New pool setup and balancing help

[Rnabbie]

I setup my pool two days ago. I am off well water, with an industrial water treatment system including iron remover. Initial PH was 6.8, CL <2. I added CYA based on pool calculator to bring it to 30 ppm. I added bleach when I added they CYA (I overshot) and ended up putting in 12oz , and then 15 oz.

Testing yesterday evening showed:
FC - 5
PH - 6.8
TA - 160

This morning I added (per pool calculator)
44oz borax (called for 56 but I didnt want to overshoot)
I also turned on the filter (to aerate since my TA was high and remove come FC) and removed the cover (to help the sun remove some FC).

6 hours later I tested:
FC - 5
PH - 6.8
TA - 190

I added per pool calculator: 44 oz borax(the rest of what I had - calculator called for 66). and continued to leave the pool uncovered and filter on.

I am concerned:

1. Do I need to be testing for borates since I am adding borax to lower PH? I didn't see that recommended in the recommended test kits, from what I read it is a separate testing kit. When I use pool calculator there is a space to enter borate level - which I have set at 0 current 0 target.

2. Is there something from our water treatment that would be keeping the PH so low without a change after adding borax?

3. Do I just keep adding borax per testing results/pool calculations until the PH is up to level?

(I now believe I should have adjusted the PH FIRST after the initial fill, before adding bleach or cya - is this correct? I couldnt find steps for starting up even after searching threads.

Thanks Abbie

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on the new pool!

Yes, keep adding borax to raise PH until it holds, you can also aerate to help. Add up the total amount of borax you have added and put it in the Effects of adding chemicals to see how much it raises borates toward the bottom of Poolmath. I doubt it is much. When I added 50 ppm of Borates to my pool I added around 15 boxes, over 1100oz.

The order of adjusting PH, FC and CYA is not important which is why it is not specified anywhere. There is no real interaction between those.

Keep doing what you are doing, you are on the right track!

 

[Rnabbie]

Thank you!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pooldv]

6.8 is about as low as the test goes, so it could be lower, plus PH is a logarithmic scale and the farther off 7 you get the more it is. Keep testing and adding what Poolmath says to take it to 7.2 until it gets there.