Pool start up - couple questions

[Tonedeaf]

Forgive my noob questions. I have read ad nauseum through pool school and searched quite a few start up threads etc.

Some background. Pool start up was Monday this week. Pool was shocked by the tech. He went through the chems and testing etc. I am in the 2 week brushing plaster process. Brushing early morning and in the evenings.

1) When is the best time to test the water, before or after brushing the plaster?

2) Is it normal that I have already had to add 1/2 gallon of Muriatic Acid? The ph last night was purple on the test kit they left for me. Will test again this evening.

3) In regards to chlorine tablets, is it best to add one tablet at a time to the skimmer basket or should I add more? I bought 2 at Home Depot and put one tablet in this morning as the CH did not change color on test kit.

I plan on having the water tested at a pool store this evening.

 

[JohnT]

I don't think it matters whether you test before or after you brush. High pH like that is normal with new plaster, and you need to add acid.

It's better not to add the tablet in the skimmer at all as it may damage the skimmer or plumbing. You need to get chlorine and CYA into the pool, but a tablet in the skimmer isn't going to cut it. I'd recommend bleach or liquid chlorine until you get the SWCG going, and add CYA to get to the SWCG manufacturer's recommended level. Algae can come on very quickly with 0 FC.

 

[JasonLion]

As long as the pump is running, it doesn't really matter if you test the water before or after brushing. Long term it is best to test the water in the evenings, but for right now it would be good if you tested twice a day (if possible).

The PH can go up very rapidly for the first three or four weeks. You really want to keep the PH below 8.2 for sure and below 8.0 if possible. That may require adding acid twice a day, though usually once a day is good enough.

Given your pool size, I would overlap the trichlor tablets, so that there is about 1 1/2 tablets in the skimmer at a time. That is, add a new one when the old one is about half way gone. Note that you can have trichlor in the skimmer only if you are running the pump 24/7. Using trichlor is very handy for a new pool startup, since they add chlorine, CYA, and lower PH, all of which are valuable during new plaster startup.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Thank you both for the answers. Will go out and get some TriChlor tablets this evening in addition to some more acid.

I can easily test in morning and evening when I brush.

What is best way to add the acid, in area of a return. Should I split the amount added between 2 or more returns?

In regards to using the skimmer for adding the tablets of chlorine, the tech suggested to use that instead of a floater.

 

[PoolOwnerNumber9]

If you have a heater, salt cell or any metal in-line you should not add trichlor through the skimmer. The salt cell should be left out of the plumbing until you are ready to use it. No salt should be added for the first 30 days. Cyanuric acid should be kept below 40 for the first 30 days. Do a test before and after brushing to see if there is a significant difference. As long as you have good circulation you can add the acid slowly into the deep end away from the light or any metal fixtures and that will be fine; near a return will help dispurse the acid faster. Add the acid after brushing.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Almost 2 weeks after start up of our pool and I think I am getting the water in line. Here is my latest analysis from the pool store.

pH 7.6
FC 2.2
TC 2.2
TA 89
Adjusted TA 76
CH?(Shows Tot. Hardness on report) 199
CYA 44
TDS 200
Saturation Idx 0

I know I need to get the TA up and put in 4lbs of baking soda in this evening and will put in another 4 lbs in the morning and then 4 more tomorrow evening. More muriatic acid will go in in the morning aswell to bring the pH down a bit.

Will also be adding some more CYA to get the level up to about 70 or so to be in line with what my SWG will need to get it going.

Question regarding starting the SWG. Pool builder at start up said 2 weeks after start is fine to get the SWG going but I have read a lot about waiting 30 days before doing that. I am thinking would be better to let the plaster cure a few more weeks. What say the experts??

Thanks for all of the help on this site and the wealth of info and shared knowledge aswell.

 

[JasonLion]

Your TA is fine where it is. It is still going to go up some more from the plaster curing and the reccommended level with a SWG is 60-90.

Plaster people vary about how long they say to wait before adding salt. I have never seen a study that showed any particular waiting period was required but most plaster people say waiting is important. In my mind waiting is mostly about keeping your warranty intact and generally being extra cautious.