Opening pool test results

[GregP]

I opened up the pool for the summer and have been just been adding chlorine until I got my Taylor 2006 test kit. Well the test kit arrived and I came up with the following numbers.
12 ppm Free Chlorine
0 ppm Chombined Chlorine
pH 7.2 (Needed 2 drops to acheive 7.4)
160 ppm Alkalinity
70 ppm Calcium Carbonate
65 Cyanuric Acid
OTO test kit (new this year) shows Chlorine as Orange
water temp 70 degrees but feels colder than that.
24 foot x 54 inch sidewall above ground pool
Hayward Power-Flow Matrix 1hp pump
Hayward Perflex Extended Cycle D.E. filter model EC40C92S with 38GPM Flow Rate
Chemicals on hand:
12.5% liquid chlorine 5 gallons (just purchased have not added any yet)
Pool Brand quick disolving shock 99%Sodium Dichlor-s-Triazinetriane Hydrated (2 bags)
HTH pH minus
HTH Stabilizer and conditioner
E-Z Chlor calcium elevator
Pool Brand Alkalinity Booster
Celatom brand DE
Water is crystal clear, pump has been running 24 hours a day for approx 2 weeks. I have not added any of the shock chlorine for approx 1 week due to the orange OTO test.

Any recommendations would be appreciated including how much of the 12.5% chlorine to use.

Thank you.
Greg

[Watermom]

Your numbers look pretty good except I would bump the pH up a little with some 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart). I would not use any more stabilized forms of chlorine in this pool since your CYA is already 65. I would just stick with the liquid chlorine for daily chlorination and for shocking when needed. I would not use any more of the dchlor.

You also do not need the calcium elevator since this is a liner pool. Also do not add any of the stabilizer and conditioner. (That is CYA).

With your volume, each quart of the 12.5% bleach will add about 2.3ppm of chlorine. Use that to help you figure out doses. With a CYA level of 65, you need to keep your chlorine level between 5-10 all the time and when you need to shock, you'll need to take it up to 20ppm.

Hope this helps!

[GregP]

Thanks Watermom.

In keeping the chlorine level at 5-10 ppm, how would you test for that because the OTO kit doesn't read that high (I thought I would save on the Taylor reagents and do the daily testing with the OTO kit)? Would I just use the test for the free chlorine in the Taylor test kit?
I will get the borax in tomorrow to target the pH at 7.4

Thanks,
Greg

[Watermom]

You really would need to use your Taylor K-2006 kit to test chlorine levels higher than 5ppm. But, with CYA of 65, you might find that you don't need to test every day. Every other day might work as long as you don't drop below 5ppm by then.