Pool Renovations in Tucson
- Thread starter Uncle Flappy
- Start date
WOW!!! What a huge difference!!! You and your wife must be so happy! It really looks beautiful! Now she has a relaxing place to sit and study!
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Greetings TFP'ers. A month has passed since the contruction was completed. PB is no longer doing maintenance and I have taken over. Since the water temperature averages 55 degrees, I decided to wait on adding salt for the SWCG and am just using liquid chlorine.
I have a couple more questions for the group but first, I'd like to share another photo of the final result. I had the deck recoated in a darker color and am much happier:
Now for my questions/concerns:
1. The PB replaced all the pool returns (8) with new 1" eyelets but those furthest from the pump have little to no water flow. I suspect this is due to not enough resitance from those first inline. The pool previously had these:
On the old I measure 3 x 1/4" downward-faciing eyelets for each return.
My question - should I replace the 8 returns with 3/4" or even 1/2" for better water circualtion? Pressure on the sand filter is currently reading 15psi.
2. There appears to be some sort of orangish-brown stain on one of the steps. Part of it is in the shade so it is difficult to see it in the photo below. I can take another one later in the day if needed.
This was taken underwater with the GoPro:
Is that just a (natural) blemish, a mineral stain, or algae? It does not rub off when I brush it.
3. It may be just coincidence but it seems that my automatic water filler is running much more often. I will be doing the bucket test to ensure there isn't a leak somewhere.
Thank you, as always, for your advice.
- Flappy
I have a couple more questions for the group but first, I'd like to share another photo of the final result. I had the deck recoated in a darker color and am much happier:
Now for my questions/concerns:
1. The PB replaced all the pool returns (8) with new 1" eyelets but those furthest from the pump have little to no water flow. I suspect this is due to not enough resitance from those first inline. The pool previously had these:
On the old I measure 3 x 1/4" downward-faciing eyelets for each return.
My question - should I replace the 8 returns with 3/4" or even 1/2" for better water circualtion? Pressure on the sand filter is currently reading 15psi.
2. There appears to be some sort of orangish-brown stain on one of the steps. Part of it is in the shade so it is difficult to see it in the photo below. I can take another one later in the day if needed.
This was taken underwater with the GoPro:
Is that just a (natural) blemish, a mineral stain, or algae? It does not rub off when I brush it.
3. It may be just coincidence but it seems that my automatic water filler is running much more often. I will be doing the bucket test to ensure there isn't a leak somewhere.
Thank you, as always, for your advice.
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Flappy!!!!!!!! Happy Holidays!!!
Wow, LOVE the darker color.
1. Yes, change the returns. I doubt your returns are on a loop so there are some that are "far" from the pump and others that are closer. If you which ones are which, you could try larger eyeballs on the ones farther away to balance the flow better.
2. Dude, nit-pick much?!?!? Just kidding, I'd be totally OCD about that too. Drop a vitamin C tablet on it and see if it lightens it. It looks like a natural variation in the PebbleTek but always worth checking.
3. Hmmmmm....that's not cool. Shut off the autofill and do a buck test. Let us know what you find.
Wow, LOVE the darker color.
1. Yes, change the returns. I doubt your returns are on a loop so there are some that are "far" from the pump and others that are closer. If you which ones are which, you could try larger eyeballs on the ones farther away to balance the flow better.
2. Dude, nit-pick much?!?!? Just kidding, I'd be totally OCD about that too. Drop a vitamin C tablet on it and see if it lightens it. It looks like a natural variation in the PebbleTek but always worth checking.
3. Hmmmmm....that's not cool. Shut off the autofill and do a buck test. Let us know what you find.
Hey JoyfulNoise! Happy Holidays to you and yours! I suspected you would be the first to reply. Glad I was right.
Why yes. Yes I do.JoyfulNoise said:
I'll post the results of my Vitamin C test later. Heading out to go watch the Cats and Dogs fight. Fingers crossed - looks to be a tough year.Bear Down!!!!
Attachments
Hi Marla. It's possible but unlikely. The bright white was applied with the pool drained but the "Mojave Sand" not until after the fill.
Hi Flappy!!!! LOVE the new color!!!! Really ties in beautifully!
I have no answers on the returns as I am woefully ignorant of those things at this point.
As as for the stain (or whatever) I would not be a happy camper It would stick out like a sore thumb and make me a little crazy. What will vitamin c do to it??? Or what do you hope it will do and if it "works" what does that mean? Algae?
Gosh, I hope you don't have a leak!!! You just got it all pretty!
Blessings for a joyous Christmas/holiday season!
