New Pool, Concerns about startup recommendations

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akropp

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Dec 2, 2018
43
Tarrytown/NY
Hi all, I’m new here, but I’m sure I’ll be back often, as we just put in a new pool.

My pool builder plastered the pool on Thursday (Nov 29th), and I guess because of the temperature, filled it on Friday (the 29th). Everything I have read here and elsewhere about start up stresses the importance of brushing twice a day and testing the water/adjusting daily; but my builder is saying brush 2-3 times A WEEK for the next month. As almost an afterthought, they said they would do it (for a fee) and would test the water when they come (so 2-3 times a week). Also, they set the pump to run 8 hours a day, vs. 24 hours a day that seems to be the normal recommendation.

My main q is, should I trust that these guys who “have been doing this for 30 years” know what they are talking about? Or do I need to go out today (now 2 days after they filled it) and get a test kit and chemicals and start doing it myself. I have been scrubbing twice a day anyways (despite their reco), but at this point don’t even know how to change the pump settings (they are coming on Tuesday to show me that), and certainly have no supplies.

Is there something about start up in cold weather (it’s hovering between 35 and 45 right now) that changes the start up process?

On a separate note, we chose a “medium grey” marcite, and there are huge variations in color, a lot more than I have seen on other pools with this finish color. Is that something I should expect to even out over time?

Sorry for a bit of a ramble, but I just assumed they would get me started the right way and with good advice, and now I’m afraid I’m getting screwed.

thanks!!!
 
I got ya covered! For some reason I can't link to PDF files but here is how you find what I want to share with you. Do a google search for NPC start up card. The back side is what you want to use and follow.

Here is a set of links I put together for new pool owners:

Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Pool Math

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have no matter how small! We have all been where you are at one point.

Now for a test kit.....for right now run to Walmart and see if you can find one of the cheap pH test kits. While you are doing this you can also order a good test kit. Look in my siggy for the test kit I think is the best bang for the buck as it has more of the regents we use the most of. With you being in NY it should be fast shipping time as they are in NC.

Kim:kim:
 
Here is the NPC startup procedure - http://www.nptpool.com/sites/nptpool.com/files/NPC_SwimmingPoolStart-UpProcedures.pdf

You can’t brush the pool too much. So do it as much as you can.

While the recommendation is to run your pump continuously for the first 72 hours, that is past for you. Not a big deal. It is to quickly filter out the plaster dust. Just keep on brushing.

It is good for you to get your own test kit and do your own water testing. Even if you rely on the PB for whatever he does. You should understand everything that is put in your water by your PB or you. A PB will never give your pool as much attention as you will.

Do you plan on closing your pool for the winter? Most pools around here are already closed for the winter.

Does your pump and automation have freeze protection?
 
Thanks for the quick replies! Yeh, I had read all of that stuff, which is why I was so concerned when they said just brush 2-3 a week, and that they would come back on Monday to test things.

I am going to close the pool, but I guess I have to wait for 30 days for the plaster to finish curing and the water chemistry to stabilize. In the mean time, I think they just set my pump to run for 8 hours overnight. Not sure about the freeze protection -- they are coming on Tuesday to give me a run-down on the equipment, and they haven't even attached the control panel yet, so I can't make any adjustments.

I definitely plan on doing everything myself ultimately and knowing what is going on -- that's why I joined here! I just sort of trusted that they would give me some better direction/advice for the start up, given I knew nothing going into this.
 
As for my question about the color, here are a couple of pictures showing the discrepanicies:

This line goes all the was across my pool about half way down. Deep end is to the right. (The stuff on the top is the reflection of trees, and at the bottom is me).

IMG_1389.jpg

Here is the spa and shallow end of the pool. They are both done with the same color, but look very different right now. I know water depth affects how it looks, but the middle of the spa is about the same depth as the shallow end.

IMG_1390.jpg

Is it possible that it just takes a while for the color to even out? Or is this a really bad job?
 
- Document the pool color imperfections
- Talk with your PB
- See how it looks when you open it in the Spring
- Give it a season for the plaster to cure
- Decide if it is worth making it an issue with your PB this time next year.

Plaster color will change once you add CL and it cures. You have to see how it develops.

Are you going to have your PB winterize your pool? Will they lower the water level and leave some plaster exposed? I don't know how such new exposed plaster will do over the winter. Talk with your PB.
 
akropp said:
They said they would winterize it in 30 days, after the plaster is cured and the water chemistry has stabilized. I assume they would partially drain it that point (don’t you have to?).
Click to expand...

Plaster takes up to a year to fully cure.

They need to drain the water level down below the tile line enough that rain and snow melt will not get the water back to the tile line.

You have a pool cover? Solid or mesh?
 

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akropp said:
I don’t have the cover, but pretty sure my contract said a mesh cover. Should I revisit that?

I have an autocover too, but they said you don’t use that for the winter.
Click to expand...

There are pros and cons to mesh covers versus solid covers.

