New Aqua Rite

[Poolsean]

Thanks for supporting the Salt CHlorinator industry

Our Aquarite SWCG was started yesterday. I have a couple questions - I did search past posts but wasn't able to find the info I am exactly looking for.

1. Pool builder put the salt in the pool yesterday morning and scrubbed the pool. Not all of it dissolved - DH said the bottom looked like a salt beach! I scrubbed it for about 20 minutes when I got home from school last night, but I don't think it all got dissolved. The water is pretty cloudy now - I am assuming because of the undissolved salt - the pump has been running constantly since they added it yesterday. I was thinking about running the Navigator to suck it into the filter and let it dissolve there - but will it plug it up?
   -->The salt should have dissolved with the combination of brushing, warm water temps and your filter pump running (WITH THE BOTTOM DRAIN OPENED), within a few hours, if not sooner! If you have a rough surface still, I would suspect it to be calcium, rather than salt. This is a problem with new pool construction and plaster finishes. The constantly high pH will allow the calcium hardness to form sharp/rough growths throughout the pool. KEEP AHEAD OF YOUR pH AND MAINTAIN IT ON THE LOW SIDE (7.2- 7.4) until the plaster cures.
   
2. The pool builder added CYA last Friday - I will be testing it tonight to see where it is at, but the warranty guidelines is a CYA of 60-80 with chlorine between 1ppm-3ppm. This chlorine level is really low as compared to the best guess chart - I was going to run the chlorine between 5ppm-8ppm and then let my sample I have to take to the pool store sit in the sun to get the chlorine level to what the warranty guidelines are - my question is what chlorine level should I follow - the literature or the best guess? What is everyone else doing?

-->I keep mind at about 3 ppm, 70 - 80 ppm cya, pH spot on at 7.3. Alk tested at 100 ppm, CH = 250 ppm. Tremendous rain with Trop Storm Ernesto just dropped a bunch of tree debris, but nothing to affect the system. Pool is as clean and clear as can be!
The discussion with SWG is that it does not follow the Best Guess charts. It is more efficient at oxidizing the chloramines. MOST swg owners will confirm the lower FC levels with the higher CYA levels as perfectly acceptable.

This morning my test results were FC-4, CC-0, PH-7.8 (added acid). Monday tests ALK-80 & CH-190.

Thanks

[Simmons99]

Thanks Pool Sean,

It is salt - it's not rough - you can pick it up in your hand - they dumped in Morton's solar salt - all 400 + lbs. I ran home at lunch and it looks like it has cleared up, but I didn't have time to brush- yep I have been running with the main drain on.

Also - I do try to keep PH between 7.2-7.4 - but it sky rocketed after the salt was added yesterday - I added some acid this morning and tested about 20 minutes later and it looked like it was between 7.2-7.5 - but I don't think it was really mixed up yet.

The warranty guidelines are for the pool in general - the finish, equipment, heater, etc.

Since I am new to pool care - I am afraid that I will get algae with the chlorine at 1-3ppm with a CYA of 60-80. I guess I can try it and see what happens....