I fully understand that owning a pool is not a "set it in the backyard and enjoy it" item.
I grew up in the delta's of california so am intimately familiar with life around water.
I AM, however, a rank noob with pool ownership ergo I'm here

most importantly, get the right test kit, learn how to use it, and learn how to take care of your pool
I assume that somewhere in this avalanche of information you folks have this well documented?

Thanks for responding, I'll get ahold of them and get it exchanged. We can afford to do this ONCE, not once a year.