New guy, new pool, zero CYA

[d73805]

Hi guys. I'm new to the forum and to pools. I just installed a 20x40 (maybe 35,000 gallons?) vinyl liner salt water pool in Long Island, NY. It's been filled for less than a month. My pump runs from 8am til 8pm with the SWG at 85%. I just got my K2006C test kit and have been reading as much as I can. My first test went like this:
Free chlorine .5
Combined chlorine 0
PH 7.2
Total alkalinity 95
Calcium hardness 80
CYA 0
I have a digital readout that shows salt at 3200

My plan is to run the pump longer to increase the free chlorine. Should I go to 24 hours a day until I get to the right level? After I get to the right level, should I go back to 12 hours?
PH is on the low end of good. Should I try to raise it?
To get me to the recommended CYA of 80, I'm going to have to add about 24lbs of stabilizer. Does that seem right? I've read about putting it in a sock and hanging the sock in the skimmer basket or near a return. Should I be hanging 25 socks around the pool? A few socks every day? Use a much bigger "sock" for a larger amount?
Sorry if these questions have already been answered. I searched and found similar questions and answers, but not quite these.
Hopefully I can get to the level that I'm answering questions instead of asking. Thanks.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Start with adding 40 ppm CYA worth of stabilizer. That is 12 pounds. Use panty hose. Once in the water for an hour or so you can squeeze it out pretty quickly. Might have to do in two or three batches.
Get your FC to 5 ppm. Use liquid chlorine. The SWCG will not get there without CYA in the pool.
What SWCG do you have? You may be running the pool nearly 24 hours per day to get the FC you need. Please fill out your signature.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[d73805]

Thanks for the quick response. I'll work on my signature. I have the T-CELL-15, rated for 40k gallons.
I'll add the stabilizer over the course of a few days. Then the chlorine.

 

[mknauss]

Add chlorine now. Add some each day that you need to to keep it at 5ppm.

 

[d73805]

Will do.

 

[d73805]

So, I added a gallon on 10% chlorine (Walmart) and ran the pump overnight. The additional chlorine should have brought my level up to 4-5. 24 hours later I was at 10ppm!! The pump and salt chlorine generator (at 85%) were on the whole time. I shut down the salt generator for the last two day, and now I'm down to 7ppm free chlorine. I've also added about 11 lbs of stabilizer, and I'm currently at about 55ppm CYA. I was shocked at how much the free chlorine shot up, but I'm making progress. My current levels are:
Free Chlorine 7
Combined chlorine .75 (somewhere between .5 and 1)
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 160
CYA 55

I'm going to add some more CYA.
I'm not sure what to set the SWCG at. I'm going to try 50%. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[mknauss]

Round up the CYA to 60 ppm in Poolmath. I would stop the CYA for now in your climate.

Assuming you need 3 ppm FC added per day, in your pool volume, you need to run the SWCG at 100% 14 hours per day, or 60% 24 hours per day.

 

[d73805]

I'm just about ready to start the heat pump, so I'll try the 24h option.

 

[mknauss]

If you find you are using more than 3 ppm FC per day, push the CYA up to 70 ppm.