Ok so my pool went in on Thursday. I took my water sample to the pool store and added the amount of Salt, ALK, and Stabilizier and then turn the pump on for 24hrs. Yesterday at 11am I turned the Aquatrol in to super chlorinate for 24hrs to shock the pool and bring the chlorine up. Today at 11am the super chlorinate turned off and I switched the unit to off. My pump is still running but I'm unsure what to do now. The store is closed and I remember them telling me to run my pump 8hrs a day from here on out but they never told me what setting to put the SWG on. I'm thinking it should run at 30-40% based on what I have read but I'm so confused now with all this pool stuff its not even funny.

Hey,

Start in Pool School. Relying on the pool store to balance your chemistry and keep your pool crystal clear is not what the forum teaches. We want you to rely on yourself by through understanding.

I would start with "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" in Pool School and go from there.

Using the "super-chlorinate" or shcok funtion of your SWG is very unproductive. It's tough on the longevity of your cell and seldom [produces the required results. Another article is "How to Shock Your Pool". It'll help a lot.

If your overwhelmed (and most all of us started that way) start in small steps like first having a good grasp of the function of chlorine, what makes it go away, how is it replenished, etc. Then go to pH....hjow to raise it....how to lower it....what is normal, etc.

In short, take very small bites and chew thoroughly.....it makes it easier to digest the entire meal.

What he said...seriously... having your own test kit is what makes being able to apply the principles in pool school possible.

You shouldn't need to superchlorinate with your SWG...that's a job for liquid chlorine...by running the SWG on superchlorinate for extended periods of time, you are just shortening the cell life.

A good kit is a very worthwhile investment and will free you from the pool store.

I will be buying my own test kit this week however in the mean time I was doing what I was told by the pool installer/dealer. I understand your trying to be helpful by telling me to read " Pool School " BUT I have and I am new to this so it also means that I need help besides what pool school is telling me. I have read " Pool School " over and over again since yesterday I think I am getting it however since this is all new to me I am still confused a bit.

I was told to super chlorinate to bring the chlorine levels up to par by the store. I don't plan on doing it again unless absolutely needed.

I posted asking what I needed to start my SWG on now that my chlorine levels are good. I posted asking for more info on what % the aquatrol is to be set at to produce during the 8hr period that my pump is running.

Not to said nasty or anything BUT all I get is " Read Pool School and get a good test kit " I have read pool school and I plan on getting the kit BUT in the mean time I would like some help.

Can you tell I tired and this pool is stressing me out already??? Sorry if I'm coming across rude or ungreatful for the help that has been given.

Every pool in every area in every yard is different so unfortunately we can't tell you what to set it at. The best way to do it is this, add the cya you decided you want (pool school has info on this) hotter areas generally want a little more, cooler a little less. Next add liquid chlorine (bleach ), now your pool is where you want it set your swg at 50%, at the same time tomorrow test your water again, did it go up or down? Take a guess and adjust it and test the next day. You'll get a feel for your pool in no time.

I run my pump 12 hours a day at 18% and my FC stays at 5-6 with my aquatrol. Try 25% for 8 hrs. Its better to start high though and dial it back so you do not get below 3 FC. We had a bunch of swimmers the other night so I used superchlorinator while everyone swam. I love my aquatrol.

Good luck

Do not assume that what works for someone else will work for you. The only reliable way to determine the correct percentage for your SWG is to test the FC level and adjust the percentage until the FC level is correct. If you have no ideal what to set it to, it is much better to set the percentage too high than too low.

You really need a full set of water test results. If you don't have your test kit yet you should get the pool store to test your water. Without some idea of what the current levels are you aren't going to be able to make much progress.

THANK YOU so much for the info and help. I got some a good idea of a starting point.

We don't mean to come across as rude either. We know that if we tell you to set your unit at 30% for 8 hours a day. That's just a stab in the dark. What you need to know is why you set it there and what to do if that's not right. That's what Pool School is for. A good test kit lets you make your own measurements and adjust accordingly.

Another reason no one wanted to give you a number is that you haven't provided a set of test results. Without those we have no idea what your levels are, and just the CYA level will have a big impact on how high you have to run your SWCG.

You did good by continuing to ask questions and hopefully you've gotten a place to start, but don't stop there. Read Pool School, get a good test kit and take control of your pool.

P.S. Please post a full set of test results when you can.

Likewise...the 1st article in pool school addresses what we need to know to help you. Without a full set of test results and asking for advice is like calling the dr's office and saying I don't feel good, can you tell me what's wrong?

Here is the article...specifically the section that addresses asking for help

pool-school/read_before_you_post

I've got a set up like yours and live in hot humid southeast Texas almost directly west of where you live.
I've been running ours 14hrs.@ 50% most of the summer. I run a little high on chlorine because I've gotten algea in the pool a little to often trying to run @ 3-5 ppm chlorine. If I were you I'd try and get a full set of #'s from the pool store and focus on getting your water balanced. Two jugs of bleach should bring you up to a safe chlorine level, if your at 0 ppm. I have my own test kit and used to test every day till I got a handle on adjusting the swg. If the ppm drops off or the pool gets cloudy use bleach to get it back up or to shock, the swg can't handle the load.
Like everyone else said read pool school, get your own test kit, balance the water and you should be good to go.