Plaster Day & Initial Water Chemistry-How Important?

Marco Josip said:

So I am in the last stage of my 12X8 plunge pool project.

Plaster crew out today to get the bond coat applied and prepped for plaster. Tomorrow mornings temps are going to be around 30F so they want to push the actual plaster install to Thursday where the lows that morning should be about 10-15F higher with a high of almost 60F.

We will get the pool filled immediately after finishing on Thursday (they anticipate to be done before lunch time) in which I estimate it should take me about 8-8.5 Hours of hose dumping water to fill the 2600-2800 gallon pool.

So by 7-8PM on Thursday I will officially have a filled completed pool. The NPT start up card they provided me might as well be in Swahili. I know nothing about maintaining pools pertaining to PH, alkalinity, calcium, etc. I do plan to brush per recommended schedule and just ordered that via Amazon.

Main questions here….
-How crucial is it for my “pool guy” who will maintain my pool week to week to get out here on Friday before the weekend?
-Does he need to start dumping chemicals in immediately to maintain the PH, alkalinity, calcium, etc?
-We are supposed to get about 1-2 inches of dumping rain on Friday. Is this going to screw up anything with filling the pool literally the day before?


Apologize for the ignorance here, I know nothing and just trying to gain some knowledge. More importantly, we’re in the last stretch of this build and I don’t wanna F anything up

Thanks in advance

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Best advice I can give is not to assume a weekly pool guy knows anything more than you do. Just having someone just dump a bunch of stuff in is going to turn out badly. You have your own test kit (TF-100 or K2006C) right? Once the pool is filled, run all the tests and see what the water says it needs compared to the startup card.

Looked at this post 5 times before deciding to respond. You have a VERY cool pool and I want to ensure success...but it's going to take work on your part.

You will need to learn...FAST!

Download pool math and configure your pool. It helps with chemical addition amounts to maintain the chemistry. Use the same login/pw as TFP and enable sharing. Link-->PoolMath

Since the install is Thursday, you must order this ASAP if you don't have a Taylor K-2006C or TFtestkits.net kit. I would recommend TFtestkits.net in the future when time is not of the essence. Buy this NOW!

Let's take the card, step by step:

1, 2, 3, 4 are obvious. The faster you can fill the better. Truck would be best.

#5 is first key. You need to test the fill water for pH, TA (alkalinity) and CH (calcium hardness). Metals are less a concern, but if you have a local pool store take a sample tomorrow and have them test. IGNORE ALL TEST RESULTS, except for copper and iron.

Here is how to test pH, TA and CH.

Start the pump and get water circulating.

Day 1.

We already did step 1.

Steps 2, 3 and 4.

Here is the deal. Your TA in Philly is likely about 70, so you likely don't have to worry.

If your TA is high, they have it a bit backward. You cannot lower pH without lowering TA. Not possible.

If your TA is high:
Muriatic acid lowers pH and TA.
pH will rise without any other inputs, just takes time.
ANY calculation of acid addition that exceed lowering pH by more than .4, will not be accurate.
Lower pH by .4 (use "Effects of adding" in pool math). Pump running. Test 30 minutes later. Repeat the process in .4 pH increment or less until you hit your pH target of 7.2 to 7.6.

Do not pre-dilute acid. Turn your pump on. Pour it SLOWLY in front of a return, at least 6" out from the wall. SLOWLY is like 1/2 gallon per minute slow. Pencil thin stream. Brush a bunch in the area when you are done. ALWAYS wear eye protection. PERIOD. If you get any on your hands, just dunk them in the pool.

If your TA is low, we use baking soda (yes, from grocery) to raise TA. Pool math will help you with how much to add.

Steps 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Brush. A bunch.
If the pool store results for Copper and Iron are low <.6, ignore the sequestering agent. Post he copper and iron pool store test results.
Run the pump continuously for 72 hours, low speed is fine if you have a VSP.
Do not add chlorine.


Number 1 is obvious at this point.
#2, again your TA is likely just fine in Philly. If it is high, just use pool math and add muriatic acid to maintain pH of 7.2 to 7.6, your TA will come down.
#2 also. Now we are into CH (Calcium Hardness). Find a local pool store and buy 100% calcium chloride (CH increaser)...you can find how much to increase your CH from fill water level to 250ppm using "effects of adding" in Pool math. I would increase CH to a minimum of 150 on day 2.

Day 3, (Sunday) test again.
Use pool math "effects of adding to add 3ppm of liquid chlorine, pre-diluted is fine. (Add the pool math recommendation to a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water). Pour in front of a return with pump running.

