SWG Water Chemistry...What do I really need?

[Benttt]

I just installed Aqua Rite SWG and took my sample to "pool store" and they tried (as they always do) to sell me calcium hardness additive. The manual says 200-400 is in range which I thought I read somewhere on this site that's not necessary with a vinyl liner. They also gave me some hoo haa on Phosphates. Hope someone can help.

Anyway here's my readings:
TC - 1.5
pH - 7.6
Hardness - 150
Alkalinity - 90
CYA - 40
Salt - 3400

I just added 4lbs of CYA today since I need to get to at least a target of 80. Manual recommends 80-120 which seems high. I read too high CYA hinders Chlorine's killing power.....

Do I need to add 10 lbs of Alkalinity up, 15 lbs of Calcium, and keep the stablizer cranking?

 

[ideliver]

Your other numbers look fine...just some chlorine is needed...a little bleach will get you started while your SWG comes online

 

[Butterfly]

Hi,

You do not need any Alk Up from the pool store nor calcium increaser. 80 CYA sounds perfect.

Here's the link from Pool School for Water Balance Tips for SWGs

Hope this helps.

 

[ballparkmom]

I guess it might depend on where you get your water from, but last year opening a new pool I only had to put Borax & CYA to mine. I think I added a bottle or two of chlorine just to give it a boost until my SWG got in full swing and I could figure out which setting it needed to be placed on. But I can honestly say mine was very trouble free. I got a timer for my SWG & pump and other than testing I never had to fool around with a bunch of other mess. I had heard so many horror stories and how hard it was to maintain a pool. My personal opinion is that the less "stuff" you can put into your pool.....probably the better off you are.....that way you aren't continuously guessing which thing is bumping what numbers. I wish you luck with your new SWG.

 

[no-mas]

Do I need to add 10 lbs of Alkalinity up...?

NO!

Lowering my TA was the best thing I've done in helping limit maintenance doses of acid to my pool. Also, for whatever reason the pool stores invariably find my TA at 20-30. I consistently test it at 70-80. You may wish to invest in a good kit and test yourself. I still sometimes let my pool store test my water, but I ALWAYS test myself before I add anything to my pool... after all, nobody knows my water better than I.

 

[Benttt]

Thanks everyone for saving me about $60!!
B

 

[Butterfly]

Thanks everyone for saving me about $60!!
B

What test kit are you using? If you really want to save money and time, get a good test kit like the TF100. My fav. More bang for the buck and the seller (duraleigh) is always around to help.

With the kit, you will be in control of your pool and not the pool store. With the proper kit in hand, you should surely have a trouble free pool! :-D

 

[Benttt]

I use strips and it usually reflects the PS results except for low CYA...anything below 30 doesn't seem to register on the strips.
Do the really good test kits use the same color code type measures? I find it hard to read those. I had a kit that had me add drops to a glass things and I couldn't tell the shades.
Anyway, back to the salt, why would the strips say 5500 PPM and the AWG read 4400 PPM? That's a huge difference. Since the thing has been running for two days, which is more accurate? Based on comments on this thread, the lower is the more accurate....so should I throw out the test strips and rely on display?
B

 

[JasonLion]

In this particular situation, it doesn't really matter which salt measurement is correct. All that really matters it that the SWG be happy and produce chlorine. The salt level will come down over time, and eventually, probably next season, you will need to add more salt. None of the other details about which is more accurate in most situaitons and which is probably more accurate in this specific situation really matter.

 

[Benttt]

Thanks Jason...most helpful!

 

[PaulR]

Do the really good test kits use the same color code type measures? I find it hard to read those. I had a kit that had me add drops to a glass things and I couldn't tell the shades.

Depends on the test. Pretty much every pH test works that way. There's a quickie chlorine test that turns yellow, that's color-matching too. But in most of the tests, you put one kind of stuff in the sample, then you add drops of another kind until something happens, and the test measurement is the number of drops you added. Counting drops is lots easier than color-matching.
--paulr