New Construction: Cathedral City CA

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Dirk said:
Here's one that does! I like maybe even a bit more green than many. I think my color is closest to Tahoe Blue, which, depending on time of day, is never true blue and always has a slight bit of green to it. Almost aqua. This is what the ocean looks like, in my favorite parts of the world, so that's what I was after. For some reason, that "pool blue" look artificial. Still very inviting, or course, but not "organic," which is my taste for most things decor-wise.
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Yay! I think it’s great to have a personal connection to your water colour. We holiday in Fiji as often as we can. It’s our family’s
paradise. Now we have a little reminder of it in our backyard... well we will when the weather warms up!
 
riley00dog said:
Yay! I think it’s great to have a personal connection to your water colour. We holiday in Fiji as often as we can. It’s our family’s
paradise. Now we have a little reminder of it in our backyard... well we will when the weather warms up!
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Exactly! And that's how I've chimed in in threads that are asking about pool color. I say don't pick a color from a swatch. Go find a picture (or a memory) of a scene that makes you feel something: a beach, a tropical pool, an island paradise, and then match your pool to that! My color was selected by the previous house's owner. I have since remodeled the pool, but I loved their color choice so much, I just had the plaster company match it.

My color is dark, which will mottle over time. It's already started to. But, to me, that makes it even more organic. And solves the problem of trying to meticulously maintain a perfectly even color throughout the finish, throughout time, which is next to impossible with any colored plaster. I think pebble will stabilize the color some, but short of that, I'm just going to accept whatever my finish does as part of it's personality and charm (that, and because I don't really have any other choice!!).
 
riley00dog said:
... If you go to my thread a look through the photos from the past month you can see the look I’m talking about. It is such a personal decision.
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Morning all!
RileyDog... what's the title of your thread that has the photos you mentioned?

Bringing our chemistry up for fresh water now, the PB will be be bringing salt on Tuesday. I'm running low on the R-0014 pH test reagent that came with my TF-100 test kit. On Amazon I can't seem to find it, but do see these four:
[h=2]Taylor Replacement Reagents pH Indicator #4-3/4 oz.[/h][h=2][/h][h=2][/h][h=2]Taylor Replacement Reagents PH-Resid. #14[/h]
[h=2][/h][h=2][/h][h=2]Taylor R0014A pH Indicator Solution Reagent Solution 0.75 oz[/h][h=2]Taylor Technologies R-0004 pH Indicator Reagent, 2 Ounce[/h]

I read on TFP that the 004 is ok, but you use 2 drops instead of 5. Since I seem to do a lot of pH testing. Any recommendations?


 
It’s called Small Pool Build - Brisbane, Australia. Post numbers 647 & 657 have photos that show the colour in the sun. Although 657 is more accurate for colour in the sun as chemistry was still getting there in 647. In the shade it has more of a bluey colour. Keep in mind that your surroundings also affect the water colour.
 
kimkats said:
I just read a few threads about the R-0004 vs R0014-Seems like it is easier to just get the 0014 and call it good. You can get it here: R-0014 Phenol Red (for TF-100)

Kim:kim:
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Thanks Kim, when a head and order two bottle and a couple others that I was low on.

- - - Updated - - -

Still waiting on a decision on what the PB is goin going to do about the pebble, so I am in a limbo state right now. The pool was refilled 4 days ago, 3 days ago (Friday) the PB sent his main pool guy over to start maintaining the pool while they figure out what to do. BTW the pool guy who did our pool that first was fired … I wonder why:).
My first dose of chlorine brought the FC up to 2.5, I planned on bringing it up to 5 about the time the main pool guy arrived. He put powder chlorine that supposedly was combined with MA. He said he wasted the pH to be at 7.2. He wanted to bring the CYA up, but I said I would do that. I think he said 20 or 30ppm, but I was intending on following the TFP suggested numbers.

I tested the water a few hours later, the FC 17.5 and the pH 7.5. CYA 0.0.

He comes back tomorrow to add salt.

The next morning I added 26 oz of stabilizer to reach a target of 40 and 26 oz of 14.5 MA. I tested again on Sunday morning and these were the numbers: FC 8.5, pH 7.5, CYA 50, CSI -,39. I added 25oz on MA trying to lower the pH a bit more.

