About to replaster/ chem questions

[bubbles]

So I met with my super today and I do feel good about the company I am going with but got some info from him that conflicted with what I have been reading here.
At PS, ( and I know this is a baseline, bare with my OCD for a moment please), it teaches to test main chems daily. My super said that I really only need to test 1x a week because it takes 70something hours of circulation for whatever I added to completely settle in ( my words, something along those lines)...so now just when I starting to feel confidant about how to get my "new" pool off and running the BBB way, I am confused again. Also suggested that to start, I go ahead and put a few pucks in to start the chlorination process and then switch to liquid bleach. He did say he's never done the BBB and seemed very in the know. He took a sample of our tap to get a reading on what to expect when we initially refill as well.
The numbers he gave me as far as the best place to keep things in good order were:
FC 1.5 -2
ALk- 80-120
Ph 7.2 -7.6
calcium 200-400
CYA -20

the CYA he suggested seems pretty off from what I have read here.
Input???
Thanks,
B

 

[duraleigh]

About the only addition that takes a week might be CYA and that's a stretch. pH changes are usually complete in an hour or so, same for FC. You PB's suggestion for chlorine and CYA is a little too low.....you stand too much chance of dropping to zero.

Start out testing daily, as you learn your pool that frequency will change as you begin to anticipate dosage amounts and the rate of change. Many experienced BBB'rs test once weekly and others continue to test daily because they like the precision accurate testing provides them.

Stick with the advice on this forum. Thousands of people on here have been doing this for a number of years and, well, it works!

 

[lightingguy]

Sometimes Pool builders say crazy things. The guy who re did my plaster told me to start with a CYA of 150 and see if that was enough! Needless to say I did the start up chems.

As a general rule of thumb I do testing as follows :

Chlorine - twice a week (but I'm using a liquidator so I dont have to worry as much about dropping to 0)
PH - weekly
TA - monthly
CH and CYA - 3-4 times a year.

Dave is spot on though - at first test daily - especially chlorine and PH. The new plaster is going to be pushing that PH up up and away - so keep on top of it. After it all settles down you can reduce the testing frequency - but only after you start to feel comfortable with how your pool works.

 

[dmanb2b]

Test FC, CC and PH daily...TA, CH, CYA, salt can all be tested weekly and sometimes even longer

Stick with pool school and a good test kit and you'll be fine. BBB is really more about knowing your water chemistry and knowing how to adjust it or how certain chemicals can affect that chemistry, than it is about bleach or borax. That said...Bleach Borax and Baking soda are way cheaper at walmart than the equivalent at the pool store.

 

[bubbles]

Thanks ya'll!! I will definitely stick with the info here!!!