New Pool Owner

douglas.cook7

Member
Jan 17, 2025
17
Buckeye, AZ
Pool Size
12200
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Our new pool was finished today and she is now being filled. The builder will provide an orientation next week. Appreciate any advice for a newbie. I have no chemicals on hand as the builder will get me started. I hope to test and use the heatpump as the water from the tap is still warm here in AZ and Solar should be turned on within a few weeks. Mid 60's for the highs and upper 30's to low 40's over the next week.
 
Welcome to the forum.
Pebble Tech is still plaster.

If at all possible, you want to use softened water for make up water. Evaporation (especially if you plan to heat it in the winter) will drive your CH sky high in a short time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PoolStored
Thanks. I have much to learn. I had an above ground 5K gallon vinyl pool for two seasons. I made the mistake of allowing a local pool store help me chase balance all year. Glad I found this site. I plan to use a pool cover to help with evaporation, before it gets too hot. From other responses and more research, I will be preparing and preparing the pebble tech finish for at least 2 weeks before I consider any heating. The water in our area is not hard.
 

Why no heater use for first 30 days? With new plaster there is a lot of plaster dust in the water and the pH is usually very high. When you heat water the potential for scale formation in the heater increases significantly. The actual timeframe for waiting to use the heater has no real merit. As long as the plaster dust is under control and the pH is in range there is no reason not to use it. Your risk of rushing to use the heater is scale clogging up the heater coil.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PoolStored
Thank you for all your input. Two weeks and counting and waiting for the 30 day cure period. My pool tftest kit arrived, and I will be testing here in a few minutes. I’m also looking into a chlorinator and would like some input on that. I realize I can’t add salt until the 30 day cure period is over. Presently, a local pool store is offering free install with equipment purchase. My question is: is it worth going with a chlorinator and adding an automation to my Pentair system especially with a free install. Is there a big difference between an in-line chlorinator and switching to saltwater with chlorinator?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Welcome to the forum.
Pebble Tech is still plaster.

If at all possible, you want to use softened water for make up water. Evaporation (especially if you plan to heat it in the winter) will drive your CH sky high in a short time.
Ty. TF-Pro Test kit arrived. Results of first test and 14 days after fill. Builder only added liquid chlorine and muriatic acid.
CH 100
CYA below 30
FC 4
CC .5
TA 70
PH 7.8
BR 1
CI .5
 
What startup guide are you following?

CH should be raised to at least 250 ppm.
 
The scale on the block is Chorine *or* Bromime. It's one or the other...... chlorine 5 or bromine 10, not CL and Br are somewhere between 5 - 10.

Screenshot_20250204_063543_Chrome.jpg


So ignore Br. And do the powder test for FC for an actual value instead of a guess that's it's 4 ish-ly yellow. :)

Down the road once you're a pool balancing ninja, if you run the block test and it's good and taxicab yellow when you already felt the FC would be well above min, then fine. You probably don't need more FC that day.
 
Ask him which startup guide he is using...wanna make that plaster last 20 years, first 30 days are the most important...

I’m using pebble tech guide. Same as you sent. On day 14 and have brushed daily. TF-pro arrived today. PB has been absent since startup. Grateful for this forum. Struggling with getting CH above 100 and
Ask him which startup guide he is using...wanna make that plaster last 20 years, first 30 days are the most important...

I’m using pebble tech guide. Same link as you sent. On day 15 and have brushed walls and floor daily. TF-pro kit arrived today. Have been using strips PB provided. PB has been absent since startup. Grateful for this forum. Struggling with getting CH above 100 and alkalinity above 70. FC is 4 and PH 7.8 Pool temp 54 F. Added 6 oz of 31.4% muriatic acid tonight.
What startup guide are you following?

CH should be raised to at least 250 ppm.
PB poured in 1/2 gallon of chlorine and 1/2 gallon of 34% muriatic acid and told me to pouring the rest in 48 hrs and handed me test strips. Then I found this forum and ordered the TF pro desk kit.
 
Test the TA and CH of your fill water and report.

Explain how you have struggled.

What have you added when to raise CH?
4 lbs of calcium increaser. I read on this forum to be careful because if I heat the pool, my CH will go up fast with evaporation. of course, I will not try to heat the pool (pentair h/c heatpp) for at least a two weeks that’s recommended with pebble Sheen and will probably wait another two weeks if needed. we have hard water here in Arizona so I was so surprised to see the CH so low but now that I have the TF 100 pro I hope to see that maybe my CH from the pool store is incorrect. PB gave me 5-1 test strips and said not to worry so much. Pool is beautiful and water crystal clear, but in search for more help because I was concerned about what he said I found this forum..
 
4 lbs of calcium increaser. I read on this forum to be careful because if I heat the pool, my CH will go up fast with evaporation. of course, I will not try to heat the pool (pentair h/c heatpp) for at least a two weeks that’s recommended with pebble Sheen and will probably wait another two weeks if needed. we have hard water here in Arizona so I was so surprised to see the CH so low but now that I have the TF 100 pro I hope to see that maybe my CH from the pool store is incorrect. PB gave me 5-1 test strips and said not to worry so much. Pool is beautiful and water crystal clear, but in search for more help because I was concerned about what he said I found this forum..

4lbs would barely be noticeable on a test. Use this link to determine how much to add. It is more like 25lbs.

 
What is the pH, TA, and CH of your fill water?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.