New construction / first water test

[FunintheNJsun]

Hi! We just had first water test done, at a pool store, as I wait for my TF-pro salt kit to arrive. Complete newbies to owning a pool, and still surrounded by dirt so the SWG isn’t even on yet. No salt has been added, shock added once.

Here are the readings and their recommendations. Would love any advice as I get going! How bad is this, should I be doing daily tests at the store, etc.

PH - 8.3
FC - 0.2
TA - 146
Total chlorine - 0.2
CYA - 5
Salt - 700
Calcium hardness - 239

Store recommendations
- add 441 lbs salt (not using SWG yet, so will not be adding)
- pH - add 4 lbs of Lo’N slo (I added 2lbs to each of our 2 skimmers)
- add 5 lbs of stabilizer100 (will add in 2 hours, per store directions)
- add 2 lbs of shock (will add tonight, per store directions)

does this seem like it will set us up to get back to clear water, in appropriate ranges?

Thanks so much.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP and congratulations on the new pool in this steamy summer.

We recommend you use muriatic acid instead of dry acid - Acid - Further Reading - to not add sulfates to your water.

We recommend you use liquid chlorine and not shock - Liquid Chlorine - Further Reading

Add the 5lbs of stabilizer using the sock method. Do not pour it in your skimmer.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

Solid/granular CYA should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return. If suspending near a return jet, ensure the sock cannot rest against the pool surface since the granules are acidic and could potentially discolor the surface. After adding CYA you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. After soaking for about 30 minutes, squeezing the sock periodically will help it to dissolve faster. Test and dose chemicals in your pool assuming the amount of CYA added is in the pool according to Poolmath. CYA can be tested the day after it is fully dissolved from the sock.

In general we find Pool Store tests are unreliable and their advice is not the best. I suggest you read...

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

and download PoolMath

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
Glad you have purchased a proper test kit.
Since you use liquid chlorine I would NOT add Shock, Just add sufficient LC - 1 gal of 10% LC will add 4.7ppm of FC to your pool. So add eunuch to get to at least 4-5 ppm.

You must have a SWCG but using LC in the interim. Do not use granular acid with a SWCG. Switch to Muriatic acid. Need to get to 7.6 or 7.8 for pH.

Add your stabilizer to raise your CYA.

 

[cdadams1223]

Hi! We just had first water test done, at a pool store, as I wait for my TF-pro salt kit to arrive. Complete newbies to owning a pool, and still surrounded by dirt so the SWG isn’t even on yet. No salt has been added, shock added once.

Here are the readings and their recommendations. Would love any advice as I get going! How bad is this, should I be doing daily tests at the store, etc.

PH - 8.3
FC - 0.2
TA - 146
Total chlorine - 0.2
CYA - 5
Salt - 700
Calcium hardness - 239

Store recommendations
- add 441 lbs salt (not using SWG yet, so will not be adding)
- pH - add 4 lbs of Lo’N slo (I added 2lbs to each of our 2 skimmers)
- add 5 lbs of stabilizer100 (will add in 2 hours, per store directions)
- add 2 lbs of shock (will add tonight, per store directions)

does this seem like it will set us up to get back to clear water, in appropriate ranges?

Thanks so much.

Welcome to TFP! I assume you have close to a 20K gallon pool given the amount of salt they asked you to add. When you get a chance, update your signature with your pool specs such as size, pump, filter, SWG, etc. TFP is an awesome resource for all things related to your pool and the pros here will get you squared away. Once you get your kit, come back and post your results as follows:
FC:
CC:
pH:
TA:
CH:
CYA:
Salt:

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Welcome to TFP and congratulations on the new pool in this steamy summer.

We recommend you use muriatic acid instead of dry acid - Acid - Further Reading - to not add sulfates to your water.

We recommend you use liquid chlorine and not shock - Liquid Chlorine - Further Reading

Add the 5lbs of stabilizer using the sock method. Do not pour it in your skimmer.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

Solid/granular CYA should be placed in a sock and the sock put in the skimmer basket or suspended in front of a pool return. If suspending near a return jet, ensure the sock cannot rest against the pool surface since the granules are acidic and could potentially discolor the surface. After adding CYA you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. After soaking for about 30 minutes, squeezing the sock periodically will help it to dissolve faster. Test and dose chemicals in your pool assuming the amount of CYA added is in the pool according to Poolmath. CYA can be tested the day after it is fully dissolved from the sock.

In general we find Pool Store tests are unreliable and their advice is not the best. I suggest you read...

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

and download PoolMath

Thank you so much for the guidance and links! Downloaded and reading all now.

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Welcome to TFP.
Glad you have purchased a proper test kit.
Since you use liquid chlorine I would NOT add Shock, Just add sufficient LC - 1 gal of 10% LC will add 4.7ppm of FC to your pool. So add eunuch to get to at least 4-5 ppm.

You must have a SWCG but using LC in the interim. Do not use granular acid with a SWCG. Switch to Muriatic acid. Need to get to 7.6 or 7.8 for pH.

Add your stabilizer to raise your CYA.

Thanks! Since I already put the granular acid in, do you know how long I should wait before switching to muriatic acid?

And correct, I have SWCG but it isn’t set-up yet.

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Welcome to TFP! I assume you have close to a 20K gallon pool given the amount of salt they asked you to add. When you get a chance, update your signature with your pool specs such as size, pump, filter, SWG, etc. TFP is an awesome resource for all things related to your pool and the pros here will get you squared away. Once you get your kit, come back and post your results as follows:
FC:
CC:
pH:
TA:
CH:
CYA:
Salt:

Thanks! I updated signature and will come back with results. Yes, 21k pool.

