New 16' x 48" Coleman set up/startup, want to make sure I'm doing this right

[Speedfreak11]

This is my first ever pool, so I'm a complete novice. I've done quite a bit of reading here on TFP, and although I think I have a grasp on it, I wanted to ask the experts to be sure.

After a month of digging (14" into the slope), leveling, setting up and plumbing, I finally got my AGP set up. Based on 5500 Gallons, I added 135lbs of salt and 3lbs 11oz of CYA. Using the K-2006 test kit, I got the following:

FC: 0
pH: 7.4
TA: 140
CH: 140
CYA: (just added, so didn't test)

(Side note: the Taylor Speedstir is awesome!)

The SWG instructions mention running a "Boost" cycle to get things going, but I've read that I can kick-start the process by adding chlorine. According to PoolMath, to get to the ideal FC of 5, I should add 57oz of 6.5% bleach. Is this the better way to go, or should I just "Boost" the SWG?

The TA is higher than the recommended 60-80. Should I work on getting the FC and CYA numbers where they need to be before I work on the TA?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[JVTrain]

FC and CYA are most important to get in line first. Your pH looks good so no worries there. I would add the liquid chlorine/bleach myself to get the FC up immediately then work on dialing in your SWG output and run time from there to keep it in the recommended range for your CYA. See the CYA/Chlorine chart link in my signature.

The TA will come down over time as you keep the pH in the 7.2-7.8 range. No reason to actively lower it unless you're seeing fast pH rises. If you really want to address TA faster see here: Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity but that's less important than CYA, FC and pH maintenance.

 

[jeffchap]

I have the same size pool and with CYA at 40, I run my Intex SWG 3 hours per day. You might use that as a starting point.

You could probably boost it 24 hours/day for a couple of days and get your FC up to target, but it would be safer to start off with bleach.

 

[Speedfreak11]

Thanks for the advice! Tonight the tests showed:

FC: 2
pH: 7.6
TA: 120
CYA: 70
CC: changed on 1st drop so <.2 I think.
Salt: 3000 (I wanted to try the kit)

It seems like I'm right on track. I added the pool math recommended amount of bleach to get to an FC of 5, so I'll test again tomorrow to see how it looks. If it's good, I'll kick on the swg and start tweaking the run time to maintain it.

Thanks again!

 

[Richard320]

Tip: Use only 10 ml water and count each drop as .5 when running FC/CC test. Saves reagent and is accurate enough for our purposes. Also, Taylor tells you to add way too much powder. One spoonful is usually enough. If you have one or two undissolved crystals before you start adding drops, you have enough powder.