Newly filled pool and added salt before balancing ?

[MommaBrimm]

Put up our new intex xtr 20x48 pool a few days ago. I have an intex sand pump with swg. read a lot about what to do first but somehow added salt before testing and balancing chemicals. Oops! I have added 2/3 of my salt. I tested my TA and it is sky high at 190. Ph was around 8. (I have a Taylor k-2006). Calcium 150. Chlorine 0. I have started adding Dry acid a few times a day but can only add 20 oz at once. I read that I can’t turn on my swg until I have TA down. If I don’t get my swg on I’m going to have problems because there is currently no chlorine. Ahhh help please! (Also I had no idea I couldn’t use dry acid with swg...in one of the articles on this site it says not to but does not explain why...is this a problem..should I not add any more dry acid?)

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You do not need to lower your TA in a rush. Get some chlorine in the pool using plain bleach / liquid chlorine. What volume is the pool?
Have added any CYA/stabilizer/conditioner? You need that too.
We do not recommend dry acid, especially with a SWCG, as the sulfates build up in the pool and destroy your SWCG. So if you can switch, it would be best to use muriatic acid.
Do not focus on TA. Just lower pH to 7.4 or so when it hits 8.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[MommaBrimm]

Thanks for your reply! My pool is 7900 gallons. I have not added cya. So far I have added salt and 40 oz of dry acid (in 2 dozes). Do you think the dry acid I have added with hurt my swg? Darn pool store sold it to me saying I would need it when opening my pool for Utah water.

 

[mknauss]

You can use up the dry acid you have. Just do not buy more.
You need 40 ppm of CYA in the water soon. After you get things working, you will up that to 70 ppm.

You need chlorine now. Get some, in the morning at the latest. Add 5ppm FC worth. Get the CYA dissolving. Use the sock method.

 

[MommaBrimm]

Ok I will do that in the morning. Do I need to space out the bleach and the cya? I’m guessing not but I thought I would double check. Also what is the return jet? I have a large jest that pushes water through the pool and two jets that take water to the sand pump.

 

[mknauss]

You can add chlorine and CYA at the same time.

You do not have a skimmer? If not, you might be advised to use liquid CYA. It is more expensive, but without a skimmer it gets tough on an above ground pool to hang a sock with the CYA in it in front of a return (water returning to the pool).

 

[MommaBrimm]

I do have a skimmer. Is that where the return jet is?

 

[MommaBrimm]

Ok I am confused. My intex skimmer hooks to the hole that takes water to the sand pump...

 

[mknauss]

The skimmer is the suction from the pool. You should put the CYA granules in a thin sock and tie it shut, then place that in the skimmer so that water runs over it. Be sure it does not block off the water flow to the pump. Squeeze the sock a few times and the CYA will dissolve over a day or so.

 

[MommaBrimm]

Ok I have been searching the website on how to add the bleach but can’t find if I’m supposed to mix with water or just pour slowly in. Also added dry acid two hours ago, more salt an hour ago. Can I go add bleach tonight?

 

[MommaBrimm]

Are either of these products cya?

 

[mknauss]

The Pods are stabilizer. Put the pods in a thin sock.
The other tub is baking soda. Way overpriced baking soda.

For adding bleach, From Recommended Pool Chemicals - Trouble Free Pool
Bleach should be added to the pool by pouring slowly in front of a return jet with the pump running. You should pour slowly enough that pouring an entire jug takes more than one minute, preferably two minutes. Leave the pump running for at least 30 minutes after adding bleach.

 

[mknauss]

Did not see the 'other ingredients' on the tub that is primarily baking soda. Show clarifier and other ingredients. I would return that. Get plain baking soda, if you ever need it. You will need to test TA and pH to see if you need baking soda (not likely).

 

[mknauss]

Thats right. You have high TA. You will never need that product. Return that tub. Why would they sell you that with high TA fill water? Rip off.

 

[MommaBrimm]

The pool store sold me the dry acid and an opening kit of Leslie’s pool chemicals. But when I opened the box the algecide had leaked all over so I closed the box and didn’t use any of it. I went Walmart and got a bunch of stuff in the pool isle just in case ?

 

[MommaBrimm]

Also I added dry acid two hours ago, a bag of salt an hour ago. Should I go get the bleach and cya in tonight or is it better to wait until morning since I added all the other stuff.

 

[mknauss]

Well it is morning so add the bleach and CYA. Your water needs bleach. You do not want algae during a start up.

Good thing the algaecide leaked, you do not want that stuff in your pool anyway!

 

[MommaBrimm]

I added the recommended 49 oz of bleach a 8 this morning. Just tested fc and there’s was 0. Cc was .5
Also after ten minutes it has now changed back to pink???

 

[mknauss]

That's odd. How does the water look? Can you start the SWCG?

 

[MommaBrimm]

Just tested salt level and it says 2871 but I have not let it run for 24 hours yet. I put the additional salt in last night. I filled my pool Thursday/Friday and it’s looked pretty clear .