Finished replaster today

[texasbuzzard]

Pool finished replaster, (white plaster), re-tile, new LED lights. Water is going in right now. I have a skimmer with a couple of tabs in it floating around.

I will use the Pool School link for startup.
Is it normal for the water to look cloudy while it is filling?

 

[zea3]

There may be quite a bit of dust in the pool that is clouding the water.

 

[JamesW]

http://www.npconline.net/StartUp.pdf

Can you post the following test results from your fill water?

pH
TA
Calcium

 

[texasbuzzard]

not just cloudy but dirty brown tint to it.

ph : 8.0+

acid demand test : 1.25 gallons acid

calcium test : 400ppm

total alkalinity : 300ppm

Chlorine : nil to .5

 

[JasonLion]

Brown is not so good. Hopefully it is just dirt. Iron can also cause brown water and could stain the plaster.

You should keep the PH below 8.0 at all times. That usually means adding acid every day, occasionally more than once a day.

The FC level will be fairly low for a while. Just keep a couple of trichlor tabs in the skimmer and the pump running 24/7 for now and that should be enough chlorine.

 

[texasbuzzard]

I just brushed and added 1 gallon of acid, and 7.5 lbs of DE when I fired up the filter. The spa filled and the water appeared cleaner so hopefully the filter will turn it over. I am on a well so i am hoping it is not iron but the rag that was on the hose when I started filling had some black residue in it. Got my fingers crossed that its dirt. I will check all the specs in the morning. One of the links in the post says no chlorine for 3 days but surely 1-3 ppm won't hurt.

 

[JasonLion]

The National Plasterers Council says no chlorine for the first 48 hours. That NPC-Online link JamesW gave you is good reading.

Even low levels of chlorine can affect the curing of the plaster in the first few hours, including some chance of causing metal stains to become embedded in the plaster permanently. The worst case damage from adding chlorine early is never all that bad, aside from the possibility of stains, but it is worth avoiding if you possibly can.

 

[texasbuzzard]

Water is clearing up, still has sediment and a white cloud when I brush, ph appears to be right at an 8.0. Added another gallon of acid. Looks like no Polaris for 28 days?

 

[JasonLion]

Right, no wheels on the plaster for 28 days.

 

[texasbuzzard]

3 gallons of acid. Should I use the Metal-Free.