The 4th (Monday) through 28th day.
Test pH, TA (carbonate alkalinity) and CH...adjust with muriatic acid (to maintain pH target) and CH as necessary.
You need to be brushing daily and if you have a vacuum, vacuum the pool manually. You want to get the dust out.
Even a pool blaster would help.

on the 7th day, next Thursday, see the pool blaster recommendation.

After the 4th day, SLOWLY add CH increaser, I'd do every 7 days, 12ppm each week to hit 200ppm. Again use pool math for amounts to hit 12ppm / week.

CYA is "Chorine Stabilizer." Search for "sock method" on TFP how to add. DO NOT "pre-dissolve and add through the skimmer."

You have a very cool pool. I'd like to see it preserved for the longest period of time. This is the best I got on short notice on a Tuesday night.

Printing this out may help you. I hope these instructions help.

Do not add the recommended amount of anything in one dose but split it up so you can test for results to be sure the gallon capacity you think you have is correct otherwise you will be possibly overshooting all over the place which isn't good at this point for sure.

Marco Josip said:

Still hope my pool guy who I plan to pay $1500 a season knows his stuff as well

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He won’t.

Marco Josip said:

Is there any issue with having just un salted water filter through my Pentair IC-15?

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No issue...

Make sure you get the start and end readings from your water meter. Subtract estimated household use to get your pool's volume.

Marco Josip said:

Plaster day was a success. They did a great job.

I did ask them if we should caulk the returns? They said no and that the plaster built up around the returns is waterproof.

I guess that’s correct?

I’m in industrial construction primarily water/waste water tank restoration and I come from a world where everything gets caulked and lined in a glass reinforced epoxy.

Fingers crossed it holds water through the night lol

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Caulk doesn’t belong in the pool water. The plaster is waterproof.

Marco Josip said:

I’m guessing this is common with new plaster? I feel like I’m being a bit compulsive and truthfully come Monday and back to work, I won’t be able to keep up 6X a day PH readings anyway.

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Yep.

Marco Josip said:

Also, does anyone have any feedback on the SUTRO pool and spa monitor? Worth the price? Seems like it may be considering pool companies in my area charge $80-100 a session for chemical testing so once a week your already at $400/Month

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You're better off managing it yourself with your Test kit (Both on the Sutro front and the weekly pool company). The kit is the gold standard. SUTRO will be worse and you will chase your tail when results don't match. You also should NOT add chemicals based of SUTRO. Only do off the Taylor or TFTestkits.net kits.

Marco Josip said:

So far so good (I think). I am day 2 and brushing diligently 2-3X a day every single surface in that pool. It’s a small pool and I can’t imagine how people with behemoth pools actually keep up with the brushing

Anyway….PH registering about 8+ (TP-100 test showing RED on every reading). I have been gauging it 5-6 X a day. Every time I add some acid, get another read and it registers ORANGE around 7.2.

However…..back to RED every time I check again in an hour or so later

I’m guessing this is common with new plaster? I feel like I’m being a bit compulsive and truthfully come Monday and back to work, I won’t be able to keep up 6X a day PH readings anyway.

Also, does anyone have any feedback on the SUTRO pool and spa monitor? Worth the price? Seems like it may be considering pool companies in my area charge $80-100 a session for chemical testing so once a week your already at $400/Month

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Don’t check the pH 6x times a day. 1x is plenty.
With a pool robot, I don’t do any brushing anymore other than the first week after replaster or once in a while if some dirt collects in the water from a rain event.

Marco Josip said:

Got it, but isn’t it a problem that the PH level is rising back above 8 pretty much every time im adding acid?

After I add the read always looks good around 7.2-7.5

Come back out a few hours later and it’s spiked again

lol I feel like I need to be out there living in a tent next to the pool to keep it at appropriate levels for the next 28 days.

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As your TA comes down, the pH rise will slow. When FC additions are allowed, you can also consider placing a floater with a couple trichlor tablets in it (assuming you can take some extra FC and CYA). Those help hold down the pH because they’re acidic.

Marco Josip said:

Thanks for the info. I spent about 30 minutes scrubbing the floor this morning from like 5-6 worm/bug stains that have already formed around the drains……with no success, still there

lol I feel like this pool is gonna turn me even more neurotic and OCD to keep this thing pristine

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You’de better learn to let go pretty fast. It ain’t gonna stay pristine but it’ll be fine.

The pH will be fine if you are adjusting once per day. Save the OCD for keeping the chlorine and CYA at the right levels. That’ll do more than anything to keeping it looking good.