New pool chemical recommendations

[D24J]

New pool owner for about a month. I’ve read through the recommended cya/fc levels and have a pretty good handle on how and why that all works. One of my many question is should I up my cya and fc all at once or little each day.

Current readings checked at 2pm today. Will check in the morning to see how much chlorine loss.
FC 3.5
CC 0
Alk 80
Salt 3300
Cya ? Tested with Taylor kit (TF Pro) and could see the dot with full tube. So little to none

I purchased 3 gallons of Natural Chemistry Instant Conditioner to raise cya to recommend 70-80 and will also purchase liquid chlorine to get fc up to 6-7. Should one chemical go before the other or can they both be add together with 10-15 minutes in between?

Will Alk and ph go up or down after adding conditioner and chlorine?

In general, how much Muriatic acid and baking soda is normal to keep on hand? I know every pool is different; I was just wondering what the best practice is.

After I get all the chemicals in check, what is a good starting point to set the swg % and for how long? Right now it runs 9 hrs at 60%

For a swg is it mechanically better to run it for 2hrs at 100% or 4hrs at 50%. It probably doesn’t matter but if you can get another 2 to 3 seasons one way or the other why not find out.

Will having the cya and chlorine at higher levels be dangerous for my dogs. They swim 2-3 times per week and don’t want to get them sick in any way.

Last question for now. To be safe should I do the slam process while cya is low before raising everything. If so what do you recommend I bring the cya up to before the slam process?

Equipment
13000 gallon fiberglass pool
Tf Pro Test Kit
TCell940 swg I think 1.47 lbs per day
Hayward 24 in sand filter with glass media
VS pump
Heater on back order
OmniLogic controller. I can turn off swg while pump is running for water feature at night if need be.
I’m near Savannah GA so it’s hot

Thanks to all the TFP members with all this fantastic information. Please let me know if I’m on the right track or if I should be doing something different

 

[MITBeta]

Should one chemical go before the other or can they both be add together with 10-15 minutes in between?

They can be added with 15 minutes in between with the pump on.

Will Alk and ph go up or down after adding conditioner and chlorine?

They should go down slightly. Cyanuric acid... is a mild acid.

In general, how much Muriatic acid and baking soda is normal to keep on hand? I know every pool is different; I was just wondering what the best practice is.

You probably will never use baking soda and with a TA of 80, your acid demand isn't likely to be high either. Every pool is different, but I've been using the same gallon of MA for 2 years now.

After I get all the chemicals in check, what is a good starting point to set the swg % and for how long? Right now it runs 9 hrs at 60%

I think would use PoolMath to calculate what you need for 3ppm daily and then adjust as necessary. Run your pump long enough to skim adequately and to generate enough chlorine. That's it.

For a swg is it mechanically better to run it for 2hrs at 100% or 4hrs at 50%. It probably doesn’t matter but if you can get another 2 to 3 seasons one way or the other why not find out.

Theoretically there's no difference, but some will say that less than 100% duty is kinder to the cell.

Will having the cya and chlorine at higher levels be dangerous for my dogs. They swim 2-3 times per week and don’t want to get them sick in any way.

No. As long as FC is at or under SLAM level for your CYA any swimmers will be fine.

To be safe should I do the slam process while cya is low before raising everything.

Not unless there's an indication that you need to. Clear water? Less than 1ppm CC? Pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? No need to SLAM. Fail any one and go straight to the SLAM Process.

How are you testing your water?

 

[D24J]

MitBeta. Thanks for the reply and information. I just received the TF Pro kit. I was using strips until I started reading posts here. This site is extremely informative and Pool Math, let’s just say I need the most stupid proof method available. Plug in what you got . Do what it tells you to do.

Another quick question. We are still doing final things like a water feature. Supposed to be done this week. I was hoping to hold off on raising cya and chlorine until it’s completed. Thought was if anything gets into the pool and having to vacuum to waste I didn’t want to remove what I just put in. Should I wait or just raise everything now?

 

[D24J]

Sorry I think i did a double post...