New build in southeast Arizona

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Do NOT let the water stop! If you finial fill is going to come during the night you can slow it down some but do not stop it.

Here is a plaster start up card. You should also look on line for YOUR brand of plaster and see if it is different than what I am sharing:

http://www.nptpool.com/sites/nptpool.com/files/NPC_SwimmingPoolStart-UpProcedures.pdf

Also know there are different kinds of start ups.Did they do an acid wash on you plaster before they started filling it?

I would brush and want the filter running to keep any plaster dust from glumping up on your pretty, new plaster.

Kim:kim:
 
Thanks for the info Kim. I'm keeping an eye on it to try and gauge how fast it's filling, should be close to done in the morning. They did not acid wash, just a traditional start up with some sequestrant. The floor return for the cleaning system in the spa keeps puddling water in my spa, not happy about that. Trying to sop it up with a towel but can't do that once the sun sets. If I'd known it was going to leak I'd have started the spa filling first. O well, considering some of the troubles others have had I feel like I got off lucky. :D
 
I could, but I have a water meter on the one line so I can have an accurate volume, and a large filter just in case. I put a towel down so as it gets wet any spotting/staining won't be linear, it should appear more mottled and I can live with that.
 
words, she gave me words..................pictures or it does not count LOL

I did tell you that the water might look a little green at first? This is normal. It will settle out as the plaster cures and the water gets balanced.


Kim:kim:
 
Sorry Kim, it was 30 degrees at 7 AM when I checked the pool level, no way am I standing around for pictures in the dark. :D But at 8 I took this one.
8 AM.jpg

After getting my son off to school I ran around looking for MA and when I got home I got this one for you.
11 AM.jpg
Another couple of inches and I'll pop the filter into the spa for a little bit. I can't wait to see how many gallons it holds, the pool plans didn't account for the 2 bodies of water, the designer said something about the type of spa it is and the program's limitations. I really like the slight green to the water, like a pretty turquoise. I'm almost sad to see it fade into blue as the levels get fixed. Someone is going to try to get out here this afternoon and turn on my pump for the weekend. If he doesn't make it I'm going to try it on my own. My family wants to fire up the lights so we have something to look at through the windows. Not sure if I should put DE in when I get stuff up and running or not. I probably will. I grabbed 2 gallons of MA at Lowes so I feel I can handle my PH drift for a couple days. Fill water is 7.2 and when I tested this morning it was 7.8.
 
No, they called it a Shasta finish, after the concrete was done they came out and applied a beige textured coating then the next day they painted it. It's cooler than concrete in the sun. Koolcrete is similar, but for places with warmer temps.
 

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So, after putting the hose in the spa I thought I'd give my wall whale pool brush a quick spin around the deep end.... It worked pretty good, just have to take care the fin is pointing back at me instead of down at the pool floor. Got most of the way around and realized my pole is WAY too short for my deep end, so I went to the steps. The wall whale was awkward on the steps, next time I'll use an ordinary brush. The pole has 3 sections, and one kept falling off. After nearly losing the bottom 2/3 of the pole for the third time I stopped and figured I'd just skim all the bugs, leaves and fluff off the top. It felt pretty good, and spa is half full already. Good thing the PB is giving me a new pole Monday, it had better be long enough. I hope I don't get used to seeing a beautiful pool in my yard. :kim:
 
LOL well in that case I am happy to wait for that pretty picture! Who knows..........that might be the pool color! It sure is pretty!

I THINK you need to have DE in the filter to protect the filter grids. I am NOT sure about this though.

When you brushed did you get much "dust" off the walls or bottom (that you could reach)?

Poles---------I gave up having the adjustable ones. They just don't adjust long. I have two pools. One L.O.N.G. one with the joints taped and on short one, also with the joint taped.

I still LOVE looking at my pool! It has been 15 yrs so............you can always tape a picture of the backyard before pool to remind you!

Kim:kim:
 
I tested my PH on a whim and it was 8.2. So I diluted 5 1/2 cups of MA and poured it around the pool then brushed for a bit. The spa topped off with 600 gallons so the hose went back into the pool for the last inch it needs to be halfway up the skimmer. My ragamuffin had a blast being able to explore the yard again, and she knew not to jump in the big hole.
Kodachi by pool.jpg

Pool is full and the count is 13200 gallons. My friend (who doesn't have a pool) thinks I'm nuts for measuring how much water is in there. To answer your question, no, there isn't a lot of plaster dust that I see, just a little poof when the brush goes by. The spa is more cloudy and less blue than the rest of the pool. I'm letting the longer pole dry out and I'll use some heavy duty tape to hold it together for now, the shorter pole is maybe 8 feet long, which makes for an interesting spectacle of me practically crawling around the deep end to brush and stir in the MA. :D
 
Sooo... A guy came out to get my pump moving my water around, and he spend a lot of time looking at manuals and my set-up and was looking at my backwash valve. He was thinking the plumbing had a problem, so I got my manual and double checked. He was right.
Plumbing SNAFU.jpg
The red circle is where water from the pump is supposed to go into the filter, and the blue circle is where filtered water is supposed to go to the heater. They are swapped. They will be out to fix it Monday, which leaves me with a rapidly increasing PH and NO filtration for the weekend, which is what I wanted to avoid and the reason I badgered my PM to get a guy out here turning stuff on today.

