New Pool Start Up

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H

hakbrk

0
Feb 6, 2015
58
Richmond/TX
Have gotten a ton of information from this site and am in the process of getting ready for my pool fill :D. As you can see from my signature I will have a Luna Quartz finish, my question for the group is what quantity and type of chemicals would you get if you were me? Here is a list of what I think I need but would appreciate any advice on what to get and quantities to get started.
  • Muriatic Acid
  • Sequestrant (Jacks Magic The Blue Stuff?)
  • Stabilizer (raise CYA)
  • Bleach (pool builder will leave me with some either Trichlor or Dichlor but I'd like to set my CYA myself so may not utilize these for very long)

Any advice on quantities or best places to purchase is appreciated.
 
It is good to use trichlor tablets for the first several weeks and then switch to the SWG after a month. That will raise both chlorine and CYA very very slowly, which is what you want with fresh plaster.

On the sequestrant, you should only need one startup dose, which for Jack's products should be a little under 2 quarts but check the package directions.

For either a standard or acid startup you will need lots of acid. That is really the main focus for the first few weeks, keeping PH under control and also brushing lots.

Don't add salt for 30 days after plaster is applied.

One final comment, be clear with your builder/plaster contractor about who is responsible for what. It is also important to follow their advice, even if it conflicts with ours, so you don't put your warranty at risk.
 
Start Up Procedure

Getting closer to pool fill day, I'm guessing three weeks out. Below is the procedure I have come up with, please add or comment.

Pool Start Up Procedure

1. Fill Pool
1.1. Check meter reading at start and record ___________________
1.2. Take water sample and test if possible
1.3. Place Filter on end of hose
1.4. Fill with multiple hoses if possible
1.5. After full check meter reading and record _____________________

2. Initial Water Treatment
2.1. Check with PB
2.2. Remove SWG cell from piping and install dummy
2.3. Take water sample
2.4. Flush all lines
2.5. Place pool on circulation
2.6. Add sequestrant (Jacks Magic The Blue Stuff)
2.7. Take water sample

3. Plaster Curing Period
3.1. After 48 hours of circulation begin brushing twice per day
3.2. Take water sample
3.3. After 72 hours add CYA and raise to 45 (Natural Chemistry Instant Pool Conditioner estimated 2 gallons 1cup required)
3.4. Add bleach to raise FC to 7 (Estimated to be 2.5 96 oz. jugs)
3.5. Circulate for 2-4 hours and take water sample, adjust as needed
3.6. Continue to brush and test water daily

4. Advanced Water Treatment
4.1. Take water sample
4.2. Target values
o FC 4-6 ppm
o PH 7.5-7.8
o TA 60-80
o CH 250-350
o CYA 70-80
After 30 days add and adjust salt
o Salt 3700 ppm (Optimal is 3400 ppm target is 200-400 ppm above)

5. Replace SWG Cell and Start Up
5.1. Install and ensure no leaks
5.2. Take water sample
5.3. Power up cell and set output to 60%
5.4. Set circulation pump to run for 12 hours per 24
5.5. After 24 hours take water sample and ensure FC level of 4-6 ppm, adjust output as required.
 
On section 4, water chemistry: hardly any of that applies to the first few weeks of a fresh plaster startup. You need to ramp up FC and CYA levels very very slowly. The best way to do that is to use trichlor tablets (one for each 10,000 gallons, replace as needed). You will mostly need to keep the PH at 8.0 or lower at all times. That often means lowering the PH to 7.2 every day for the first several weeks. Meanwhile TA and CH will be coming up on their own, so do not adjust least they end up too high.

Several points in sections 3 & 5 are also affected by the plaster startup. The pump needs to be on 24/7 for at least the first week, preferably the first few weeks. Do not raise FC like that all at once. Do not add any chlorine for the first 48 hours, and then add it very very slowly and ramp up slowly from there. Once the pump runtime ramps down, after a few weeks, 12 hours a day is way too much. Try 6 hours to start and then see if you can lower it a little further from there (raise pump runtime temporarily if plaster dust is still an issue.) Instant Pool Conditioner is a waste of money, and you certainly don't want to raise CYA that quickly. If you do need to raise CYA use granular and raise slowly, but trichlor tablets should take care of adding CYA slowly for you.
 
Might want to check with your PB and see if the plaster guys will be supplying the sequestrate or not. I " assumed" it would be up to me, and bought some Magic Jack, but at the pool I just had re-plastered, and at the pool I'm building at my house, the sequestering agent was supplied by the plaster people. They actually dumped it in the pool within 10 minutes of starting to add the water. Not sure if it was the type of agent they used, or just dumb luck, but I had zero plaster dust. At least, if I had any I could never tell. I did the brush, and brush again thing, just as I was instructed to do, but I never saw anything that looked like plaster dust to me. Two different plastering contractors and they both supplied the same agent. I can find the name is you want, but it was not Magic Jack, and specifically designed to reduce plaster dust.

Jim R.
 
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