First Time Pool Owner

[baundy]

Just had our pool installed last month and all of the equipment was fired up Monday. This website and the forums have already been a blessing! Looking to get some guidance.

Specs - Thursday Pools - Aspen 16'x40' (fiberglass) - 13,090 gallons (appx.)

Pentair system - CC150 filter; Superflo VST; Ultratemp Heat Pump; Intellichlor IC20 SWG

Pool company came out Monday and put in five (5) forty pound (40lb) bags of salt and showed me how to use all of the equipment. I've never been a pool owner before, so the chemistry is all new to me. I've downloaded the Pool Math app and I've ordered the TF-Pro Salt testing kit. I ordered Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, which was delivered today. However, to get a baseline, I took some water to a pool company that uses an actual spectrometer to test the water. Levels were:

Alkalinity - 95ppm
pH - 7.7
Calcium - 58ppm
Cyanuric Acid - 0ppm
Salt - 1500ppm
Free Cl - 0ppm

They instructed me to dump the other four (4) forty pound (40lb) bags of salt in the pool that I already had. They also had me purchase three (3) two pound (2lb) bags of stabilizer. Finally, they sent me home with some liquid chlorine as well, just because of the 0ppm Free Chlorine and because we're getting inundated with rain and they wanted to make sure that algea wouldn't develop. I put all of that in yesterday.

Today, my robot was delivered and I'd like to use it, but the salt and the stabilizer haven't all dissolved. It's mainly the stabilizer. What should I do? Ramp up the RPMs on my pump to circulate the water better?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks again for all of the initial help!

 

[Newdude]

I've ordered the TF-Pro Salt testing kit.

It's jam packed with value compared to the equally priced k2006C. Well done !!!

, I took some water to a pool company that uses an actual spectrometer to test the water

When calibrated they may be off +/- 25% (per them) and maybe even more some time later. We put no value on them because of it.

The CYA was 0 after the fill. I'll agree there. Do not add anything but chlorine (3 ppm a day) until the kit comes.

It sounds like you dumped the CYA granuals in the pool ? It's CYanuricAcid and you don't want it on the floor for any time. Get to brushing. Circulation takes way too long.

 

[baundy]

It's CYanuricAcid and you don't want it on the floor for any time. Get to brushing.

Ha, should've thought of this but I didn't. Thanks for the heads up. Brushed it all until it looked like it had all dissolved. We put the robot in as well, which we had been wanting to do anyway to clean up some lingering sediment from the install process. Thanks!

 

[Newdude]

should've thought of this but I didn't

It took me 5 years pre TFP to realize why I had more white dots than the night time sky on my vinyl floor. All I knew was it was 'stabilizer'. I eventually figured out that stabilizer was bad on my floor. Lol.

TFP is eye opening.

 

[baundy]

It took me 5 years pre TFP to realize why I had more white dots than the night time sky on my vinyl floor. All I knew was it was 'stabilizer'. I eventually figured out that stabilizer was bad on my floor. Lol.

TFP is eye opening.

So my TFP-Pro Salt testing kit came in today and I just took my first crack at testing my water:

Salt - 3400ppm
pH - 7.8
FC - 21ppm
CC - 1ppm
Calcium - 100
Alkalinity - 110
CYA - 60

Because of all the rain we're getting and because my chlorine level was so low, I freaked out last night and put in another bottle of liquid chlorine because I really just don't want to start off my pool ownership with algae. Obviously, I did TOO MUCH because my chlorine is now out of whack. I turned down my SWCG to the lowest "sanitizer output" level to try and help the chlorine level off. Should I turn it off completely?

The other levels seem to be inching toward where they need to be.

Finally, the rain has put our water level a good amount higher than it should be (it's to the top of the skimmer opening, rather than a little over halfway up where it's supposed to be). Should I manually expel some water or let Mother Nature evaporate it? Weather has been garbage this week, but is supposed to get really nice starting tomorrow.

I appreciate all of the help!

 

[Newdude]

Obviously, I did TOO MUCH because my chlorine is now out of whack

One gallon of 10% gets about 7.5 ppm for you.

With your 60 CYA, you're safe up to 40% which is 24 FC. You're fine. Have a beverage.

All levels on this chart are equal for sanitizing and safe from min to SLAM.

Should I manually expel some water or let Mother Nature evaporate it?

Mother Nature will take weeks to lower you 4 inches (?). Lower it to mid skimmer level. You lose skimming at too high (or low). A little leeway is fine, correct it if it's way off.

I appreciate all of the help!

We are here around the clock and happy to help. At 3 AM you might get our Aussie friends but just WAIT until you see how smart they are. I think it's the blood flowing to the brain being upside down. But yeah. SMART.