This morning the FC 6.0, pH 7.8, CYA 40 to 50 (but probably 50) CSI -.09. I added 39 oz of MA and retested the pH about 90 minutes later and it was 7.5.

It seems that I’m putting a lot of MA in without getting the expected results. Is it normal to need that much MA on a refill? My fill water pH was 7.5.

Thoughts?
 
Chlorine/MA combo powder? That's a new one on me.

I don't know what it's going to do to your warranty issue, but I'm impressed with your pool maintenance skills. I would caution you, though. If the PB does the right thing and replaces your finish, you're golden. But if not, this could come down to a water chemistry argument (which is basically what went wrong). Be careful you are not giving the PB any reason to think that you contributed to the breakdown of the finish. Really tough spot for you to be in. Do you let your current water chem go, and leave it in the hands of the PB, alleviating any cause to think you had anything to do with anything? Especially since it may not matter what damage is done to this current batch of plaster, as it's going to get ripped out? Or do you care for the pool like you'll have to live with the current batch? Because maybe you will if everything breaks down, settlement-wise? Yikes. Can't even weigh in on that, except to point out the obvious. Fingers crossed for ya!

I add so much MA into my pool, always have, that I just put in a machine to do it for me. It was my understanding that it's new plaster that fuels pH-rise, not so much new water. But maybe recently acid-washed plaster acts the same way? Don't know, but the acid wash did expose a "new" layer of plaster, so maybe that's how that works.

Doesn't really matter. If the test reveals you need MA, then you need MA...

- - - Updated - - -

Oh sorry, that's not quite right. If your fill water comes in with high TA, high TA messes with pH, until you work that TA back down to within range. Did you test your TA? That's something to check. The conclusion was sound, though. If you need MA, you need MA.
 
Dirk said:
Be careful you are not giving the PB any reason to think that you contributed to the breakdown of the finish.

If your fill water comes in with high TA, high TA messes with pH, until you work that TA back down to within range. Did you test your TA? That's something to check. The conclusion was sound, though. If you need MA, you need MA.
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The tap water tests at 140 TA and I just tested the pool now and the TA is 100 so still high from the 70-90+ recommendation.

I was concerned when I saw the CYA as high as it was, still within the TFP recommendation, but higher that the main pool guy suggested. Of course I remember you or Kim saying something about going slow with adding stabilizer because you can always increase it, but to lower it you need to do a partial drain/refill. Though if the pool is having salt added tomorrow all that changes and the recommend CYA is 70-80.

Another thing to add. This pool guy brought in a big blue test kit. His assistant was using reagents so that is better than the last guy who just used test strips. Though he was doing his drop tests right over the pool coping. I was freaking out that the red pH reagent might miss the tube and hit the concrete, then dumped the test water on top of our new artificial turf.
 
It could have been either one of us that said that as it is something worth saying.

Well the pucks and power will lower the pH so..........maybe that is why he thinks that?

I think DIrk's thinking is solid about the "new" plaster that was exposed by the acid wash is helping to push the pH up.

Kim:kim:
 
Yorker said:
Another thing to add. This pool guy brought in a big blue test kit. His assistant was using reagents so that is better than the last guy who just used test strips. Though he was doing his drop tests right over the pool coping. I was freaking out that the red pH reagent might miss the tube and hit the concrete, then dumped the test water on top of our new artificial turf.
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Pool guys... uhg. Be polite, but make your expectations known. Tell him where you want him to test, and where you want him to dump. He'll give you "the look." Too bad. Just come back with "Yes. Please." This is your pool, and your yard. They work for you!
 

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Hope you’re all been doing well. We’ve been finishing up on the landscaping and while the attention been away from the issues with the pools pebble surface. I’m assuming that since the PB never sent their pool guy over to add the salt to the refilled pool, they are planning on a re pebble. For now I’m just trying t keep up with the chemistry which has not been going as smoothly after the acid wash/refill.

Since the SWG is get at zero (no salt in the pool) i’m using PoolMath (PM) set to a chlorine pool. I’ve been adding between 30 and 70 oz of 10.5% Home Depot bleach daily, I set may target in PM to 7 and retest a couple hours later and the it usually gets close to that.

