Brand spanking new OOL (no P in it) I have read so much I am now dumb

[clayr]

We recently bought a 24' x 54" AB pool, from Eastgate Pool and Spas in Cincinnati OH: 15000 gallons White River Ac1500MXVT 1.5hp pump, Black Diamond filter PRC1500B.
I ordered the Taylor K-2006 test kit as well as the K-1000 and have used both to get the numbers below.
The pool was installed last Tuesday, filled by Thursday afternoon and electrician hooked up the pump on Sunday.
Since the pump has been hooked up I have ran it 12 hours a day and all that I have added to the water is 2lb of CYA that was included with the pool (which I mistakenly just dumped into the pool before reading to add to strainer or put in a sock by return).
I have been combing over this forum and now all the numbers and information seem like a blur and all I want is to have a well (and affordable) maintained pool.
With the pool I received 2lbs of PH Increase (sodium carbonate) (all the chemicals are from SPARCO), 2lbs of PH Down (sodium bisulfate), 2 lbs of CYA (which I have already dumped in the pool, per the installers recommendations), trichlor tabs and Power Magic Superoxidizer (47.6% Calcium hypochlorite; 29.8% Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate; 22.6% OTHER INGREDIENTS).
I have purchased 2 126oz bottles of plain Clorox Bleach (6% or close to that I believe)
I tested the water for the first time and my #'s are
FC.5
PH 8.0
TA 260
I want desperately to get this right, from the beginning, using the bbb method.
Please help me know what I need to do/add to this thing.
I have read so much now that I feel like an educated idiot...

Would it make a difference if I said I plan on paying for this forum??? (some what cynical statement)

[aylad]

Hi, and welcome to the group!!

First off, you need to keep your chlorine levels between 1-3 at all times (I would keep them closer to 3-6 ppm, just to make sure). Until your stabilizer registers in the water, this will probably mean chlorine additions a few times a day. If you add it at night, obviously you shouldn't lose any because there's no sun to consume it, but you might have to add some a couple of times while the sun is out in order to keep the chlorine in the pool. Ina 15000 gallon pool, each 3 cups of 6% bleach you add will raise your chlorine by 1 ppm, so you can use that as a guide to figure out how much you need to add each time to stay in your base range. I wouldn't worry for right now about the TA, but your pH is a little high. I would drop that to the 7.4-7.8 range, using either a little muriatic acid or dry acid (your pH down would work).

The two pounds of CYA you added is only enough to get you to about 20 ppm--I would go a bit higher than that (your test kit won't even register it until it's at least 30 ppm). I would add 2 more pounds and shoot for about 40 ppm. You can always adjust this later if you want, but 40 should be good for now.

Check your trichlor tab ingredient label--if they contain copper, I absolutely wouldn't use them. If they don't include copper, then you could use those instead of additional stabilizer, since they add chlorine, add stabilizer, and reduce pH.

I know there's a huge amount of information, but it really isn't as hard as it seems, once you wrap your head around it and get used to your pool's needs. You've done well to get a good test kit from the beginning--that will make things a ton easier!!

[clayr]

WOW!!!
Thank you for replying so quickly.
As far as the trichlor tabs, would copper have to be listed as an ingredient? or is under the completely vague "other" ingredients?
I really don't mind buying more CYA and adding bleach, if using the tabs would present any issues at all.
Also, as far as brushing the pool, are we talking about using the brush that is on the vacuum or any soft bristled scrub type brush?

[PoolDoc]

You can also add the pH minus -- your pH is high, and your TA is VERY high, and will cause your pH to drift upwards. It's not likely 2 lbs will be enough, so read the muriatic acid page linked in my signature . . . and the test kit info page.

And, about the 'power oxidizer' -- if anyone in your family has any allergic tendencies, don't use it. That 22% may be innocuous (and useless) stuff, or it may be an allergen. We're bumping into rashes and other allergy like symptoms that seem to be related to the mystery ingredients in 'voodoo' pool chlorine blends.