Opening pool test results

[krfuquamd]

35000 gallon gunite pool opened up for season here in South Carolina. Water temp 80 degrees. Use cartridge filter. Have a SWG but it was removed during winter and has not been put back in yet so using bleach for chlorine. Slammed pool which is finished now and water is clear. Used TFT test kit this am and got pH 6.9, FC 17, CC 0, CH 175 TA 40 and CYA 45. Put those results into the app and it makes some recommendations for raising pH, raising TA and raising CH by adding borax or soda ash for the pH, adding baking soda for the TA and adding calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate for the CH.

3 questions 1) Do I need to allow my FC to drop down into normal range then retest before adding what was recommended above?
2) When I do make the recommended additions do I do all 3 at the same time at the fully prescribed amounts ?
3) When I do get to the point of needing to add chlorine I am finding that bleach is very hard to come by right now with the coronavirus. Everyday i check at Walmart there is no 10% bleach in the pool area and the 6% in the laundry section is gone as well. What are folks doing if the access to bleach is not there?

Thanks for your help

 

[aeh0603]

1) pH testing is not accurate with FC over 10, but usually reads a false high
2) No, it's generally safer to do smaller amounts and test before adding more. I would adjust TA up to 50 or 60 with baking soda before adjusting pH. Baking soda will also raise your pH some so you may not need to adjust the pH separately if baking soda brings it up into the 7s
3) Have you checked hardware stores near you for 10% liquid chlorine? Stores like home depot and lowes usually carry it in the pool section (near the garden center). You may also be able to get 12.5% liquid chlorine at a local pool store.

Since your CH is a bit low, instead of adding calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate, you could use calcium hypochlorate (cal hypo) which is a powdered chlorine "shock". Wal mart probably has it in the pool section and it would add chlorine and calcium at the same time.

 

[krfuquamd]

Thanks alot for the response!!