Brand New - Hoping to start right

[AmandaBL]

I've spent a good bit of time reading in the last two days as I've been setting up and now filling this pool I sort of bought on a whim and am now really excited about. I've ordered the quality test kit, I've read the applicable articles in Pool School and I checked out Pool Math. There are so many great resources here - I tried to get my signature right, let me know if I missed something haha. So before I go ahead and order a sand filter/pump and cut in a hole for a side skimmer, I figured I may want to go ahead and get help with the VERY basics of adding the first chemicals to this thing because I was unable to locate that one with searching. I have the 6 way test kit from WalMart (hth is the brand?) to get me by util the other one arrives. I have filled the pool with city water.
TC: .5-1
TA: 140
PH: 7.5
CH: 190
I have not added CYA.

So, other than obsessively scooping oak leaves out of this beauty, what do I do now?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hiya Amanda glad you found us. Your pool ought to be fairly straightforward to get started. Read this first--> ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

First off since you don't have a salt water generator, you'll be using household bleach to sanitize....right?

Add 37ounces by weight or 39 ounces by volume of granular stabilizer to get your CYA up to 40ppm. I chose 40 because you're in the hot Florida sun.

When your CYA is 40ppm, you have to keep your FC between 5-7ppm (never lower than 3ppm) so to get it to 5ppm it will take 47 ounces of plain, household 8.25% bleach.

See this-->[FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]

Then when you do your daily FC test, you'll be able to use PoolMath app (like I just did to get those numbers) to tell you how much to add to return your FC back up.. If you find your FC going to 3, take your daily dose up to 7ppm.

Don't worry about calcium, you won't need it.

Your TA will come down at any time you have to lower the pH. Right now your pH is fine.

Let me know what else I can help you with?

Yippee

 

[domct203]

Welcome!

You need to get some chlorine in there right away, like now. About 3 cups to start to get 2ppm in there.

After you add the CYA bring your FC up to 5-7ppm as recommended. (tip- put the CYA in a sock, and hang the sock in the pool, preferably in front of a return jet. Occasionally give the sock a squeeze to help it dissolve).

 

[AmandaBL]

OK Thank you! I was confused with the calculator as it says "goal not start up" or something like that, but I will get the chlorine and CYA going today as it is FINALLY filled. That took forever haha. Thanks again!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

When you use PoolMath-
1) input the gallons of your pool at top left

2) Go down to the bottom and input that you want to follow : troublefreepool.com, your pool surface, and how you chlorinate

3) Go back up to the top and enter your current test results in to the far left column, then you put your goals into the right side column and it will tell you how much of each chemical (or water drain) to use/do.

4)Since you also told the app your pool surface and such, it will suggest a range of normal levels inside the columns. Just look for that for guidance at first.

Yippee