The way the K-2006 works, your results really are:4 ppm free chlorine (FC)TC - FC = CC (combined chlorine), or in your case, 4 - 4 = 0 CC, which is good.
4 ppm total chlorine (TC)
7.4 pH
110 ppm alkalinity (Alk)
400 ppm calcium hardness (CH)
0 ppm cyanuric acid (CYA)
Your chlorine, pH, and alkalinity are fine.
The low cyanuric acid will make managing the pool harder than needed. The high calcium is NOT a problem UNLESS you have a heater, a salt water chlorine generator (SWCG) OR let your pH get high. It does mean you do NOT want to use chlorine in the form of cal hypo (calcium hypochlorite), since that adds even MORE calcium.
What I'd recommend at this point is:
Get some bagged dichlor (55% chlorine, 50% stabilizer). If you have access to a Sams Club, their box with 24 x 1# bags of dichlor is the best price and material. Otherwise, you'll need to order from Amazon. Currently (July 2018), this is the best option -- and nearly as cheap as Sams Club -- but you can check this one, and this one, too. Be sure to note that the last option is 12#, not 24#. The good thing about the bagged dichlor is that it seems to keep OK till the next year -- unlike every OTHER form of chlorine.
Each bag of dichlor will add 5.5 ppm of chlorine, and 5 ppm of stabilizer to your pool. You can use a bag instead of bleach each evening. Once you've added 6 - 8 bags, you should have a decent CYA level, and your chlorine consumption will drop.
Basically, it looks like you are ready for a routine:1. Add chlorine with pool bleach (1/2 gallon dose), normally, but use dichlor (1 bag dose) if your stabilizer is low.If you haven't gotten one already, I would recommend that you get the HTH 6-way kit in addition to the K2006. You can get it from from Amazon or sometimes from Walmart . The OTO/phenol red kit is much faster and easier to use than the K2006 . . . and is good enough for everyday use AFTER you've established a routine with the K-2006. The alkalinity and CYA test in the HTH are the SAME as the one in the K-2006.
2. RAISE your pH, if it gets to 7.2, using 20 Mule Team borax (1 box per dose).
3. LOWER your pH, if it gets to 7.8, using dry acid (pH Plus, etc) (2 cups per dose).
4. Do NOT use ANYTHING else, unless you REALLY need to do so . . . and you probably don't!
Also, if you haven't gotten a spare cartridge, I would recommend that you do so. Filtration is very, VERY important, and it is easier to keep a clean cartridge in the filter, if you can swap them out, and soak the old one before washing it.
Other than that, it sounds like you are close to having everything under things in control.
It IS possible that you'll have problems with mustard algae, later in the season. In some pools, it can grow, even when everything is correct. There is a fairly easy way to resolve this, but it involves learning some more stuff. And there's no reason to worry about it yet, since mustard algae is NOT a problem on all pools.
Good luck!
Bookmarks