New pool - seeking suggestions on where to go with chemistry

[shingles]

New plaster (Wet Edge finish) pool - water has been in about 4 weeks now. I am about to take over the care of the pool.

I have been testing the pool about once a week with TF-100 kit. Latest results below:

FC: 2.5
CC: 0
pH: 8.2 (was 7.5 a four days prior) - I added a little muriatic acid to lower it based on Pool Math app)
TA: 70
CH: 175
CYA: 0 (though I can start to see water "cloud up")
Salt: 2800 (using Taylor K-1766)
Temp: ~66*


PB has been using pucks and adding muriatic acid. PB should be coming back this week to add some more salt.

So questions:
1) I know the IC60 won't work as well now that the water is into the 60's. My thought was to just go ahead and turn it off in EasyTouch and use liquid chlorine till it warms back up?
2) What should I target next? I am thinking I should get the CH up? TA seems good and it hasn't moved since I started testing the water weekly.
3) I've read on a few posts about no real need to raise CYA during cold months. Should I leave it at 10? Raise it a tad? Take it to slightly below recommended level?

Water looks good, actually surprisingly good (surprising to me anyway).

Since we are in the Houston area, we don't have plans to close the pool. Any ideas and suggestions welcomed.

thanks!
-S

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You should raise your CYA to at least 30ppm and then follow the recommended levels for a pool manually chlorinated with bleach. No need to run the SWG. I’d only raise the CH up to, at most, 250ppm and then leave it alone. But here’s the trick, you can chlorinate with cal-hypo powder instead of liquid chlorine until your CH rises to 250ppm. Cal-hypo is slightly cheaper than liquid chlorine. Just predissolve in a bucket of water and pour in front of a return. Don’t allow any cal-hypo powder to get on your new plaster finish.

 

[mknauss]

Great start!

Do you have test results of your fill water? However, I suspect rain will be your primary fill water going forward!

It would be best to get CH to 250ppm or so. Did you pool builder not stress that or add any calcium chloride?

How much CYA has been added? Use PoolMath - Effects of Adding Chemicals - to determine it based on the number of 'pucks' or other items added so far.

Next would be to bring your CYA to 30 or 40 ppm.

The SWCG either creates chlorine or not. It does not fade in quantity based on temperature. But you are right, you may as well use liquid chlorine until spring. I am about to get there as our pool water is now at 65F.

Take care.

 

[shingles]

Marty - I will need to test the fill water again. I did test it once and captured the results - but, it was the very first time I tried the kit, and frankly I am not confident in the results. I am almost 100% certain that no CYA was added other than via the pucks. Unfortunately, I did not keep track of the number of pucks that's been used so far.

Regarding CH - is it 250ppm for the winter time or always? The pool math app suggests 350-450.

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

250 ppm CH is on the low side of recommended but it will rise, most likely, with your fill water additions due to evaporation. The higher range is better if you have super low CH fill water.

Monitoring your CSI is very important and is automatically calculated, and stored, in the Poolmath app. Keep it between -0.6 and 0.0 for your SWCG and gunite.

As you are unsure how much CYA has been added, start with adding 20ppm worth and waiting a week or so then test to see if you are at least at 30 ppm.

 

[shingles]

Latest test results
FC - 1.5
CC - 0
pH - 8.0
TA - 50
CH - 200
CYA - 20
Salt - 2800
Temp - 51
CSI - -0.42

The pH keep drifting upwards which I understand is normal for a new plaster pool. Question is how long will it keep doing this? Should I keep adding acid to lower the pH? Or should I bring the TA up a little first and then try to bring pH down?

Thanks.

 

[mknauss]

I would suggest adding some more CYA. Another 20 ppm worth.
Also get your FC up to Target for non-SWCG pool until you are able to run your SWCG in the spring. See [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]. Use 40 ppm CYA once you start to add the additional CYA.

pH will rise with your new plaster. You do not want your TA to go below 50. So adding 20 ppm of TA with baking soda would be a good idea soon.
Do not lower your pH below 7.6.
If you get much rainfall, enough to cause over flow, be sure to watch your CH and be ready to add some. I would get some calcium chloride on hand to be ready to add.

Take care.

 

[shingles]

Here is the latest.

FC: 4
CC: 0
pH: 7.8
TA: 70
CH: 250
CYA: 40
Salt: 3000
CSI: -0.45
Temp: 48


I added a little more chlorine to get it up to 6.

 

[mknauss]

Looks good.

About March 1 you will be looking at starting the SWCG. Once the water is consistently above 55F.

Take care.

 

[peirek]

Shingles - did you add baking soda to raise your TA between the last two reported readings? I ask because you show an increase in 20ppm. There are a couple of things to note on the TA testing (I learned these through my own errors).
1) Wipe the tip of the bottle on a soft cloth before using as static electricity can build and decrease the drop size resulting in erroneous reading. R-0009 seems to be the most susceptible to this.
2) Add drops until there is no change in color and subtract out the last drop.

 

[shingles]

Peirek, There's certainly a possibility that there's an issue regarding the TA testing. I literally just read last night the reason for wiping the tip with a wet paper towel (the static electricity). I'll have to do another test and see what it says and confirm my readings. I'll report back with the results.