noobie seeking advice on pH for new gunnite pool

[tltmom]

just switching over from PS to TFP so I'm needing lots of advice!
I am waiting for my TF-100 test kit to arrive in the mail.
#1 I think I will be needing to work on my chlorine, CA, and TA. What is the corrrect order to work on these, or do I use Pool calculator and just go after all 3 at once. did just add tons of pool shock (12% liquid) but I know I need to do "shock process" with good testing

#2 What is the appropriate pH range to aim for with a SWG plaster-lined pool? Do I want to be at the low end (7.2-7.4) or the higher end (7.4-7.6). I know that all the chem levels/csi will relate to this answer, but I was wondering if there was a specific level to shoot for.
Since the plaster is curing now I fight the pH rising quickly, getting to 7.8 within 3 days of lowering it to 7.4-7.2. According to PS tests (I know, can be unreliable!) my TA is high, in the 140's usually. I read "how to reduce TA" so I know I need to reduce it to 80 or so for a SWG as sson as I get my kit, to help control pH drift.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[257WbyMag]

Keep your pH between 7.2 and 7.8 at all times. You will find that your pH rise will be substantial during the first year of your new plaster. Not much you can do about that other than stay on top of the pH and add as much acid as it takes to do so. Also, understand too that by having a SWCG, your pH will always tend to rise from this as well.

Don't worry too much about your TA being high. It will correct itself fairly easily with your repeated acid additions.

Correct pH first, then add chlorine. You will also need to get some stabilizer in there as soon as possible so that you won't lose all of your chlorine to the sunlight. We recommend a CYA level between 60 and 80 ppm for SWCG pools. Any lower than that and your cell won't be able to keep up.

Please start reading Pool School if you haven't already.

 

[tltmom]

thank you for your tips!
I have read & even printed out a lot of your pool school articles re SWG water balance, reducing TA, shock process. very helpful!

I kept a log of everything I have added since I opened the pool this summer, plus daily pH, Cl using simple OTO/pH kit. Glad I did.

I already have 16# stabilizer granules in the pool which PC says should give me a CYA level of 50. I'll know more when I start testing for myself. I have only used the SWG and 12%liquid chlorine to chlorinate. Mostly MA and some pH minus granules to lower pH/TA

I have been using my OTO kit daily for pH & Cl, just never knew what to add, relied on PS up to now. They were helping me manage TC.FC.CC,TA,CYA,CH and pH but I never felt like we had everything just right or could maintain it if we did. Plus now I know their test results may not have been valid anyway!

While I'm waiting for my TF-100 to get here I'm keeping Cl "bight yellow" on OTO and pH at 7.4 with acid. The water is very sparkly.

hope all these details are not too confusing!

Does this sound reasonable?

 

[Dalandlord]

Tltmom, it sounds like you have enough CYA for now. I would wait till I have my test kit and do an OCLT. If the pool looks good, you pass the OCLT and have no or almost no CC you may not need to shock at all. If you need to shock do it before you raise the CYA any more as raising it will raise the FC shock level. You can save some bleach by shocking first.

After you are finished shocking, or know you don't need to, then bring the CYA up to where you want it. It sounds like you came here before the pool got out of hand, you are ahead of the game.