Please help a newbie...

Hi everyone!

I just received Ben's test kit and tried it for the first time today. Loved it! It was very easy to use.

However, I'm a little discouraged with the results of my test. Here is my background:

* Brand new pool filled 3 weeks ago.
* approx 13,000 gallons
* Exposed aggregate finish
* Hayward cartridge filter 1.5 hp
* Aqua Rite SWG
* Average daily water temperature is around 86 degrees.

I live in Florida and have been running my pump for 9 hours a day. I have it set to run b/w 8am-12pm and again from 5pm to 10pm. Until today, I have been using test strips to check the water (with the exception of one visit to the pool store) since I was waiting for Ben's kit to arrive.

So far, I have been having difficulty getting my FC level up and consistent, so I have been adding bleach. I have been slowly turning up my SWG to add more chlorine, but the numbers always seem to be low. Right now, the SWG is set to about level 80 and I'm still having to add bleach every few days. My pH has also been running high, so I've been adding muriatic acid.

Here are today's numbers:

FC - 3
CC - .5
TC - 3.5
pH - 8.2
Alk - 60
Cal - 180
Cya - 0
Salt (Ben's) - 4000
Salt - Aquarite instant - 3700

I'm trying to learn, so here are my thoughts (please correct me if I'm off track)...

1. My FC is looking ok for once (I just added bleach yesterday).
2. pH is definitely high, so I just added some acid.
3. Alk looks low, so should I add baking soda?
4. My calcium is ok?
5. Cya is non existent which is probably why I am having trouble with keeping chlorine. My pool company told me not to add stabilizer right away. Why is this? Should I go ahead and add some?
6. My pool salt is high. The pool company dumped at least 5-6 bags of salt in. Should I drain any water? My Aquarite says that it's generating chlorine. Should I change the times my pump runs? Pool company said to run it during the hottest parts of the day which I haven't been doing.

Thanks so much for any advice or input. I'm so worried that I am going to screw up my pool. :confused:

With a SWG, your pH is going to trend towards high, so do keep it under control with the muriatic. Also, yes, I would add baking soda to up your alk to at least 90 but preferably closer to 100--that should help slow down the pH rise and reduce your acid consumption, by at least a little. Don't know why your pool company would have told you not to add stabilizer, but I would go ahead and add it, but understand that it takes a week or more to dissolve, so you're still going to have daily chlorine loss for awhile.

I'll let somebody who knows more than me about the Aquarite chime in about your last questions....

Janet