First time Startup of 24' AGP

[PaPoolNewB]

Well the Solar Cover is shot so that was a let down but least I knew what to look for. Would have been a mess if I placed it in the pool. Thanks Ben for the tip. So used the pool most of the day and did a CL and PH reading after finally got out. The FC dropped from 4.5 in the AM reading to a 2.0. PH remained the same and still 0 CC. Is that a normal amount of drop or more than usual do to the probably still low CYA count? I plan on adding the usual 1 1/3 cup of the Kem-Tek tonight. Should I increase that dose or will that raise the CL count significantly. I have not yet fully grasped the ppm raise with X amount of Chemical. Definitely have more reading to do. If any really good posts you could direct me to for that I would appreciate it.

Had a Solar Cover question. I can get a really good price on a 18ft Solar Cover. The 24ft covers are much more expensive. I do not own so I do not want to invest to much but would be willing to spend a little if it helped. So would a cover that does not completely hide the water surface still increase the water temp effectively or would the remaining exposed pool area negate the covered areas increases? Probably already know the answer to this but figured was worth asking anyway.

Thanks!

[PoolDoc]

Roughly speaking, if you cover 50% of a pool, you'll get 50% of the effect. (18' round sft is about 56% of 24' round sft).

[PaPoolNewB]

I have been adding the Kem-Tek All in One Granules that I purchased off Ebay for 5 days now at a total of 2lbs a day. My FC level has ranged from as little as 2ppm Night reading after a medium day of usage to as much as 8ppm in the AM before sun comes up. Even at that high of level I have still been adding the 2/3 cup Dose in the AM and the 1 1/3 cup Dose in the PM as I am in process of getting or trying to get CYA up. Did first CYA test this morning and the Black Dot never fully disappeared. The water was a little cloudy but I could still make it out. So from what I read obviously the level is below 30ppm still at this point. Am attaching a link to the Kem-Tek Chlorine I purchased from Ebay. I just want to confirm this the correct Chlorine with Stabilizer. The container makes no mention of the Stabilizer anywhere that I can see on it. Want to be sure that the level eventually will come up as I continue adding with this Chemical. If I purchased the wrong thing then I will order Pure CYA at this point to start adding if necessary. Here is the link, thank you for your help.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o02_s03_i00

[PoolDoc]

The KemTek product you linked is fine.

[PaPoolNewB]

Today is 1 full week of adding the Kem-Tek Dichlor. I did a Full panel of tests including CYA. I added the final PM dose of 1 1/3 Cup last night at 9pm. This reading is exactly 12hrs later with having run the Filter for approximately 3.5 hrs during the night.

Temp - 75
FC - 11
CC - 0
PH - 7.4
TA - 80
CH - 40
CYA - 40

Did not add any more of the Dichlor and now I believe I can switch to the BBB method for rest of pool season. Also wanted to point out that I believe I made a mistake in the size of the pool. I do not have measuring tape that is long enough and was basing the size on some old documents I found in basement. I walked the pool using one foot directly in front of the other and came up with 27 steps. I am a size 13 so that roughly one foot each step. Know that sounds ridiculous but should be somewhat accurate. So I need to make all calculations based on a 27' X 4' Round AGP.

Do I need to add Borax and Baking Soda to Increase the TA and PH or are the levels fine where they are? From what I have read I think I need to add 1.4lbs of Borax to bring PH to 7.6 and 2.2lbs of Baking Soda to increase TA to 100.

What should the TA and PH be in regards to my other readings and are they fine at the current level they are at?

Is there a way to calculate dosages properly for future reference. I am having hard time locating the PPM level change for X amount of either Bleach, Borax, and Baking Soda based on my Volume which should now be 17132 gallons.

Pool water is still clear and have had no issues with any type of smell, slimy walls or cloudiness. Running the pump on a cycle of 2.5 hours on and 3.5 hours off continuously for a total of 10hrs a day . Have not needed to Backwash the Filter at all as of yet. The Psi has only increase by 1 for the week according to gauge on pump. Right now the FC is high but will not add bleach till necessary. Would just be nice to know how much to add to increase 1ppm. Thanks!

[PoolDoc]

I walked the pool using one foot directly in front of the other and came up with 27 steps. I am a size 13 so that roughly one foot each step. Know that sounds ridiculous but should be somewhat accurate. So I need to make all calculations based on a 27' X 4' Round AGP.

. . . .

What should the TA and PH be in regards to my other readings and are they fine at the current level they are at?

. . . .

Is there a way to calculate dosages properly for future reference. I am having hard time locating the PPM level change for X amount of either Bleach, Borax, and Baking Soda based on my Volume which should now be 17132 gallons.

1. You might get a more accurate measurement, by measuring AROUND your pool, and then dividing by 3.14 (∏)

2. In a vinyl pool, CH is not important. TA only matters if you are having problems controlling your pH. If your pH is reasonably stable, I wouldn't bother with any TA adjustment.

3. Trying to calculate doses for pH change is NOT a good idea. If you really need to do that, use the K2006 acid or base demand reagents, and their dose tables.

Otherwise, that's what the PF does. Your PF is 7.8, which means that it is 1/7.8 of a 1,000,000 lb pool (~120,000 gallons). When you add 1lb of a 100% chemical, like stabilizer, you will increase that level by 7.8. So, 3lbs of cyanuric acid in your pool will increase your CYA level by ~23 ppm (3 x 7.8). Plain 6% bleach has about 0.5 lbs of chlorine gas in it, so each gallon will add about 4 ppm of chlorine to your pool (7.8 x 0.5). Dichlor is about 55% chlorine & about 50% CYA (no, I didn't make a mistake; no, I won't explain: trust me, you don't wanna know -- has to do with old water treatment custom!). So 1lb of dichlor in your pool will add about 4.3 ppm chlorine and about 3.9 ppm CYA.