New here. A bit overwhelmed.

[aylad]

The bleach that Watermom recommended is to get your chlorine up for right now so that you don't add an algae bloom to the equation. Once your SWG gets up and running, it will generate the chlorine for you, but in the meantime since you don't have any stabilizer in the water, the sun will quickly degrade your chlorine.

As far as the other recommendations from Watermom and Carl, they all apply even with the SWG running--in fact, the SWG will help raise your pH as well, so it actually will make your job a little easier.

Also, you do need to add CYA to the pool, but do NOT add 3 lbs to a 6500 gallon pool. You want to check the CYA level that your SWG manual recommends, then follow CYA label directions to target just below that level, since CYA takes several days to register in the pool, and it's easy to overshoot....and if you do that, then you'll have to drain/refill to lower it. If you have a sand filter, you can put it in the skimmer but don't backwash for at least a week, or better yet, put it in an old tube sock or knee hi and hang it in front of your return to let it dissolve.

BTW, a pool full of splashing kids is a VERY efficient way to raise your pH!!

Welcome to the forum!

Janet

[Mwil3]

Ok. For now I will shock, condition, and put keep an eye on the pH. As the pH goes up a bit I'll add the acid to get it down to 7.0 and continue to "ratchet" the TA and pH to where they need to be. Thanks again for the help. I look forward to being a part of this forum.

[Watermom]

As I mentioned in my post above, since you are filling from a well, you don't want to shock until you make sure you don't have any metal in your water.

[Mwil3]

As I mentioned in my post above, since you are filling from a well, you don't want to shock until you make sure you don't have any metal in your water.

Ok. No chlorine until I check for metal.

[mbar]

You may want to add a sequestering agent before you shock. Anything that says metal out, or metal control. If you have metals in the water, and high ph and you shock you will cause the metals to fall out of solution and stain the pool (it can be cleared up, but to stop it before it happens is much easier!). Put as much as it says on the bottle in, and you will have to add it as you add water to your pool. The sequestering agent will keep any metals in the pool water in solution. High ph along with high chlorine levels is what makes metals fall out of solution. If you have any questions feel free to ask

[Mwil3]

Well....I went by the pool store to get some conditioner and the guy told me to put 4lbs in a 6500 gallon pool (don't worry...I didn't put near that much.) After reading a bit more of the SWG booklet, it said to add about 1/2 pound, so that what I put in (I figured it easier to add more than take some out.) I put in 2 quarts of plain bleach and ran the SWG for about 6 hours (per the directions in the booklet.) I can't get my hands on a Taylor test kit locally, so I'm going to have to order one. I used some test strips, and I got a liquid kit for pH and Chlorine, and from what I can tell, it looks like my chlorine is good. The kids splashed and I have the jet aggitating the water surface and my pH is TA seem to be pretty high (again, that's with the test strip.) I did add about 1 cup of acid last night. I'll take a sample to the pool store and see if they can give me some numbers. Thanks for the help and the warm welcome.

[Watermom]

You are right that it is best to go slow with adding cya and it is easier to put more in than take some out. The only way to remove it is to do a partial drain. How did you add it? In the skimmer? Hanging in a sock in front of a return jet?

[Mwil3]

You are right that it is best to go slow with adding cya and it is easier to put more in than take some out. The only way to remove it is to do a partial drain. How did you add it? In the skimmer? Hanging in a sock in front of a return jet?

Well, I put it in a nylon stocking, but as I was swimming around I noticed that I could rub it around in my hands and it seemed to disolve, so that's what I did. After about 10 minutes of that it had all disolved.

I've got a quick question about "metals"? The swg calls for some copper. Does that count as metal?

[Watermom]

It is ok to add chlorine. As I suggested, take it to about 6ppm but just don't "shock" the chlorine up high. You might need to reread this thread. There has been a lot of information given and sometimes it is hard to absorb it all on the first read. Hang in there. You'll get it. Let us know when you find out about your well water.

[Mwil3]

It is ok to add chlorine. As I suggested, take it to about 6ppm but just don't "shock" the chlorine up high. You might need to reread this thread. There has been a lot of information given and sometimes it is hard to absorb it all on the first read. Hang in there. You'll get it. Let us know when you find out about your well water.

OK. I'm sorry...I was a bit confused (I thought that "shock" was Chlorine)
When you say "plain bleach" do you mean just "plain bleach"? Like from walmart?