My first water test - guidance please

[F500]

I received my TF Kit; fantastic kit!

My SWG and pumps have been running since the pool was installed towards the end of November. I hadn't tested till now because there was still debris in the pool and it took a while for the deck to be poured and the pool final vac.

Anyway, you can see the equip list in my sig. The SWG is set at 40% output and runs 8 hours per day. Today's water temp was 60 degrees F, and here are the numbers:

FC 14
CC 1
TC 15
Ph 7.7
T/A 140
CH 100
CYA 42
Salt 3155

I know the CYA is low for a SWG, and my unit calls for 4000 salt.

What changes would the experts recommend given it is cold water and no activity?

 

[JasonLion]

Your FC is much too high. I would turn the percentage down substantially and aim for a FC level of 4 or 5. You could start by turning it down to 10%, give it several days to stabilize, and then adjust from there. Remember that when the CYA level comes up you will be able to turn it down some more.

You don't want CC to be over 0.5. However it is fairly common for new test kit owners to read slightly higher CC than there really is. The trick is to make sure you get the sample all the way to clear when testing FC. Often it will change from dark pink to a nearly transparent pink and you might think you are done. The rule is that is adding one more drop changes the color at all then that drop counts. If you add a drop and the color doesn't change then that drop counts against CC. If you miss a drop on FC then it will appear to be CC. Wait till you have done a couple of tests and are confident about the color change before worrying about the CC.

Your TA is too high. Since you have a vinyl liner and the CH level is reasonable there is no need to take any action to adjust this. The natural operation of the SWG will bring the TA down over time. You will need to keep an eye on your PH however, since the high TA will tend to drive the PH up over time.

CYA should be between 60 and 80. Remember that it is difficult to lower CYA, so take it slow and make sure you don't overshoot. Also, remember that it can take up to a week for CYA to dissolve, so wait a week after any addition before retesting.