Mesh covers let water drain into the pool and you don't need to setup pumps to clear water off the cover. But depending on how fine the mesh is you can dirt and organics in the pool with the water. And you have to watch the level of the pool water that rain and snow melt does not raise the pool water back up to the tile line. If it does you need to get a pump into the pool and lower the water level back down.

Solid covers prevent a lot of drainage into the pool. You need to manage pumps on the top of the cover to clear water. You can get a cleaner opening since the pool water does not get much runoff. And you don't need to worry as much about the pool water level.

I have a solid Meyco cover - Meyco Pool Covers - Everyone Trusts the Original Looploc also makes covers - Aqua Xtreme Virtually Solid Mesh

These covers are custom made for a pool and take a few months to get. I suggest you check with your PB on what he has for you.

IMG_0482(1) (Medium).jpg
 
My contract says "loop loc winter green mesh cover", so I assume I'm getting the regular mesh one. I finally get to talk to him tomorrow about everything (only 4 days after they filled the pool). Maybe there's still a chance to change it.

Hopefully I'll get a clear answer why he says I only need to brush 2-3 times per week, despite every other source I've heard/read saying to brush much more often. They swear they've never heard of having to brush every day after filling, let alone more than once per day.

To their credit, I have been brushing, and there is very little plaster dust. Is it possible they used some alternative start-up method? I tested the PH on Sunday (2 days after filling), and it was ~7.4-7.6.
 
You can’t brush too much. Let them do what they do and you brush as much as you want. No reason to quiz them about it.
 
Wow really, really late in the season to be plastering especially in your location. I am very surprised they did not wait until Spring. I wish you well you are doing the right things now. My concern is lowering the water level when/if you winterize. I am concerned this will form a ring in the still new plaster. Hopefully someone here has some knowledge about that and can chime in. My neighbor's pool was gunited in October and they waited until May to plaster.
 
Hopefully they know what they are doing! They say they have been doing this for 30 years and haven't had a problem doing it this late. I'm definitely a bit worried about lowering the water level.

They still haven't hooked up my heater, so the water is pretty cold (like 34-36 degrees). Not sure how much that slows down the plaster curing. They will have it hooked up this week though, so I will be able to keep it warmer for the rest of the time before they close it.
 
What Kim said. Don’t worry about the heater. I’ll throw my 2 cents in here cause I live in the northeast. We close. And I’m a worrier. The biggest conversation my builder and myself had was the cutoff point for my pool to be plastered. And that was because of needing to close it in the winter. It was July. Now I wanted to be really safe. But after talking with a very very highly respected builder south of me who could not come out as far as I lived coached me through my build. He doesn’t plaster past September cause of issues u can have. Will u have issues. Maybe maybe not. You have to deal with what u have now so What I would be doing and his is just from what I learned from him and here:

1. Brush like u are and what others have said here.

2. Stay on top of ur ph while still open. Like multiple times a day on top of. Knock it down to 7.4 and see how long it takes to get back up to 8.0. This will give u an idea of what the closed pool will act and how it plaster is curing. But I also need to make sure ur csi is in the 0 to -.3 zone when u close cause as ph rises when closed u can’t add acid and the csi will keep coming up which will cause scale in the spring when u open. I close with using a scale only preventor. Did it help my first winter I feel it did cause my ph was off the wall when I opened and my csi was way positive. Above .3 but I had no scale.

3. When u so close keep that water 6 inches below the tile so u don’t have any issues. I drain water out of my pool cause I have a mesh cover. I don’t mind taking the time. I keep mine down low. Sometimes 8 inches below my tile so I have breathing room but u can only go down as far as the cover paperwork says cause of when snow is on he cover. U needcthe water to hold some of the load.

4. Ur water is cold now so algae can’t geow fast if any bit I would still keep that chlorine at at least half of ur slam level based on ur cya.

5. With the cold water and is ur ground freezing yet? I personally would be running the pump 24/7 so the water doesn’t have any chance of slushing up. But that’s just me. I worry.

If anything i worte is off someone someone correct me but in our close zone for winter csi plays a huge roll.

Jim
 
Couple thoughts, need some assurances from the other here.

Closing with skimmer plugs and eyeball plugs leaving water level high

Staying open all winter, depending on, your pump if it's a vsp, and your plumbing, and you engery cost.

Adding acid when closed using a brush to stir it around.
 
cfherrman said:
Couple thoughts, need some assurances from the other here.

Closing with skimmer plugs and eyeball plugs leaving water level high

Staying open all winter, depending on, your pump if it's a vsp, and your plumbing, and you engery cost.

Adding acid when closed using a brush to stir it around.
Click to expand...

i wouldn’t add acid with pumps off and just a brush. It’s just too strong. I personally would not chance it. Yes add acid when closing when pumps are still on to get it to level needed.


Keeping the water high keeps it too close to tile. Got to keep water off tile in the winter.
 
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