Brand new pool & SWG owner!! aka NEWBIE!!

Hiya all.... First, this is a combo question.... so I hope this is the proper forum...

I have been here before when I had my ''kiddie" pool and found the help here great!!

Now I finally took the plunge.... and got an real BIG people pool...

First what I have.
10x18 AquaSport 52" 5000gal
Hayward c400 Cartridge Filter
Aqua-Pro 600 heat pump
Goldline Aquatrol RJ SWG

Questions :

What test kits should I get and what tests should I be most concerned about??

What besides salt… what other chemicals should I have on hand?

Any tips or suggestions on settings / controlling the SWG?

Any do/don’ts that I need to know???

Listen to the experts here and you will love your pool!

I am not an expert but I am going on my 3rd year with a SWG and I love it.

First get a good testing kit. I don't trust anything but an FAS/DPD test for chlorine readings. They aren't sold here any more, but Taylor makes some and you can get an all round kit with that plus everything else you need(except salt test) at www.tftestkits.com. Salt test strips sold there and at Leslie's.
With a SWG pH is a big concern as it drifts up as a result of the chlorine generation process.
Muriatic acid or Ph down is what is needed to lower the pH. Muriatic acid is much cheaper but a little more dangerous to use. I wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when I add it.
You also need the 3 B's-bleach, borax and baking soda .
Bleach for shocking(done once last year), borax to raise pH if needed(I used it once in 2 years after adding too much muriatic acid) and baking soda to raise alkalinity if needed-maybe after a very heavy rain but test first as it is not easy to lower.
Just scour this website and ask questions. There is always someone on here with the answer.
As far as salt, use solar salt or softener salt with no additives. I just bought 2 40lb. bags of blue bag Morton salt at WallyWorld for 4.54 each. Do not use road rock salt.
Good luck and enjoy your pool!

Deca, good to see you posting!:) If you have any questions about your AquaTrol, I've recently been certified to work on them by Goldline/Hayward and will help you as needed.

Poolbee, GREAT answer!

To both of you - enjoy your pools!!

Poolbee and waste:

Thanks for the help... Like I said before... I was here before with my kiddie pool... The help that I got maintaining that was great!!! (Never had a problem with water quality following the directions given here..)

Poolbee - ordered the tft tesk kit and salt strips yesterday!!!

The pool guy that installed my pool gave me a bunch of stuff... chems, test kit etc... he told me to stay from the muriatic acid... gave me pH- instead.

He also gave me a de-calclifier(sp?) should I use it? told me it was optional...

the BS test kit that the pool guy gave me is hard to get a chlorine reading as the yellows blend... but given that it shows very high... havent used the pool yet as it has not been warm enough...

Waste... my question to you is ...
is there any way to lengthen the SWG cable to the box... ??

how accurate is the instant salt PPM on the unit and should I trust it?
what should I use to adjust salt the average (default screen) or the instant?

I know there are a lot of factors that effect chlorine... but since I am having high CH levels how do I go about adjusting the SWG to maintain a high but safe level of chlorine... should I go to 100% and work backward or go low and work up?...

I know the pump needs to run during daylight for ch production... does it need to run at night... if so how long.... in other words how long should I run the timer??


Also.... I had to take the pump offline for a three days.... I am putting up a shed (aka pump house...:) ) What do I need to do to restart the pool... I dont intend to use it for a while.... as I know it would filter and rechlorinate...

Thanks for the compliment Waste! I am reluctant to offer advice as this is only my 3rd year with the pool. You are all good teachers!

Deca, sorry for the delay - I had to go to a family reunion (in-laws:eek: ) this weekend.

As for the Muriatic, Pat has some posts here about NOT using the pH- on SWCG pools because the sulfides can damage the cells.

There is no way to lengthen the cord without voiding the warranty :( Depending on a few variables, especially temp, the unit can read +/- 500 ppm - I trust the default most of the time, I use the instant just to check when the main display is 'funky' You should have the pool circulate a couple hours before fully trusting either - and never trust either until 24 hours after adding salt.

What I start ~ all our SWCG pools at is 50% and adjust from there depending on CYA, sun, usage... before doing any major chemical additions, get the kit, run the tests and post the numbers here - one of us will tell you what you need to add or not add to the pool:cool:

No worries, as stated the pump was offline for a few days to get the shed up.

Well got the pump back up an running... going to super chlorinate the pool for the next 12 hrs and run at 50% after... Water is still very clear but there is a lot of dirt.. Plus two days of sun and a good rain must = funky water!!

So use the Muriatic instead of the pH- ? (If I read your post right)

Still waiting on the test kit... should have it in the next day or two... will run tests and post results...

Muriatic acid is fine to use, as long as you don't get careless with it. You definitely don't want to stand downwind and breathe fumes (that hurts, believe me!!) or spill it on yourself or anything around you, but otherwise it's pretty easy to handle. Make sure you thoroughly rinse off any that splashes on the concrete, though, because it leaves pits!

Janet

Well Test results are:

Temp 73
FC 1
CC 0
TC 1
pH 7.2
T/A 50
CH 100
CYA 0
Salt PPM 3300

I cranked the aquatrol to 80% because of the low chlorine. I know I need
add CYA.... anything else....

I would increase the TA to 90-100 using baking soda and add the CYA. If you have a vinyl pool, leave the CH alone. If you have a concrete/plaster pool, then your CH needs to be increased, too.

Janet

janet... Thanks... one question, since I serached the site and cant find any real info.... how much baking soda do I need? Is there a calculator or chart I am missing? its a ~5000 gal pool

I would start with about 1 cup, pre-dissolved or poured very slowly into the skimmer to avoid clumping, give it 2-3 hours and retest, then dose again as needed to target around 90 ppm. Alk is one of those things that is a real PITA to lower, so you don't want to overshoot it.

Janet

After scouring the internet.... I figured adding 1 box couldnt hurt....so I did... waited, tested and added another box based on results.... now have a T/A of 90... :)

Just a FYI, there is an Online Pool Calculator that is just awesome. You put in your pool gallons, and the number and your goal and it tells you how much to add.

sevver: That calculator is awsome!!!!! THANKS!!!! Now I have a good reference to adjust chem!!!