I have no answers on the returns as I am woefully ignorant of those things at this point.
As as for the stain (or whatever) I would not be a happy camper It would stick out like a sore thumb and make me a little crazy. What will vitamin c do to it??? Or what do you hope it will do and if it "works" what does that mean? Algae?
Gosh, I hope you don't have a leak!!! You just got it all pretty!
Blessings for a joyous Christmas/holiday season!
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) will remove metal stains (mostly iron but also copper if it's not too old). It's a quick way to test to see if a brown stain is metal. If it fails the vitamin C test, then you can rub the stain with a trichlor puck to see if the concentrated chlorine lightens the stain. If the trichlor puck test is positive, then the stain is organic in nature (or biological in the case of algae). If it responds to neither of those tests, then what you have is mottling of the plaster finish which is not easily corrected. I have some faint brown stains on my PebbleTek finish because the guy that came to do the final acid etch to expose the pebble finish was not careful around my rock waterfall and he let some of the acid drippings from the rocks run down the plaster finish. So I have some light mineral stains there...I just consider them "birthmarks" and something that is unique to my pool, i.e., trying to "fix" it would be more of a headache then just learning to appreciate it for what it is.
First and foremost, how about those Wildcats! 
I did the vitamin C test first followed by the puck. No discernable difference so it may indeed be an abnormaility in the pebble. Here is a closeup - perhaps it is just a cluster of darker stones. Odd that this does not exist anywhere else.
I ordered a 5-pack of 1/2" returns. I'll put them the furtherst upstream to see if they help the 1" eyeball jets at the far end of the pool.
- Flappy
I did the vitamin C test first followed by the puck. No discernable difference so it may indeed be an abnormaility in the pebble. Here is a closeup - perhaps it is just a cluster of darker stones. Odd that this does not exist anywhere else.
I ordered a 5-pack of 1/2" returns. I'll put them the furtherst upstream to see if they help the 1" eyeball jets at the far end of the pool.
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Go Wildcats!! I am not a Tucson native but I love cheering for the home team Honestly though, doesn't a home team victory really call for smoking some portion of a large farm animal?? I know you have the equipment for it....
PebbleTec is not perfect. I have plenty of little perfections like that in my finish. It can often happen from the aggregate not uniformly mixing with the plaster base. It's nothing more than an aesthetic issue and, in your case, seems pretty minimal. Just think of it like a birthmark on your new born baby - no one is going to say, "Oh my gosh, quick, call in the plastic surgeon!!" You just accept it as part of your kid....your pool is your kid.
By the way, I totally agree with you waiting to salt the pool. The weather is way too cold and the cell will not operate anyway so there is no point. Wait until Spring and do it then. Your FC losses should be really minimal right now so manual dosing should be pretty easy. Just keep an eye on your new plaster and the other water parameters like TA, pH and CH. You're going to want to keep your water balanced so there's no chance for calcium scaling.
Honestly though, doesn't a home team victory really call for smoking some portion of a large farm animal?? I know you have the equipment for it....PebbleTec is not perfect. I have plenty of little perfections like that in my finish. It can often happen from the aggregate not uniformly mixing with the plaster base. It's nothing more than an aesthetic issue and, in your case, seems pretty minimal. Just think of it like a birthmark on your new born baby - no one is going to say, "Oh my gosh, quick, call in the plastic surgeon!!" You just accept it as part of your kid....your pool is your kid.
By the way, I totally agree with you waiting to salt the pool. The weather is way too cold and the cell will not operate anyway so there is no point. Wait until Spring and do it then. Your FC losses should be really minimal right now so manual dosing should be pretty easy. Just keep an eye on your new plaster and the other water parameters like TA, pH and CH. You're going to want to keep your water balanced so there's no chance for calcium scaling.
- May 16, 2011
- 1,182
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Your pool looks awesome, and I'm glad you're happy with the new deck color. It looks really good.
Does the above mean that you can just unscrew the pool fittings and replace them with different sizes, and the plumbing through the gunite is the same regardless?
Correct. I need only remove the retaining ring, replace the eyeball, and screw the ring back on. Easy-peasy.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The return plumbing as it interfaces with your gunite shell is typically 1-1/2" internally threaded PVC pipe. So, you can simply screw in whatever eyeball fittings you like. There's a whole world of different fittings, some better than others.
Agreed. Last thing I need is another calcium ring on the waterline tile. I've been battling high ph but am leery about adding too much muriatic acid since (I assume) the plaster is still curing. It was at about 8.0 before adding 16oz this morning.
- Flappy
- May 23, 2015
- 24,625
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60