tl;dr - New IG fiberglass pool owner; first time pool owner. Do you SLAM when water is "brand new" ? Super-chlorinate with SWG, dump chlorine, or both at beginning?
Hello, I've been a lurker and want to say thanks to this community for the great information I have accessed thus far. Hopefully I can contribute in some way. For now, I am seeking help. I have found advice on this forum about balancing chemistry, SLAM method, etc. It is not clear to me what to do for a brand new pool. Water is clear, and between pool install and getting equipment hooked up I added 12.5% liquid chlorine around perimeter of pool to keep it clear. With no pump, I had my Dolphin robot running multiple times a day to help move water around and mix up the chlorine (bought that in advance). Long story short, this worked for keeping the water clear and now I have equipment hooked up. I tested the water with test strips I already had (better kit on the way per this forums recommendation), and it shows no chlorine... as expected. Full sun and fresh water, it just gets eaten up I presume. I have a SWG and have that on superchlorinate setting. 3100 PPM of salt. I realized I should get some CYA in the system so my chlorine doesn't disappear. I put 4# stabilizer in socks in the skimmer and hopefully by tomorrow this is dissolved. Based on the calcs this really only gets me halfway there. I have another 4# in waiting, and can put that in after.
Even though my water is brand new and clear, should I get CYA up to appropriate levels then use the SLAM method until it holds chlorine? Then let my SWG maintain after that? I still have 12.5% liquid chlorine jugs I can use to speed things up. I could not find threads on process for brand new pool installation. My pool installer is great at installs, but after talking to him, he is no SME on pool chemistry. I am better off with the experts here.
Hopefully my pool specs show up in the signature...
Hello, I've been a lurker and want to say thanks to this community for the great information I have accessed thus far. Hopefully I can contribute in some way. For now, I am seeking help. I have found advice on this forum about balancing chemistry, SLAM method, etc. It is not clear to me what to do for a brand new pool. Water is clear, and between pool install and getting equipment hooked up I added 12.5% liquid chlorine around perimeter of pool to keep it clear. With no pump, I had my Dolphin robot running multiple times a day to help move water around and mix up the chlorine (bought that in advance). Long story short, this worked for keeping the water clear and now I have equipment hooked up. I tested the water with test strips I already had (better kit on the way per this forums recommendation), and it shows no chlorine... as expected. Full sun and fresh water, it just gets eaten up I presume. I have a SWG and have that on superchlorinate setting. 3100 PPM of salt. I realized I should get some CYA in the system so my chlorine doesn't disappear. I put 4# stabilizer in socks in the skimmer and hopefully by tomorrow this is dissolved. Based on the calcs this really only gets me halfway there. I have another 4# in waiting, and can put that in after.
Even though my water is brand new and clear, should I get CYA up to appropriate levels then use the SLAM method until it holds chlorine? Then let my SWG maintain after that? I still have 12.5% liquid chlorine jugs I can use to speed things up. I could not find threads on process for brand new pool installation. My pool installer is great at installs, but after talking to him, he is no SME on pool chemistry. I am better off with the experts here.
Hopefully my pool specs show up in the signature...
Assuming you have no plaster for waterline tile, there is no waiting, need to SLAM or super chlorinate. New water has no CYA and it needs it. I would use a moderate CYA (salt pool) target of 60 for now. You can always add 10 ppm more later. Once those socks have soaked for about 30 min, squeeze, squeeze squeeze. Don't wait. Get that stuff out of the socks.
