New Pool - First time testing/balancing on my own

[Furiousss]

My pool was filled for the first time at the start of August and the builder did maintenance for the first two months. I never intended for them to handle maintenance long term, but it was still pretty underwhelming. Salt was added sporadically and maintenance didn't seem to be on the same page with the project manager at any point. Oh, and about a month into it I had algae.

Fast forward to this morning and I used my test kit for the first time. Pool Math appears to want me to record my results and "correct" things at the same time, but I don't own an chemicals at this point.

Results:
Salt: 2800 (my Hayward app shows my set point is at 70%, average salt is 3596ppm and instant salt is 3161ppm.)

ph: 8.2 (might be higher than that. It's deeper red than the chart.)

cl: 31.5

calcium: 400

TA: 80

CYA: 55

Pool details are (hopefully) in my forum signature.

Looking for help with my shopping list to start.

Thank you

 

[mknauss]

With a FC of 31.5 ppm, the pH test is not valid.

Turn off the SWCG for a few days. Monitor the FC until you get to 10 ppm. Then turn the SWCG back on generating 1.5 ppm FC per day. Monitor FC level and adjust SWCG as necessary.

Soon, in the next month or so, your water temperature will fall and the SWCG will stop generating FC. At that time, you will need to start using liquid chlorine once a week or so to maintain your FC levels in target range.

You also may need some muriatic acid to maintain the pH in the 7's. But do not add any yet. Wait until the FC is below 10 ppm before using the pH test.

 

[Furiousss]

Thanks. So muriatic acid and liquid chlorine are the basics?

 

[mknauss]

Yes. You will likely need some stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid) in the spring.

 

[Furiousss]

I’ll turn it off for a few days, but is my swg set too high at 70%? How do I determine where that should be?

Oh, and do I need to add salt? I assume the test is accurate and thought 3200 ppm is ideal.

 

[mknauss]

Use Effects of Adding in Poolmath. It uses your pump run time and % setting to show you how much FC the SWCG will add each day.

 

[Furiousss]

Use Effects of Adding in Poolmath. It uses your pump run time and % setting to show you how much FC the SWCG will add each day.

Okay. Speaking of pump run times, I arbitrarily set this schedule.

 

[Newdude]

*always round up CYA. As such, only pour to the 10s. I find its way easier to know it's not a 30 and not a 50, so it must be 40.

You'll also want to Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to prove last months algae bloom isn't laying in wait to explode again.

 

[mknauss]

That's fine. You have small VS pumps so a higher rpm is likely needed. Are the high flow rate times for some reason?

With a 24 hour pump run time, your 70% setting on your SWCG is generating 5.1 ppm FC per day. Way too much for this time of year.

Set it at 20% to start with after you get the FC to drop down to 10 ppm.

 

[Furiousss]

That's fine. You have small VS pumps so a higher rpm is likely needed. Are the high flow rate times for some reason?

With a 24 hour pump run time, your 70% setting on your SWCG is generating 5.1 ppm FC per day. Way too much for this time of year.

Set it at 20% to start with after you get the FC to drop down to 10 ppm.

Totally arbitrary settings. The maintenance guys would basically set the pumps at 100% and leave. I’m not trying to waste hundreds of dollars each month on electricity.

I’ll set the swg to 20% in a few days.

Thanks

 

[mknauss]

If you wish to reduce electrical use, I would set the pump to 40% for 24 hours per day. See if that skims the pool surface sufficiently.

Why to you have 2 pumps?

 

[Furiousss]

If you wish to reduce electrical use, I would set the pump to 40% for 24 hours per day. See if that skims the pool surface sufficiently.

Why to you have 2 pumps?

The other pump exclusively runs sheer descent water features. 1x48” and 2x24”.

 

[mknauss]

Great. Always nice to have more detail in the signature.

 

[Furiousss]

I added 80 pounds of salt yesterday.

Test still shows 2800. Hmm. I spread it out, the were no clumps and I brushed afterwards. Maybe more run time at higher pump speed to "mix" better?

FC is back to 10, so I restarted the swg at 20%.

 

[mknauss]

Always wait at least 24 hours with pump running before testing salinity after adding salt. Brush a couple times while the pump is running.

 

[Furiousss]

Pump is always running. I adjusted the speed down and reduced the run time to 30min twice a day.

 

[mknauss]

80 pounds should have raised salinity 400 ppm.
I assume you have the proper test kit?

 

[Furiousss]

Tf pro salt

We did get about 5" of rain in the last couple of days.

 

[mknauss]

That likely overflowed your pool. I would let things be if SWCG is happy. It will stop generating in the near future from low pool water temperature.