New to building a pool, owning a pool, and caring for a pool.. first two completed

[a wild 1]

I haven't used a forum for quite a while so I also have to get used to this also. Here are the before and after shots. I have literally hundreds more since I oversaw every step of the process. It has been a steep learning curve but it has exercised my old mind and more recently my old body. I have shoveled over 20 tons of granite. Now if we can get to more warm weather we can enjoy it more. Love Az. been here for 4 years.. from Illinois.
I just wanted to introduce myself as I generally just read the forums a lot and say little.
So far I really like this forum.
John

 

[kimkats]

LOL Fastest pool build on the board! LOL

Kim

 

[a wild 1]

LOL Fastest pool build on the board! LOL

Kim

Actually from breaking ground to being ready for interior/exterior finish was 6 working days. Of coarse the permit process was kinda long. LOL

 

[Patrick_B]

Wow!

Six days may be a TFP record for any pool here. If someone knows of a faster one, please link us to it.

Congratulations, and welcome to TFP!!!

All you need to know about Pool Care can be found right here.

 

[a wild 1]

I just received my test kit. T-100 and have broken the seal. here are the results for the first test.
Fc=3 CC=0 CH=390 TA=100 CYA =80 NaCl=2250

water temp 64F (no I did not go swimming)

My SWC is now online and registers 2750 NaCl

I am sure glad I waited for these results before adding anything to the water.

I do have a pair of chlorine pucks in the skimmer basket. I guess I should remove them so I do not increase the CYA.

Has anyone made a printable chemistry recording paper?
Thanks for everything folks
John

 

[a wild 1]

When I bought my pool equipment they included a starter kit including 2gal of muriatic acid and 2 gallons of sodium hypochlorite 10%, two bottles of stabilizer (CYA), some chlorine "pucks", and a few other things.

How does the sodium hypochlorite work out with the POOL MATH calculations?

 

[kimkats]

Good job! The only thing I do not see is the PH results.

Yes take the tablets out. You are where you need to be with a SWG system.

Good job!

Kim

 

[a wild 1]

thanks KimKats. Ph 7.5 The kit said "do not record" so i didn't.. and didn't note it in the post.. I guess i follow directions too well..LOL.. DUH I figured out to plug in the 10% chlorine into the formula.. added 6 cups and will recheck in the morning.. And pick up a bag of salt this evening.

 

[kimkats]

I wonder why it would say "do not record"? It is a very important part of a well balanced pool.

You need to record it along with the other results. I had a small note pad that I kept all of my test results in for the longest time. It will help you learn your pool. After a while you will be able to just look at your pool and know what it needs BUT make sure to test to make sure.

You are on the right track!

Kim

 

[a wild 1]

It is in with the chlorine test. I will look at it again it may have been speaking of the chlorine test only which it says to use just to make sure you have chlorine and use the other test to actually determine how much chlorine you have. I assume itt said to do not record so it is not confused with the much more accurate test. Once I saw the 7.5 I kinda let it lay.. I have been chasing high Ph since the installation. After they acid washed the pool they neutralized the acid.. maybe they overdid it a little. We had company the day they did the interior and filled the pool and I had to take them to the airport so I was gone when they were finishing up.

 

[timerguy]

Pretty pool!!! You're off to a great start!

 

[JayBauman]

Wow. Your pool really looks sharp. I like the raised beam. I wonder if it's too late for me to change my pool design....

 

[a wild 1]

thanks Jay, we love it, We had a lot of wind the other day with a lot of blowing dust and debris. i found one leaf at the bottom of the pool and a bunch of "stuff" all around the pool on the deck.. I think it works well to keep the "stuff" out. I kinda like the added safety of people not falling in accidentally, especially young children (think toddler). We do not have any small children but that does not mean guests will not have any. The only thing I would have done differently was I would have preplanned to have a retractable cover for it. The angled spa makes that impossible. I had them make the out of grade part extra thick for strength.. 12" thick.. that make the coping 16" which threatened to break the budget. I found a way arouind the 6 grand coping. Don't forget to figure for the added expense of covering the exterior of the pool that is above grade. We used 6x6 veneer pavers and they were very inexpensive. But it was still 280 square feet. Also with the level spa the spillway only drops a couple of inches. Not too dramatic but effective anyway. LOL

 

[JayBauman]

Wild,

I was just joking about changing my design, as I'm looking at plaster in early December...it's too late for me to change anything! (You can check out my design by clicking on the red text in my signature.) I just wonder what I could have done with my design if I left it sticking out of the ground like you did. I really like it.

