Installing a new Intex AGP with saltwater chlorination.

[Watermom]

Chlorine in a pool without much CYA doesn't stick around long so, yes, your chlorine will come down. Your tester may say that chlorine should be between 1-4ppm but it actually isn't that simple. How high your chlorine level needs to be depends on your CYA level. (See the Best Guess Chlorine Chart below for more about that.) However, when you have a pool with a SWCG, you need to follow your SWCG manufacturers recommendation for how high the CYA needs to be. You'll want to continue to use dichlor until your CYA is a the level you need it to be. At that point, your SWCG will take over the chlorine production for you.

Your pH is great at 7.5 so no need right now to add any more Borax.

CarlD has an SWCG. I'm going to ask him to look in on this thread and walk you through the rest of your start up with it.

[tigers75]

Sounds good, thank you! Yes, I was wondering if it was worth starting up the SWCG now to assist with the chlorine, or wait until the chlorine level has stabilized along with the CYA together, and then start using it? Looks like I only have a couple of CYA test in my kit.........do they sell individual CYA testing kit?

[BigDave]

Do you know how much dichlor you've used(easy if it came in 1lb bags)? We could calculate approximate CYA added by dichlor if we knew. No need to test CYA every day, as you know there are very few tests in the kit.

[tigers75]

Yes I have used 1 dose, which for 4400 gallons is 3/4 cup, and I have also added equal part (3/4 cup) Borax at same time the last 2 nights. My wife picked up a salt stick test kit today also. Tested that and it came up around 5.4 reading which on this test kit equals 1960ppm.

I understand that the CYA will take a little while to up itself with this being a fresh fill only 2 days ago.

[Watermom]

To answer another of your questions above, yes, you can just buy CYA reagent. That is one that runs out quickly. It is R-0013 and if you click on the test kit link in my signature, you'll find the link to be able to order it at Amazon.

[tigers75]

Tested CL and pH this am before leaving for work and got this:
CL=orange color....guessing above 20ppm?
pH=7.5

Assuming the 3/4 cup dichlor and 3/4 cup borax nightly has obviously raised chlorine levels. Will test again tonight, run pump again for another 6 hrs overnight. I am thinking of skipping tonight dichlor/borax dump in, and to see how much the chlorine will drop in a 24 hr period. Will then check again tomorrow morning as well as, I will now turn on the SWCG nightly and see what readings will be running that.

**Once levels are all stable, should I add anything nightly to maintain? Smaller amounts of dichlor/borax, bleach,ect?
Thanks for info, I have told my wife I am hell-bent on preventing any weird color bloom in the water if possible! haha!

[BigDave]

If the OTO is orange this evening, skip tonight's dose.

I could be way off, but I think 3/4C of dichlor should be between 9 and 12oz. If it is, in 4400 gallons, it will raise CYA 8-10 for each dose. Once you've used 5 doses, test CYA again.

After the CYA is about 50, you might consider using bleach for daily (nightly) chlorination. If the dichlor is bagged, use up any open bags before switching.

"Nightly to maintain": Test FC, CC, and pH nightly. Add enough chlorine so that the FC is at or above the minimum on the Best Guess chart when you test the next evening.