HELP - Saltwater System Inital Setup - Intex 54601EG

[Watermom]

I can't answer most of those questions but will tell you that you want to get your water balanced before you turn on the unit. Do you have a drops-based test kit? Can you post current readings?

Also, disconnect the copper electrode that is on the unit. Contrary to popular belief, it is not chlorine that stains pools and turns blonde hair green, it is copper!

[QiingGuy]

@watermom I don't have drops but I have strips, will that work?

[QiingGuy]

Here are the strip results:
TH - 1000
FC - 0/0
Ph - 6.8
TA - 120
CYA - 0

[Watermom]

Well, we actually call them 'guess strips' around here......

The test kit that we think is by far the best is the Taylor K2006 or 2006C (better buy). Not available locally but you can get it through this link that takes you to Amazon: http://pool9.net/tk/

But, in the meantime, go to Walmart and see if they have the HTH 6-Way drops-based kit (no test strips!) and get that. If they don't, get an OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops) instead. Use it to test and then post your numbers. Also while you are at WallyWorld, get several jugs of their generic 8.25% bleach and a 2 or 3 boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle).

Then, test and repost the numbers. (Do this asap. Your pH appears to be critically low and can damage your pool and equipment! Any reading below 7.0 is acidic. So...... get off to Walmart!)

[QiingGuy]

Thanks! Wife's on her way to Wally World!

[QiingGuy]

Here are the chlorine and pH numbers:
Cholrine - Totaly Clear so I guess that's a zero.
Ph - 7.8

Still trying to figure out how to conduct the other tests.

[QiingGuy]

Here's latest update on tests. Please note my CYA question:
TH - 340 (wasn't red, more like purple prior to adding hardness titrant)
Cholrine - Totaly Clear
Ph - 7.5 - 7.8
TA - 150
CYA - Not sure I'm reading this test right. It's asking me to add 7 ml of the cyanuric acid reagent to 7ml pool water. 7 ml of acid reagent is 1/3 of the total amount that came with my kit)

[Watermom]

Since this is a new fill, you won't have any CYA in there yet unless you have used some trichlor pucks, dichlor shock or have added any CYA separately. I assume you have used none of those?

What exactly have you added to the pool by the way -- ingredients, please? When did you fill it?

(Do you see now why we call them 'guess-strips'? )