However, the MA has been an issue. It hovers between 7.5 and 7.8. I set the target to 7.2 and put 25 to 40oz of MA in and at best I get a 7.5 reading. At first I questioned if it was the MA I bought at Lowes (date code 1811613:13c), I had previously purchased at Home Depot (14.5%). But when I went back to using the HD brand (date code1815009:57c), but I am still was not hitting the target.

Pool temps have been 83-87 this past week or so.

My CSI yesterday was .03. Last Sunday my CYA was 40.

I will run a full set of tests late this afternoon.

Thoughts on why the MA is not reaching my target?
 
Be sure you update your TA in PoolMath to get a proper amount of acid to use when adjusting pH.

Otherwise it could be a minor pool volume difference.
 
Not to complicate... I've been battling MA since my pool was resurfaced. It was really harshing my mello, man! My TA had stabilized at 70, but the pool's MA appetite hasn't, and the SWG made it worse. I recently installed an IntellipH and my pH troubles are in the past. I'm not recommending more equipment, necessarily, that comes with its own multi-faceted price tag, but for me, at least, it's working out. It'll mean additional ongoing costs and maintenance, but I haven't had to manually add or handle MA for a week now, nor chlorine, and it's been luxurious. Is IntellipH overkill? Unnecessary? Perhaps. I just know worrying about, testing for and adding MA everyday was a real drag. Now... I don't.
 
Hi Kim & Dirk,

I did check the % for MA and it was/is set for 14.5%. Yesterday my full set of numbers were:
FC: 3.5 (added 43oz chlorine)
pH: 7.5 (added 22oz MA)
TA: 60 (will get baking soda today to add)
CH: 310
CYA: 40
CSI: -.40
Temp: 84

Ya, I'm not up for adding anything like IntellipH right now. But I am just confused why the numbers from Pool Math are playing out like they used to. I don't mind adding the MA daily, it just seems like I am adding so much and never get to 7.2. Perhaps the heat is a contributing factor, and I have been running our pump longer than needed, that probably contributes to the pH rise.

Thought this may have been an issue with my last two gallons from Lowes and Home Depot, is there a way to test the actual strength of my MA?
 
Kim, can you confirm?

Leave your TA alone. TA lives where it wants to live. The lower it is the less pH-rise you'll experience. If it's natural "resting place" is 60, you're lucky!

Manipulate pH to keep your CSI happy. Until you get your salt back, and your SWG running, CSI-zero is a good place to be, so let your pH settle a little higher. When you get your SWG going again, then set your pH so your CSI is around -0.3. These are guidelines. There is some wiggle room, so don't obsess. I only mention this in terms of setting your targets. Target a CSI of zero for non-SWG, and -0.3 for SWG. Anything close in practice is fine. Though I admit, I don't like to see my CSI below -0.3, and I'm currently monitoring my pool for calcium deposits. The closer I can get to CSI-zero and stay calcium-deposit-free, the happier I'll be.

Don't know about testing MA. I think I know that it is more stable than chlorine, so you don't need to worry as much about freshness.

And the other thing I think I know (Kim?), pools have a natural pH, similar to everything else on the planet. Slightly different from pool to pool, location to location. Fighting with it to bring it way away from its natural number can be a losing battle. What I think I noticed about my pool: I could fight it down to 7.2, or 7.4, and it'd bounce right back up to 8.0 in short order. If I only nudged it down to 7.6 or 7.7, it would still return to 8.0, but in about the same amount of time. I didn't gain anything by trying for 7.2, I only used more MA to do so.

I'm only using the IntellipH to keep my pH at 7.8 or a bit lower. I'm not trying to achieve 7.2 or even 7.5, because I already know my pool doesn't want to live there. I need 7.7 or 7.8 to keep my CSI around -0.3, and I had to dose every day to do that. Now, with the IntellipH, it's doing that minor dosing for me. Again, not pushing you to an IntellipH, just sharing what I'm trying...
 
EVERYTHING Dirk said. He is spot on. pH and TA will settle with time and show you where YOUR pool wants to be. New plaster will mess with it in the beginning but you will start to see it settle after a while. That is why a good journal of your test results is so important.

Kim:kim: (Good job Dirk! :hug:)
 

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