Another newbie, SWG start up/ order to add chemicals question

[tasilva]

Good afternoon,

I have a 14'x42" above ground pool that is only filled to 30 inches (due to small children), approx 2900 gallons. I have an intex cartridge filter that pumps 1000gph connected to the intex SWG and all appears fine on the readout from the SWG (no error messages). However, it is not yet generating chlorine. The pool has been up 3 days and is still clear. I ran the SWA for 32 hours plus another 18 or so when power went out on our street (fun!).

My test results today:
Salt: 3000
FC - 0
pH - 8.0
TA - 80
CYA - 0

I went to the local pool supply and they gave me dry muriatic acid, dry CYA and 2 gallons of 10% sodium hypochlorite. They advised to first add the muriatic acid (they suggested 6 oz, dry), wait 4 hours, then add 12oz of the sodium hypochlorite, then wait until the next morning and then add 30oz of the dry CYA.

Here's my question: does all that seem right to you, and is that the right order? I understand (thanks to this forum and poolmath) that CYA will reduce the ph so do I want to add the muriatic acid to lower it and then lower it again with the CYA?

Thank you so much!

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

With a CYA of 0ppm, the sun is burning off the FC faster than the SWG can make it, so that is likely your problem.

You do not need to wait that long. You should get FC in the pool ASAP. You only want to add about 2ppm since you have no stabilizer. According to PoolMath, you should only add about 7 oz of that 10% bleach. And check a couple times a day to keep it around 2ppm.

30 minutes after you add the bleach, add the muriatic acid to target a pH around 7.5 .... use PoolMath.

And you can get the CYA dissolving in a sock when ever you want. No really need to space everything out so much. You want to get the CYA up to around 70ppm, but should likely do it in 2 steps. Add half, wait a week and test the CYA level, then add more.

What test kit are you using?

 

[tasilva]

Thank you so much! I will do it in that order. When you state to add half the CYA, wait a week and then add more do you mean add 15 oz and then wait and then add the other 15 oz if needed next week? It seems like that is what you mean but I don't want to mess it up.

Also, can/should I add the CYA in a sock near the output of the filter/SWG so that it disperses easily or should I add it in a sock in the skimmer which then goes into the cartridge filter and then into the SWG? I just don't want to screw up the SWG as that is past the skimmer/filter.

So far I am just using the test strips from Leslies Pool Supply (along with their formal readout they gave me when they did the tests in store, they seem to match up fine). I still need to decide which better test kit I should buy of the 4 or so I saw compared. I would love opinions on that.

 

[jblizzle]

I mean add half the 70ppm ... so 35ppm ... use PoolMath to calculate how many oz that is.

If you are running the filter 24/7, then you can put the sock in the skimmer. Or hang it out in front of the return jet.

Pool store testing and test strips are not highly thought of.

The best value is the TF-100, and would certainly help you understand your pool and maintain it. The K-2006 is a little cheaper, but after you add the CYA and FAS-DPD refills you will quickly need, it is at least as much as the TF-100. BTW, the TF-100 is available from poolsupplyworld.com who is the CA west coast distributor for tftestkits.net so you would get it quicker from them.

 

[svenpup]

I went to the local pool supply and they gave me dry muriatic acid

There is no such thing as "dry muriatic acid". Dry acid is sodium bisulfate. It is ok to use occasionally, but we don't recommend it for continued use since it builds up sulfate. Muriatic acid is just another name for hydrochloric acid (HCl) which has no side effects in the pool.

 

[tasilva]

There is no such thing as "dry muriatic acid". Dry acid is sodium bisulfate. It is ok to use occasionally, but we don't recommend it for continued use since it builds up sulfate. Muriatic acid is just another name for hydrochloric acid (HCl) which has no side effects in the pool.

Thank you for pointing this out. I checked the bag and it is indeed sodium bisulfate. They told me that I needed muriatic acid but sold me sodium bisulfate. Can I/should I use this to lower the ph which is what they were telling me they were giving me "muriatic" acid for? I see the poolmath also lists "dry acid" so I'm assuming it's ok and to go with that calculation but I just want to double check. Also, should I then purchase actual muriatic acid for future needs or wait until/if I need it later?

 

[svenpup]

Use it up and then switch to muriatic. With an SWG pH rise is a way if life, so you'll have ample opportunity to add acid.

 

[jmbradwell]

You will definitely have an opportunity to use the dry stuff. I'm adding 12 oz a day with my new plaster and SWG.

 

[supermatt9]

Gotta agree with what the pros here have said. With no cya in your pool your chlorine is burning off faster than your swg can make it. Get the cya in there and keep adding the liquid chlorine until your swg can keep up.

If you wanna do it right and not waste chemicals you need to do pretty frequent testing for the first little bit. I bought the k-2006 simply because I could get free two day shipping on it from Amazon. The shipping from tftestkits is slow and expensive. When I'm ready for a new kit and don't need one urgently like I did with my first one I'll order from tftestkits.