Question On Adding Chlorine After Opening

[dschribs]

I'm going to be opening my pool in a few weeks. This is only my 3rd season so I'm still learning. Love this site!.

Last year I tested the water & started adding chemicals the second my cover came off. I know now that I need to run the pump for a day or two before I can get truly accurate readings.

Even knowing that - Should I just assume that the chlorine level is at zero and add some chlorine (I use bleach) right after I take the cover off??? It just doesn't feel right to me to pull the cover and not add ANY chlorine for a day or two while the pump is circulating the water.

If the answer is yes - how much do I need to add if I can't accurately determine the CYA level the second the cover comes off??

Thanks!!
Dan

 

[Richard320]

It shouldn't take days to mix the water. Run the pump for an hour and brush the pool to set up some crosscurrents and that ought to be enough to get a rough idea of where your chemistry is. pH and FC first. Worry about fine tuning until you're sure it's all mixed.