New pool with stains and balancing questions...

[Lynnster]

Hello, everyone. I just love this site and have been trying to read as much as I can to educate myself. So, now to the issues. New IG pool put in last summer and filled on 7/14 2010. No issues balancing water last summer. Maybe it's a case of ignorance is bliss? Have an SWG (not turned on yet this season), Color Quartz plaster. This winter we had some trouble with the pool filling up after heavy rain even though we have a solid safety cover. Lots of dirt got in, had to drain it a couple of times. When we opened the pool on 4/19 the water was brown and cloudy as we expected. Started shocking and getting it balanced. I do have the TF-100 test kit (love it).

I got an original set of #s and thought my CYA was 50. Shock level according to pool school would be 28. Maintained this until yesterday (as i was losing FC overnight >1 but no CC's) when I decided to retest CYA and I got 0. Had a hard time with this and redid it 2 more times and I'm pretty confident it's 0. Took it to local pool store to see what #'s they'd get:

Mine-Theirs
pH- 7.2, 7.4
FC- 14, 3
TC- 14, not noted
CYA- 0, not done (said wouldn't be accurate until water temps are in 70's) water temp 62.
CH- 325- 175
TA- 60, 50

Can't believe how off the FC level is. I believe mine. Redid it when I got home. Now the questions. I have a lot of rough patches on the walls of the pool. Also have light brown discoloration on sunshelf in the area where I think the water went under the cover. Are the rough patches and brown patches related. I'm thinking the brownish areas are organics from the dirty water. The rough patches I don't know. Maybe leeching of calcium from the plaster???

 

[JasonLion]

If your CYA level is really near zero you will be losing all of your chlorine to sunlight in less than a day. If you still have any FC in the evening, CYA can't be zero.

The lighter stains look like calcium scaling. Calcium scaling tends to be rough. Your levels are not currently suggestive of scaling, but perhaps they were different at some previous point.

 

[Lynnster]

Thanks, Jason, I really appreciate your help. It's seems a bit overwhelming at times. I retested my CYA (about 5 times!) and I think it's 30. What should I do bout the scaling? Will it go away by itself with balance water?? Keep my pH low? Thanks!

 

[JasonLion]

Getting rid of scaling can be difficult/annoying. Sometimes you can take it off with a pumice stone. Other times you can use a PVC pipe to direct acid to the right spot, which will remove it in that spot. If the scale is significantly thick or covers a large area you have to drain and do a manual acid wash.