Newb OB with BYOP in Buckeye AZ - Short vacation pH and FC question

[Newdude]

I know pH tends to rise faster when it is at low ranges, so I plan to do a dry run to see how it behaves.

We can armchair quarterback all day long. But there's one way to find out. .


Usually, as with any swing (like a literal swing), if you push harder it comes back with a vengeance. And might whap you upside the face in the process.

Either way, PH is a long term concern and it won't change the price of beer in the short term. Trust me, I wouldn't let you change the price of beer. We'd have words. Loud ones.

 

[Dirk]

Update on cleaning tile
I got the light duty pads that @Dirk suggested and gave them a go. It worked to remove some of the build up, but wouldn't get it all. So I had a chisel scraper and decided to use that on the tile. It removed the build up with a little effort. Only challenge is some of the build up is on the curved edge of the tile as it meets the grout line, so it doesn't clean it up as much as I'd like. I used the pads after using the scraper, and it did a pretty good job. Since I've got epoxy grout, I'm going to get the heavier duty pads and see if that will remove all the build up without having to use the scraper.

Thanks for sharing. I once tried a wire brush attachment for my drill. It worked. And I may resort to that, but my "tile" isn't really tile and doesn't have a glaze, so it didn't seem to be impacted by the wire brushing. But that's still pretty extreme, and I'm worried it'll leave micro grooves that will just attract more calcium in the future, and be that much harder to remove. It'll be a last resort.

Glad the pads worked out. Keep us posted about the heavier duty pads.

 

[mbdesa]

Question on managing pH and chlorine while on short 3-day vacation.
pH - The pH has been rising 0.2 per day pretty regularly for the last few weeks so I was thinking of getting the pH down to 7.2 before I leave figuring it won't get past 8.0 before I'm back. Is there anything to be concerned about with this approach? Note I have been keeping the pH in a tight range of 7.8 to 8.0. Doing so is a bit of a chore as the pool needs 12oz of acid every day as the pH climbs 0.2 per day. My TA has been 80 over the last three weeks. I know pH tends to rise faster when it is at low ranges, so I plan to do a dry run to see how it behaves.

Chlorine - I've been keeping FC up around 9. I know I'll have to bump up the SWG a few times as we head into the summer. The SWG still has the low salt level red LED on (it's reading has been bouncing between 2650 and 2700 and my last test 2 weeks ago was 2800) but it seems to be generating fine, so I was thinking of leaving it alone. Would it be advisable to add some salt to ensure the SWG doesn't mistakenly read too low and shut off while I'm gone.

Update on cleaning tile
I got the light duty pads that @Dirk suggested and gave them a go. It worked to remove some of the build up, but wouldn't get it all. So I had a chisel scraper and decided to use that on the tile. It removed the build up with a little effort. Only challenge is some of the build up is on the curved edge of the tile as it meets the grout line, so it doesn't clean it up as much as I'd like. I used the pads after using the scraper, and it did a pretty good job. Since I've got epoxy grout, I'm going to get the heavier duty pads and see if that will remove all the build up without having to use the scraper.


Hey @mbdesa what sealant do you use? By the way, my fill water comes through the water softener and my calcium last tested at 350.

When the surface is clear of Calcium, try using Cal Block. Should help prevent the calcium from sticking to the tile. I also have another sealer we are trying currently, but its only been a few months and so the results aren't in yet. Will update once we see how it handles the summer heat and evaporation.

 

[Schwimmbad]

Usually, as with any swing (like a literal swing), if you push harder it comes back with a vengeance. And might whap you upside the face in the process.

Swing it did!

For my dry run I dropped pH down to 7.2. It climbed to 7.6 after one day, to 7.9 after two days, and 8.0 after three days. When I was managing pH between 7.8 and 8.0 it would take about 12oz of acid a day and climb 0.2. It took 48oz of acid to get it down to 7.2 and climbed 0.4, 0.3, and 0.1. Interesting , took an extra 12oz of acid to drop all at once vs
12oz a day over the same three days.

Glad the pads worked out. Keep us posted about the heavier duty pads.

I found this pad at home and gave it a go. They are made to be used with chemicals to strip paint/varnish from wood. Figured it wouldn’t cause any issues with tile or grout.

It worked much better, but still wouldn’t get the toughest of the buildup. Still had to use the chisel scraper, but not nearly as much. I feel with epoxy grout I can get something a little more aggressive. The hunt continues.

When the surface is clear of Calcium, try using Cal Block. Should help prevent the calcium from sticking to the tile. I also have another sealer we are trying currently, but it’s only been a few months and so the results aren't in yet. Will update once we see how it handles the summer heat and evaporation.

Thanks for the suggestion @mbdesa! I’m going to see how things go with mechanical cleaning for a few months before applying a sealer. Good to know what product to put on the list for possible solutions.

The buildup is on the tile and grout along and parallel to the grout lines going from a little above the waterline up towards the coping. Some of the buildup is flakey, actually a little like salt. Just a bit of water on it and it dissolves. Other is more dense and takes a little scrubbing and chisel scrapper to remove. I don’t have any buildup on the tile along/parallel to the waterline. Is this the sort of situation cal block would help? Does it work on the grout as well as the tile?

 

[Dirk]

Is this the sort of situation cal block would help?

I'm very interested in this. If it doubled the time between scrubbing and/or halved the work, that'd be something.