Startup pool chemicals

[Mdragger88]

About the ph test- the general idea is that ph remains in the 7’s most of the time. A couple days @8.0 is not a big deal. It’s about the big long term picture. Knowing The difference in 7.8 & 8.0 is not a big deal. Dose to somewhere in the mid 7’s & carry on. Aiming to keep ph at an exact number is a fruitless effort. It will always rise at some kind of rate. Getting the ta down around 60 reduces the rate of rise.
When inside or outside in bright light hold the comparator against something white to help see the true colors (an envelope, white cabinet, white blinds etc.)
When i am outside I use my freezer or our white truck, inside I use the cabinets. If its dark I use my phone opened to a white webpage as a backlight. Holding a finger or paper over some of the other colors can also help so they don’t all blend together & you can compare 1 at a time.

 

[Newdude]

+1. I just drew this bad boy up yesterday, though I don't remember where. Apologies if it was here.

I use my thumbs

 

[Redsurprise]

So I took my readings again today:

pH with my new pH pen is - 8.1
CH- 150
Alkalinity- 80
FC dropped to 5.5
CYA- 55

Pool math says to correct my CH, pH and stabilizer.

Should I do the pH first? What about CYA? I know the muriatic acid and calcium chloride have to be 4 hours apart . What about stabilizer?

 

[mknauss]

What is the CSI?

 

[Redsurprise]

-0.12

 

[Redsurprise]

But I didn’t test for borates and salt. How do I test for those things? Says test accuracy increases with those readings .

 

[Redsurprise]

I feel I should add some muriatic acid to Lower the pH, especially given the new curing finish

 

[mknauss]

You have no borates. They are not naturally occurring in fill water.
Did you select Tracking Salt in Poolmath? Have you added salt yet?
If you wish, add enough acid to lower pH to 7.8.
No need to adjust CYA at this time.

 

[Redsurprise]

You have no borates. They are not naturally occurring in fill water.
Did you select Tracking Salt in Poolmath? Have you added salt yet?
If you wish, add enough acid to lower pH to 7.8.
No need to adjust CYA at this time.

No. didn’t add salt. Can’t do that for 2 1/2 more weeks I think. Should I add any more Calcium?

 

[mknauss]

Calcium is up to you. If your CSI is above -0.3 and pH in the 7’s, I would not add any. Your Ch will go up by over 250 ppm by the end of this next summer. So keep that in mind.

 

[Redsurprise]

Calcium is up to you. If your CSI is above -0.3 and pH in the 7’s, I would not add any. Your Ch will go up by over 250 ppm by the end of this next summer. So keep that in mind.

So I added some muriatic acid per the recommendations on pool math a couple of times but my pH is still about 7.9 (on my pen) and closest to 7.8 color on the block.

My readings today are :

FC- 5
Alk- 80
CYA- 53
CH- 175
pH- 7.9
CSI- -0.24

Pool math says to add dry stabilizer, muriatic acid and the Calcium. I know the calcium per previous recommendations is okay where it is for the moment. What about the stabilizer and acid? Add per pool math?

 

[mknauss]

Neither are needed. Poolmath uses mid range for suggestions. You can change the Target if you like.

 

[Bperry]

So I added some muriatic acid per the recommendations on pool math a couple of times but my pH is still about 7.9 (on my pen) and closest to 7.8 color on the block.

My readings today are :

FC- 5
Alk- 80
CYA- 53
CH- 175
pH- 7.9
CSI- -0.24

Pool math says to add dry stabilizer, muriatic acid and the Calcium. I know the calcium per previous recommendations is okay where it is for the moment. What about the stabilizer and acid? Add per pool math?

Also your CYA is 60. It’s always rounded up to the nearest decade line. It’s much easier to test as well that way cause you just fill up to the 30 line and see if the dot is visible. If it is, then fill to the 40 line and check again. Keeping doing that until the dot isn’t visible.

 

[Mdragger88]

The cya recommendation is 60-80 for swcg’s.
Yours isn’t going yet (manually chlorinating) so you’re good at 60 for now & during the winter months but will want to increase that as the spring/summer season amps up to help protect the chlorine your saltwater chlorine generator produces from the sun.

 

[Redsurprise]

my readings today:

FC- 5
pH- 7.8
CH- 150
Alk- 79
CYA- 50
CSI= -0.47

Should I add anything? I am worried about my pebble sheen finish. Pool builder didn’t give me any parameters for levels except pH which they said to get to 7.4-7.8 and FC 1-3ppm and add liquid chlorine if needed.

They said to check the other levels but didn’t give me parameters.

On the pebbletec website I found instructions that said gave acceptable startup levels for first 28 days:

pH - 7.0-7.4
ALK- 80-100
FC 1-3ppm
CH- 150-250

So do I need to lower my pH. 7.0-7.4 seems really low.

Suggestions appreciated.

 

[mknauss]

All looks good.

How did you measure a TA of 79?

 

[Redsurprise]

All looks good.

How did you measure a TA of 79?

Typo. Was 70

 

[Redsurprise]

All looks good.

How did you measure a TA of 79?

So why does pebbletec give such a low pH range the first 28 days? Pool builder says differently more in line with what you recommend.

 

[mknauss]

Not sure. It would be impossible to keep that low of a pH without crashing your TA.

 

[Redsurprise]

Anyone else here have pebble sheen finish? Do you remember what levels you were told to have for first month?

Pebbletec company recommends really low pH levels for first 28 days. My pool builder instructions say differently 7.4-7.8).

Wondering what others with same finish were told?


Of note, my pool builder said I should have my suction side cleaner (that has wheels) going from day 1. Pebbletec instructions say no. Pool builder said pump needed running for first 48 hours continuously, pebbletec instructions say 5 days.

Attached are instructions I found on the pebbletec website for reference.

Not sure what to do.