn't going to be home today when the generator started and I wanted to make sure the filter was on first....Is the filter on too much? Is that messing up any chemical levels?

I appreciate any help! Thanks Dawn

 

[Casey]

Hey Dawn. Welcome to TFP.

You need to get rid of the copper! It's going to end up staining your pool and turning blondes and red heads green!

You will need a good test kit as the strips are so unreliable. You can check the 2 most popular kits here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison.

And a great place to start with chemicals and what's needed is here:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[jmbradwell]

First you need to get some chlorine in the pool. You can't depend on the SWG to make it all. It can keep up with daily loss, but you will kill it trying to get up to the levels you need.

How to balance your pool. In the upper right of this page is a button for Pool School. Start reading and rereading. It a lot of very good information. First time through might make your head explode, but it will begin to make sense a couple of times through.

While you are reading pool school, you need to get a good test kit ordered. The one most recommended here is the TF-100. If you can afford it, the Speed Stir is a very nice addition. Test strips tend to be inaccurate at best.

Adding your pool information to your signature would be very helpful for us especially when the thread gets long.

Ask lots of questions. There are very knowledgeable people here.