 

[a wild 1]

Jay,
That link is a bit sadistic.. I do not have the time to look at every one of the hundreds of posts. But I seem to forget that point.. amazing .. Yours is exactly the opposite of ours. if that is possible.. ours is simple, squared off and linear.. Yours is flowing, huge, impressive with all the amenities. Strangely I like both of them about equally. Thanks for sharing.. I guess i need to post a few hundred of my photos.. Since I am retired and was the general contractor I saw it all.
Beautiful pool. when do you expect completion?

 

[kimkats]

Wild,

I guess you did not know that the "price of admission" to this site is pictures. (just kidding but we LOVE pictures and the stories about the builds).

Please share your build and make sure to check out all of the other builds that have happened and are happening.

Kim

 

[JayBauman]

Beautiful pool. when do you expect completion?

Thanks. If the weather cooperates, I'm looking at water fill in about 2 weeks. They only need to finish my boulder decking, clean up, and then plaster.

That link is a bit sadistic.. I do not have the time to look at every one of the hundreds of posts.

Sorry. I didn't realize that my post was up to 8 pages! There is a crazy cast of characters on this forum who like to participate in everyone's projects. It's fun to share with the group. I find it interesting to see the variety of everyone's designs and the regional differences in construction methods.

 

[a wild 1]

You missed the next sentence... I seem to forget that.. I went through them for a long time.. couldn't stop.. very impressive..
BTW our landscaper was warning us about how much it was going to cost for water to fill it and others warned us about the increased power usage.. got the water bill $76 above normal.. electric remains at minimum administrative fees. solar produced the remainder. color us happy..
My wife and I enjoyed your share Jay.

 

[Xexys]

Having a cover here in Az is just preferable I imagine. I keep our pool open all year round, no surprises come springtime. Keeping up with maintenance is very easy anyway, nothing different than running in the summer except I usually turn the salt cell way down ( 5% or off ) and the pump time also way down for the pop-ups and the main pump runs 15 hours with only three hours at higher rpm.

 

[a wild 1]

Out here, having a pool, is going to be a much larger production. We started making plans to build an outdoor shower and rack for towels to dry, and then a changing room.. and OH NO! Did we just discuss having my precious workshop become a .. oh gad... pool house??? oh my what will I do .. we shall see. I got a chance to go swimming in a private pool.. one time growing up.. then when I had my kids in swimming lessons I started getting to go to a few pools. One time I was told "sure go ahead and use the pool we wil be out of town.. and then i learned a little about caring for a pool while someone was out of town... "do you have any testing equipment for the pool>?>? " Oh no my pool man takes care of all of that " But he quit so I have to get a new one and you know how hard the are to find?? But it will be okay for a few days of use just go ahead and use it all week.. Now I have a slight anal retentive bone that runs deep. The thought of placing people I care about more than life itself into a man made pool of water that I know nothing about???? Nervous.. no not a bit. I was young and cocksure and knew that everything was going to be okay. And it was.. BUT looking back?? would I let them in the water.. NO.. is it because I am older or is it because (oh shaw) I AM getting older...set in my ways?? all of the above??? yep.. How may times testing the water is enough or too much on the maiden voyage?? is five times a day for the complete battery of test too little>.LOL No I wasn't that bad..I (with the help of you guys) got everything balanced last week and I tested before they got here a few times so there wouldn't be any surprises.. then a simple test each day with out correction needed.. except cycling swg to keep chlorine in check.. actually barely needing it at all.. ?? Just about used up the entire 500 gallon propane tank though, Swimming in 87 degree water when the air temp is 84.. could you write a better script for the Thanksgiving week? So far so great... Had to be an adult and make a rule.. no glass anywhere on or above travertine tile.
A great time was expressed by all. I have some pictures but have to compress them to fit within the limits.

Now it starts..LOl.. I just learned that the Christmas party for the nursing staff on the floor of the hospital my wife works at needed a new location. Guess where they decided to have it? yep.. 21 days to get ready. Any suggestions? I am sure the "pool house/workshop" conversion will not be possible by then. should I suggest guests bringing robes or extra swimming suits? Trying to limit dripping through the house to the bathroom..
Thaks everyone for the assistance.