What to do first.

[scm175]

I just completed my SLAM and my water looks great. I tested the water this afternoon and here are the results:

FC: 6
OC: 0
PH: 7
TA: 45
CYA: 10
Salt: 900

From reading the pool school pages and and using the pool math calculator it looks like I need to adjust the PH, TA, Salt, and CYA. My question is what order do I adjust them in. I have not turned on my SWG and I am using liquid chlorine to maintain my FC until I get my water balanced. Am I on the right track?

 

[mknauss]

Good Job! I am curious, what test method can you get a CYA of 10? The TF100 or K2006C it is a struggle to measure below 30 ----. You need the CYA at 70 for a SWCG,

You may need to adjust the TA and pH. What is your fill water? You may not need to mess with ph or TA if your fill water is higher in TA than the water in your pool. Due to evaporation you will be putting in some fresh water now and then.

Raise your salt to a level indicated by your SWCG manufacturer and fire up the chlorinator. Be sure to use bleach to raise your FC based on the FC/CYA chart first.

Good Luck!

 

[scm175]

Thanks for the quick reply. I am filling with the water from my municipal water supply. I just ordered my TF-100 and it is not here yet so a friend of mine used his test kit to test the CYA, not sure what kind of test it was. I tested the fill water and the PH is 6.8 and the TA is 40. If I add baking soda to bring up the TA will that increase the PH? It looks like I need to go up .5 on the PH. Can I add the CYA while adding the salt and baking soda?

 

[mknauss]

Review the ABC's of Pool Chemistry. You would use borax to raise the pH (and it will raise TA also) or baking soda to raise TA (and it will raise pH some). You do not want to overdo on either. You just need a happy medium were the pH is in the 7.5 range for swimmer comfort and the TA is at a point that the pH is stable.

You may add the CYA and salt and baking soda at the same time. The only two chemicals to not add at the same time are muriatic acid and chlorine. They do not play nice together.

Since this is a new fill and the test kit you used is suspect add the CYA and salt for now. You know the CYA was zero (tap water has no CYA). I am surprised your tap water had 900 PPM of salt. That is worse than west Texas! Once you get your new test kit, work on the TA and pH.

Good Luck.

 

[pooldv]

I would use baking soda to raise TA to 60 first and then test pH a few hours later or the next day. You can splash the hose filling the pool to aerate to raise pH a bit if you want to.

 

[scm175]

I added the baking soda and cya today before I went to work. I will test the TA and PH tomorrow morning. Thanks for the reply.