Pool remodel beginning soon!

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Changeyez,

I just went through this - pool was filled 10 days ago. I have a pool service that has done my pool for over ten years. jI just did a full remodel including plaster. In theory, I am sold on the TFP way, but I was lacking confidence on the start-up. I hired the pool service to do a start-up package ($500). Then, as luck would have it, the pool was full on a Saturday night at 7:00 PM. I did not want to wait until Monday for the start-up, so I did a crash course in Pool School and went to work, with the help and support of this forum (thanks Kim!). By Monday morning, the hardest part was done, but I still did the start up package for peace of mind. It was good to compare my chemical readings with the readings the pool service got.

In retrospect, I don't think there was any need for it. Certainly if I had it to do over again I wouldn't bother with it. If you follow the instructions on the plaster start up card Kim linked to in order, it is not that difficult. The warranty question is a tough one. In practice, I suspect you would have a hard time collecting from your pool lady if she screwed up. If you keep a log of your start up, showing all your testing and everything you put into the pool with date and time, you should be able to refute any claim that you did not do it properly.

The one concrete piece of advice I can give, if you do it yourself, is to be prepared that it may take a LOT of muriatic acid to get the PH down initially. 1-2 gallons first day is not unusual (I learned afterwards from the pool service). I was initially thrown off because the instructions on the MA jug said not to add more than a quart in 24 hours. Those directions don't contemplate a start up situation.

Good luck!
 
Thanks, Prehistoric.

My only concern is that it will be full tomorrow and I can do the first MA dose and two brushings. Then I am away from home Thursday and not home until mid day Friday. My wife can brush while I'm out but I'm not sure she'd be comfortable adding chemicals. Think this would be an issue?
 
Will the pool start up lady be out there very day? Or is it an one time visit? Your pool will be find while you are gone. The pH will be a little high but you have the knowledge and tools you have will allow you to beat it back down.

Kim:kim: (So happy I was able to help you PrehistoricPool)
 
kimkats said:
Will the pool start up lady be out there very day? Or is it an one time visit? Your pool will be find while you are gone. The pH will be a little high but you have the knowledge and tools you have will allow you to beat it back down.

Kim:kim: (So happy I was able to help you PrehistoricPool)
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She would come out every day at the beginning. I'm going to do it myself I've decided. It should be full in about 4 hours.

As soon as it's full, I know I need to turn on the pump and add DE to the filter. Should I brush right away as well? All the startup guides have a "Day One" but I don't know if that's like the day after it's full or the day it's full. I'm sure I'm overthinking it, but I want to baby this thing. :)
 
A couple of words from my recent experience.

1. Don't add any calcium chloride for several weeks. You have medium/hard fill water and the calcium will come up on it's own over that time. I made the mistake of adding it to get the calcium into the "ideal range" and, of course, as the plaster cures, it's now at the the top of the desired range.
2. Go REAL easy on stabilizer. My PB threw in way too much at startup and now it's too high (80). Bleach, bleach, bleach!
3. Buy stock in muriatic acid companies - your going to be using a lot of it over the next several months. I'm at 7 months post re-plaster and I'm only now cutting back on my weekly acid addition. The acid additions will also bring the fill TA down.
4. I suggest targetting a pH of 7.4. My pool builder wasn't very knowledgeable about this and kept the pH up in the 7.8 to 8.0 range for too long and we had staining/scaling on the new plaster.

I didn't have much confidence in my pool renovators knowledge of chemistry so I searched the internet and ended up here. Amazing what you can learn in 6 months!
 
Thanks for the tips. Just did the first brushing and added 48oz of MA based on my estimated pool size. I may tell the PB to not add anything tomorrow. I really don't want any CYA added yet.
 
Just brushed and tested again this evening...

FC - 0
CC - 0
pH - 8.2+
TA - 130
CH - 200
CYA - 0

My pool may be bigger than I think based on the TA only dropping by 20 after an addition of 48oz of MA. I waited about 6 hours after adding the MA before testing again.
 
PrehistoricPool said:
Your PH is way high. I had this my first day also. Don't procrastinate, get more MA in there. Add a quart, keep pump running at a pretty high speed, wait an hour, test. If not down to the 7.2-7.6 range, repeat until it is.
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I brushed at 5am today and added 48oz of MA. I'll try to get my wife to test later today... If not it will have to wait until tomorrow afternoon when I get home. Ugg. Stressful. Haha.
 

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Just brushed again after adding some MA and Calcium.

pH - 7.5
TA - 90
CH - 200

ALSO!! I notice a small streak under the new light in the pool. It looks to be rust colored. What can I do for this?
 
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sktn77a said:
Do you have a picture of the streak, preferably one that gives size context? I had a streak like this on my recent remodel and it's not going away. I'd get the pool builder back to sort it out.
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Looks to be a few inches long and coming from the bottom of the light
49380e28d7f158068c497967ba85ade9.jpg
 
Here is something you can try. Get some cheap vitamin C tablets (white only) and a chlorine puck. A vitamin c tablet rubbed on a metal stain should fade a metal stain. If it doesn't, then it isn't likely metal staining. A chlorine puck rubbed on an organic stain should fade an organic stain. Let us know what happens.

Kim:kim:
 
kimkats said:
Here is something you can try. Get some cheap vitamin C tablets (white only) and a chlorine puck. A vitamin c tablet rubbed on a metal stain should fade a metal stain. If it doesn't, then it isn't likely metal staining. A chlorine puck rubbed on an organic stain should fade an organic stain. Let us know what happens.

Kim:kim:
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Is this a safe test on new plaster? It's 7 days old.
 
kimkats said:
Yeah! But you have all of the tools you need to make it Trouble Free!!!

Your pH may be higher than 8.2 as that is as high as it goes. We will find out when you start having you lower it.

You also need to know the new plaster will push the pH up each day as it cures. Some only take 3 months while others can take up to a year so go ahead and get some muriatic acid and find a safe place to store it....NOT with the chlorine. They do not play well together. M.A. is a lone wolf. Do not store it by metal as the fumes may cause rust. I keep mine out side behind the barn were no critters go. Other find a small plastic box to store it. If there are kids in the area you might want to make sure you can lock it somehow to keep the kids out.

Kim:kim:
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Do not play well is an understatement.

Kim is telling you if the fumes or products connect outside of the pool water & you are exposed, its emergency room time.
I’m not being dramatic.
 
PoolguyinCT said:
Do not play well is an understatement.

Kim is telling you if the fumes or products connect outside of the pool water & you are exposed, its emergency room time.
I’m not being dramatic.
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Oh, I'm well aware. When I was a kid my dad showed me how dangerous it is... He took a hot dog and put it in a glass jar. Then added MA. It was amazing seeing it just eat the hot dog.
 

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