I'm treating the spa and pool as separate bodies of water and treating accordingly. The spa's PH must have been through the roof, the test said 8.2 but it took 4 doses of MA to lower the PH to 7.6 when I was shooting for a 7.2. I hung a puck in the center hoping for a little chlorine and that it will keep the PH from soaring overnight. The pool is at 7.2 and I'm not worried about it shooting up over night. I also dosed the pool with chlorine shooting for a FC of 2.

So much for my feeling lucky to have no snags... I guess it was there, but no one noticed it until it was almost too late. At least we figured it out before we turned it on and broke something.
 
Hi ya! Congratulations on the new pool. It looks fantastic. It's amazing how white plaster can turn so blue. Lots of green plants around the perimeter will push the water color a bit towards the aqua you like. It's the sky that makes the water blue, so plants can have a bit of influence, too. Or you could paint/plaster/stucco those block walls and add color there, as well.

Did you clear up about the SWG? That little box isn't a place holder, it's a check valve to prevent water from backing up the wrong way. I have one just like it, right about where yours is. Once you get the water moving you'll see it gurgle in the valve's clear cover. In my setup it's just before the SWG. Depending on your model, they might be able to squeeze both the check valve and the SWG in that space. It'll be close. Did the plumber not know about the SWG? He'll have to cut that valve out and move it back. The rub will be if there's enough room to use the PVC coupler he'll need to reuse that valve. Or he might need to redo the elbow and union coming off the heater. He'll figure it out. Have him make room for the SWG when he fixes his goof on the filter. He can throw that work in as part of his "Sorry 'bout that." for the filter fumble. But I'm curious, are there not obvious "in" and "out" type marking on that filter?

Your friend, the one that made fun of you for metering your water, you send 'em to me!! We'll have a little chat. I think that's the most brilliant thing ever. Of course, I did the exact same thing, so I might be a bit biased! :goodjob: I actually tried to sell the idea in a few other threads, but nobody bit. Glad to hear it's not just me!! I happened to have one layin' around, ready to go into another project, so I went to Lowes and bought a couple adapters to attach it onto my fill hose. That's why my signature reads "12300" instead of "12K" because it's exactly 12300! Well, give or take a few gallons. I think you'll find knowing your volume to the gallon will really help in your pool water care. I recently replumbed my pool's autofill plumbing. My only regret is that I didn't plumb in a permanent water meter. I'd like to know how much water my pool was using. Some municipalities credit sewer bills if you can prove how much water goes into your garden or pool instead of the city's sewer system.

When my (now x) pool guys saw me setting the meter up for my fill, they were fascinated by it and wanted to know where I got it! I'm scratching my head why pool builders don't offer one, like, on loan or something, for all their customers' initial fills. What a great add-on service that would be, and a great head start to proper pool care and water balancing. But what do I know...
 
Yes, I did figure out that the SWG is going to be in that long stretch of tube in the bottom right of my last picture, they plan to install it after the 30 day start up is over and I can add salt. I felt silly not knowing that the box was a check valve :oops:, but at least I didn't plumb something backwards! :brickwall: And I don't know what I would do if I didn't know exactly how many gallons is in the spa considering I'm 3 days without any running pool equipment, I'd make a mess of things for sure and ruin my plaster job. I have to give you your due, I got the idea reading your posts, so I'll raise a glass to you and thanks for saving my sanity and marriage! :cheers:
 
Ha, so somebody did bite! Amazing. When I post my obnoxiously long novellas, I figure I'm just talking to myself!! ;)

Well, calculating how much chem's to add is not so critical that you need the exact gallons, but I'm more than a bit OCD, so I like things neat and tidy and exact!

I can't quite get a handle on how cavalier pool pros treat startup. I thought it was kinda critical, and can impact not only the look of the finish, but also how long it lasts. And that things need to be done just so, in the right order, at the right time, especially in the first week or so. I got that from the NPC startup card I was given by my plaster guy. But I read lots of posts here where PBs take off and leave the startup to whomever, whatever. Start the pump days later. Add chems. Don't add chems. Brush, don't brush. Etc. I can't figure out if they're lazy, or ignorant, or careless, or if startup is not actually as critical as I was led to believe...

Someone just now started another thread wondering what to do over the weekend with his pump kapoot. The TFP guys suggested brushing to circulate the water. I think it was Kim who once suggested walking the pool perimeter with a boat paddle. You could add your chems and try one of those, especially in the spa. Stir it somehow. Wait a bit before taking the test sample. Treat it, then stir again...
 
Yeppers-boat paddle or a straw broom..........use it to walk around the pool to start the water moving good THEN walk around as you CAREFULLY pour the M.A. acid in. I would kneel down to do the pouring each time. Please be VERY mindful and make sure to wear eye protection. Once you have added what you needed to add walk around with the paddle or broom to keep the water moving.

You can also get a cheap submersible pump from Harbor freight to move the water. If you position the hose just right it would move the water good. I think every pool should have one of these pumps for just in case. It is good to move water around the pool or to remove water if needed for some reason.

Kim:kim:
 
My plaster guy gave me an additional suggestion when we discussed adding chems to my new pebble: to pour the acid or chlorine into a bucket full of water beforehand (but NOT both at the same time). Dilute it first, then express it around your pool. Less issues for the new plaster (acid sinks) and less issues for the deck if you happen to spill. It's a little harder to handle that way, though. I used a 5-gal bucket about 2/3 full of water.

I entertained Kim's idea about have a pump on hand. I looked into the kind you would use for emptying a pool, so you get a two-fer: same pump could empty the pool come water-change time, and stir it should my main pump ever fail. Still considering it...
 

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