 

[HermanTX]

Thanks! Since I already put the granular acid in, do you know how long I should wait before switching to muriatic acid?

And correct, I have SWCG but it isn’t set-up yet.

Just stop using the dry acid and next time you need to lower pH use MA.

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Just stop using the dry acid and next time you need to lower pH use MA.

Wonderful, thanks!

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Hi! I have done a couple pool store tests/adds but just got my kit and did first test.

Would love recommendations & someone to check my work!

If I’m understanding correctly, I should:
1) lower PH to address alkalinity (I have 4 lbs lo ‘N Slo from earlier pool store reco, can I just use that up since SWG isn’t functional yet and change to muriatic acid next?)
2) add stabilizer (pool store said Stabilizer100 - any other preferences?)
3) add chlorine (will buy liquid)

Thanks so much!

FC: 0
CC: 0.75
pH: 7.6
TA: 180
CH: 200
CYA: <30, no color
Salt: Salt water generator isn’t hooked up yet

Current: 21K gal, IG vinyl, pentair intelliflo VSP, 400 sq ft cartridge filter, master temp 250k BTU NG heater

Pending pool completion/delivery will also have: intellichlor SWG, TBC cleaning robot, TF-pro salt Test Kit

 

[ajw22]

Get 5 ppm of liquid chlorine in the water ASAP.

Add 30ppm of dry stabilizer into the water using the sock method.

Don’t worry about your TA for new. Just keep your pH in the 7s using muriatic acid.

The sulfates in the dry acid are not good for the SWG cell. I would not use Lo and Slo dry acid.

 

[gingrbredman]

Welcome to TFP, and congrats on that new pool! We love pictures, so post a couple of your place if you have some time!

Is the SWCG not set up yet just because the build isn't all the way done? With a plaster pool, you need to wait 30 days before firing that up, but not sure why you would wait with an IG Vinyl.

FC: 0
CC: 0.75

These numbers would be my first issue. As @ajw22 noted....

Get 5 ppm of liquid chlorine in the water ASAP.

You can go into your pool math app and use the "effects of adding" to see how much chlorine to add to raise the pool by 5ppm. You probably need to do that every day as you will likely burn off about 4ppm per day in this weather. With no way to produce chlorine just yet, you need to keep that chlorine up to keep any algae at bay. With a cc of .75, it could suggest you have something growing in there and a chlorinated pool will not allow that to happen.

The sulfates in the dry acid are not good for the SWG cell. I would not use Lo and Slo dry acid.

This right here is the right answer. I would throw away the dry acid and only use liquid muratic acid. It may seem like a waste at first, but that is what pool stores sell you. A product that is not right for your pool, and then more issues will happen, and you need to go back for more magic potions. Dry acid is bad for all parts of your pool equipment. If you have the SWCG connected but not running, the dry acid can still be bad for that. Pentair specifically notes to NOT use dry acid for a reason. Just go pick up some muriatic acid, Home Depot usually has a two pack, and use that to reduce your PH.

As already noted, don't worry about the TA just yet. You are not bad there, not ideal yet, but get your chlorine and PH in line first. Once you have a good handle on those, you can attempt to lower the TA by actually raising the PH by aeration, then lower with the liquid muriatic acid. You keep this cycle up until you can get it lower, at least to the point where it seems like it is in a "happy place". My water just seems to be happy around 100-120, high TA in my fill water, but it just doesn't really move once I have everything in balance. Not in the "ideal" TFP range, but the last thing to worry about with everything else in line. Like I said, don't worry about that just yet, but something to think about soon.

 

[FunintheNJsun]

Thank you both so much! Throwing out the Lo’Nslo, and thrilled I can focus on chlorine and PH, wait on TA.

I added chlorine and FC is now 4.5 with TC of 5. Probably a dumb question - does FC indicate chlorine PPM? So do I now have 4.5 PPM?

I need to get back to the store today for stabilizer & muriatic acid.

Re: SWCG - My builder advised to wait until irrigation/topsoil/sod was in, which was delayed due to all the recent rain — and then I think oue builder got sloppy with his scheduling following those delays — and his personal life on the boat this summer. So should have the salt cell operational next week, if I can believe him!

Anything I should keep in mind to make sure the transition to salt goes well?

And here is a photo from this morning - water is so much clearer and I’m thrilled to be learning how to do it myself! Thank you thank you!

 

[PoolStored]

does FC indicate chlorine PPM? So do I now have 4.5 PPM?

Yes.

Anything I should keep in mind to make sure the transition to salt goes well?

Your salt is likely low, but ALWAYS test current salt level with Taylor K-1766 kit, BEFORE deciding how much salt to add.

 

[gingrbredman]

Very nice looking new pool!

I need to get back to the store today for stabilizer & muriatic acid.

Good plan. While making sure you have chlorine in the water every day, try and get your CYA level to at least around 60, this will help stabilize the chlorine you are adding. As mentioned above, use the sock method to let it dissolve slowly and circulate. You can use the effects of adding again in the Pool Math app to determine how much to add. You can attack it in steps, adding a few pounds at a time, but when you get closer to 60, creep up on it. CYA doesn't usually just go away like chlorine, so the only real way to lower it if you over shoot it is to drain. You shouldn't have issues, even if you shoot for 60 and get to 70 you'll be fine.

Anything I should keep in mind to make sure the transition to salt goes well?

@PoolStored already noted testing for salt, but when you are adding bags, also creep up on your final target. Salt doesn't go away either, and it can take a day to fully dissolve and get through the system so it may be a couple day process if you want to get right at your target.

The other thing I found important with a SWCG early on is to make sure and track CSI in Pool Math. The app will calculate it for you when you add all your test results, but keeping CSI in the correct range can prevent from cell build up and white flakes in the pool.