First Dip in New Pool!

[Lil Sebastian]

Hello!
Just installed an above ground 15ft, 5700 gallon pool with cartridge filter. Sunny in the 80's here, water temp around 77. I'm hoping to use it today for the first time! I had my water tested at the local pool store. Levels are:
FC 7.5
pH 8
Total Alkalinity 142
CYA 69
Phosphate 0
They told me these were acceptable levels to swim in but I just want to be sure. Thanks for your help! I have enjoyed reading this forum!

 

[Dtkokay]

You water is safe to swim in for now. But a few things:

Get your own test kit, like the TF-100. The pool stores are not very accurate.

Your CYA is high unless you have a salt water system. If not, you should aim to keep your CYA at 50 or lower. As your CYA goes up, your minimum level of chlorine (FC) needs to increase as well. When CYA gets high, it’s very hard to manage the pool chemistry, unless you’re willing to dump a lot of chlorine into the pool.

How are you adding chlorine? If by tablets, those are going to also add CYA, and your CYA level is already on the high end.

 

[Lil Sebastian]

Thank you for the reply!
Yes I will definitely look into that test system, thank you!
I added Bioguard Burnout 3, granular chlorine; I do not have a salt water system. Is there a trick to reduce the CYA now that it's high? Or will just swimming in it and then refilling once the water level decreases a bit be enough?

 

[Texas Splash]

CYA mostly goes down by exchanging water. A little gets expended each month, maybe about 5 ppm worth, but it's not much. If you stick to liquid chlorine or regular bleach now (neither has CYA in it), then you should be okay as long as you keep the FC balanced to the current CYA of 70 as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. The TF-100 is a fantastic test kit.

Welcome to TFP!

 

[Richard320]

I find it very hard to believe that a pool that was just filled up already has 69 CYA unless someone intentionally added enough to target 70. Did you fill it and add stuff, or did an installer?

 

[Lil Sebastian]

Thank you all for the replies.
The list above is after the initial treatment recommended by the pool store/installer. I didn’t think to question the process until after this test came back.
Sorry for the confusion but thanks for the help!!

 

[Richard320]

Thank you all for the replies.
The list above is after the initial treatment recommended by the pool store/installer. I didn’t think to question the process until after this test came back.
Sorry for the confusion but thanks for the help!!

Bioguard Burnout 3 is Calcium Hypochlorite. It adds no CYA.
Tap water has no CYA
You only list that one thing.
Therefore your CYA is zero. The test has to be wrong. I'm not surprised at all.

And enough time has passed that your 7.5 FC (If indeed it was ever really that high) is nowhere near that now with no CYA to protect it from the sun. Jump in.