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Thread: New fill - what's first? Total Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness? Water a bit cloudy.

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    Default New fill - what's first? Total Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness? Water a bit cloudy.

    We repainted the pool a few weeks ago and refilled with city water. We also installed new salt water system. Focused first on free chlorine and pH. I think those are getting close to being in check (FC 2.0, pH 7.4). But noticed today water is getting a bit cloudy.
    For chlorine, I'm running salt system at 25% and adding dichlor daily to build up CYA.

    So I think I'll get the chlorine and pH balanced but other stats look very low. What should I focus on first - total alkalinity or calcium hardness? See numbers below from this morning's test. Or do I need to look elsewhere to get the cloud out?

    FC 1.4 (added 2 cups of dichlor)
    pH 7.4 (added ~1/2 box of Borax)
    TA 20
    Calc Hard 10
    Pool: 40K gal, 20' x 50', 8' deep - In-ground / Concrete w/ Zeron epoxy paint ● Pump: Hayward Super Pump (2HP) ● DE Filter: Nautilus FNS - 48 ft^2 ● Valve: Pentair SM-20-2; SWG: Pool Pilot with CC-15 cell

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    Default Re: New fill - what's first? Total Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness? Water a bit cloud

    Keep track of how much dichlor you've added and use that to figure the CYA level and, from the CYA level, look up the FC range from Ben's Best Guess Chart. You won't get a reading until CYA gets to 30ppm. You may need add dichlor several time a day until the CYA comes up.

    Use Baking soda to raise TA. Use Calcium Chloride to raise CH.
    12'x24' oval 7.7K gal AG vinyl pool; ; Hayward S270T sand filter; Hayward EcoStar SP3400VSP pump; hrs; K-2006; PF:16

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    Default Re: New fill - what's first? Total Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness? Water a bit cloud

    Thanks, BigDave. I'll watch the chlorine and get going on the TA and CH. I was curious if one needed to be done before the other in case they inter played. I've read posts about bringing X up pushes Y down, etc. so was checking.
    Pool: 40K gal, 20' x 50', 8' deep - In-ground / Concrete w/ Zeron epoxy paint ● Pump: Hayward Super Pump (2HP) ● DE Filter: Nautilus FNS - 48 ft^2 ● Valve: Pentair SM-20-2; SWG: Pool Pilot with CC-15 cell

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    Default Re: New fill - what's first? Total Alkalinity or Calcium Hardness? Water a bit cloud

    Adjust one a little. Let it mix. Adjust the other a bit. Let it mix. And so on. The idea is to slowly approach your targets. The pool calculator says you'll need nearly 90 pounds of calcium chloride. Don't throw it all in at once. Just a little at a time. Don't put it in with baking soda. Too much calcium chloride at once or close to the baking soda and you can turn your pool into milk.

    On second thought, work on the calcium first - a little at a time - I'll guess about 10 pounds at a time. Then on the TA. Use a box at a time of baking soda.

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