BBB Newbie - Need a Little Help to Get Going

[jobondur]

I'm going to try the BBB method this season and see how it works. Just got my TF-100 kit and have the following results:

Salt - 2430
FC - 4.5
CC - 0.5
PH - 7.8
TC - 5.0
TA - 130
CH - 150
CYA - ~23

The pool water is fairly clear and roughly 80 degrees. I realize I need to add salt, adjust my TA, and add CYA but what order should I do it in? Should I wait in between adjustments and if so how long? Any other observations are obviously welcome.

 

[jblizzle]

What does your water look like first?

The most important is to keep your FC in the recommended range for non-SWG pools (until it is running) using bleach.

I would start adding CYA maybe up to 50ppm or so to start and then the rest of the way to SWG levels making sure to keep the FC above the minimum.
You can add salt at any time and then fire up the SWG.

TA is lower priority than getting everything up and running.

All this is assuming your water is clear and you have no reason to suspect needing to follow the shock process.

 

[JohnT]

Start by adding about half the CYA you need to get to what your manufacturer recommends. Better to sneak up than take a chance on overshooting. Especially since CYA testing is not very accurate. Then push your pH down to mid-range. Wait a week to retest your CYA, and then continue adjusting.

Fill us in on what pool surface you have for more info.

 

[jobondur]

Water is clear and the SWG has been running for some time now. I have a feeling I'm going to have to field calibrate it once I get the salt levels correct.

But one weird thing I did notice is that when I did the salt test with the Aqua Chek test strips it took like 15-20 minutes for the yellow line at the top of the test strip to turn dark but if you read the directions it says it normally takes 3-4 minutes. Should I retest or is this common?

 

[jobondur]

Fill us in on what pool surface you have for more info.

I have a vinyl liner, is that what you're asking?

 

[jblizzle]

How old are the strips?

The SWG is going to struggle maintain FC until you get the CYA up some more. How is it even running with the low salt level? Or does the SWG think the salt is higher?

 

[jobondur]

How old are the strips?

The SWG is going to struggle maintain FC until you get the CYA up some more. How is it even running with the low salt level? Or does the SWG think the salt is higher?

Strips are brand new, got them in the mail from TFTestKits less than a week ago. Opened up the plastic 5 minutes before I took the test.

I should have said the SWG "has been running". I didn't confirm that it was still in the proper range today or yesterday. This past weekend we got a lot of rain and I went to drain back down to normal levels. When I did I forgot about it for a little while and drained about 6 inches too much and then had to refill with tap water so it's possible that the SWG is reading low now. However right after I did that (same day) it was reading in the good range. So I don't know what's going on.