new to pool stuff

[PoolDoc]

You want to be able to go 2 - 3 days without backwashing, before you add it to your skimmer.

[Red Gate Zoo]

It has been a week since I added 12 lbs. granulated cyanuric acid + 1 gal. liquid Instant Conditioner. The granulated has finally dissolved & my CYA=32 (dot finally disappeared). I am using about 2 lbs. Cal-hypo/day to keep the FC=3-5. pH is holding steady at pH=7.6-7.8. Other results: CC=0-.5, TA=125, CH=500.

Pool never looked better! Sparkling clean! Also, my filter only needs backwashing maybe once a week. What are your recommendations? Should I add more cyanuric?

[Watermom]

You'll probably want the CYA closer to 50 to make it easier to keep chlorine in the pool. I'd quit using the cal-hypo. Your calcium hardness reading is getting pretty high and you may end up with some cloudy water issues. (Recommended level is 200-400 for a gunite pool. Vinyl pools don't need any.)

[waterbear]

As watermom said, stop the cal hypo because your calcium level is pretty high. You might want to consider dropping the TA down a bit (around 80 ppm) so yo don't accidentally create scaling conditions if for some reason the pH should spike (it does happen).

[Red Gate Zoo]

Ok, I'll switch to bleach. How do I lower TA? Muriatic acid? How much?

[Watermom]

Please read the following links. I think they will answer your questions.

Lowering Alkalinity Step-by-Step

Using Muriatic Acid Safely

[Red Gate Zoo]

A little more help needed, please.
Today @ 11am: FC=5.5, pH=8, CYA=55, TA=75, CH=450. FC has been holding steady @ 4-6 by adding 182oz. bleach daily.
I have been adding cyanuric to raise CYA to target of 80. Last addition was 4 lbs. on 6/28. Readings went from 35 on 6/27, 60 on 6/29, 70 on 7/2, 70 on 7/3, 60 on 7/4, 55 on 7/5.

Am I doing the test wrong? I know it shouldn't drop. I have not backwashed. Added about 3-4 inches of water that disappeared very quickly. Suspect I may have a leak near surface. I have also been adding muriatic acid & aerating to lower pH & CH. pH has been @ 7.3-7.6 but I ran out of muriatic & it went up to 7.8-8.

CH went from 500 on 6/28, 450 on 6/29, 400 on 7/1, 500 on 7/2, 450 on 7/3, 400 on 7/4, 450 on 7/5. I am using the 10ml. size test. It seems like the color starts to turn purple-ish at about 15 drops, but doesn't turn blue until 16-18 drops? Again, am I doing it wrong? I know I need to add more muriatic & cyanuric. What else do you recommend? I have set my targets at FC=5-10, pH=7.4-7.8 (after CH goes down), CYA=80-90, CH=200-400, TA=80. Are these reasonable targets?