New (to me) pool. Help with balancing?

[sunsoaker]

Hi! I'm new. My DH and I have bought a house that came with a pool. We have been working to get this pool in good condition since we moved in three weeks ago. This has included installing a SWG and repairing the filter head which leaked. I have posted in the introduction forum, but thought I should l post this here. We are to the point where we just need to fine tune the water balance. I am posting the numbers received from the Ace Hardare test, and could use any help offered.

Free Chlorine - 2.4 ppm
Total Chlorine - 2.9 ppm
Combined Chlorine 0.5
pH - 7.7
Hardness - 20 ppm
Alkalinity (w/stabilizer correction) - 61 ppm
Cyanuric Acid - 30 ppm
Copper - 0.2 ppm
Iron - 0.0 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids - Not run.

Salt level per AquaRite - 2800

Here's what I have in the garage (inherited from previous owners). An entire unopned box of Alkalinity Plus, and pH decreaser. There is also some shock in there, but not enough, and some algaecide which I don't need. The water is perfectly clear. All Chemicals are AqualChem brand.

Pool is approx. 27K gal, vinyl with sand filter and Aquarite SWG. Running pump 3 hrs. in afternoon and 5 hrs. at night. SWG set at 4%. Pump is a 1.5 hp Centurion B129 (looks really old and will need replacing at some point, the bearings are loud).

The leak in the filter head has been repaired and is no longer leaking (so far...).

Here's my questions.

Need to address the alkilinity first? The box of Alkilinity Plus say to raise by 30 ppm to use 13 lbs in a 30K pool. My box is 12 lbs. Do I just put the whole box in? How long to wait after adding this before addressing the pH?

The PH decreaser says to add 6oz for 10K or 18 oz for 30K to bring down. How much would I use for a 27K pool?

Do I need to shock before addressing either one of these?

Am I remembering what I've read here correctly in that I don't need to worry about the hardness in a vinyl pool. The book for the AquaRite says I should 200 - 400 ppm. Should I add calcium?

As I haven't enough shock or bleach, can I use the superchlorinate on the AquaRite to address the CCs? How long does it normally take the pool to get back to normal so we can swim after shocking? If I decide (most likely will) to get bleach, how many gallons do I need to get?

Does the CYA need to be brought up some since it is at the bottom of the acceptable range?

The questions may seem dumb, but I am a total dummy when it comes to math, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. (I sure am full of questions).

 

[JasonLion]

All of those numbers are acceptable, not perfect, but good enough to take your time with any changes. As a general rule, except when shocking take your time with chemical additions. Use less than you think you really need and see where that gets you.

The PH will tend to drift up slowly all the time. You will need to lower it regularly. I would try two cups of PH down and see where that gets you. In the long run you should think about using muriatic acid. It is more difficult to handle but doesn't add anything you don't want. PH down will work also if you aren't comfortable with muriatic acid.

We prefer it if you post the uncorrected TA numbers, not a big deal though. I suggest aiming for an uncorrected TA of 80. You are fairly close to that now, so only add a little of the alkalinity increaser, perhaps two pounds to start and see where that gets you.

I don't see any reason to shock. CC of 0.5 or lower is not a problem. The SWG and sunlight should take care of it over time. It is a good idea to keep some bleach on hand in case you need to shock in the future. The SWG can do it but will take far longer to reach the desired level, which is not the best thing. When you are shocking you want the FC level to shot up quickly.

The standard recommendation for CYA in a SWG pool is 60-80. Check your manual to see if your manufacturer suggests something else. I would bring it up to at least 50. Just remember that it is far easier to raise than to lower CYA and it takes up to a week to disolve so take your time with any additions.

Good Luck!