New Pool Owner - Need advice

[Marshall70]

Hi All,

I'm new to all of this and I need some help.

Our plaster was complete 5/23/2015 and we started filling it with our hose right away. 3 days later, on 5/26/2015, the pool builder dropped 3 gallons of acid in it - I guess this is the acid wash? the finish was a bit blotchy but it is really starting to even out now and it is looking good.

Water Test Results from yesterday:
FC: 0.0
pH: 7.0
TA: 30 ppm
CH: 501 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids: 600 ppm
Stabilizer: 0 ppm

Based on the recommendation of the pool company we dropped in 2.5lbs of Alkalinity Increaser, 2.5 gallons of Chlorine, and 3 chlorine tabs. We are supposed to drop another 2.5lbs of Alkalinity Increaser today and have the water retested next week. Does this sound right?

The guy at the pool store where we had the water tested said it would be 30 days before we could swim - does that sound right? Our pool builder made it sound more like it would take 5 days or so to balance the chemicals before we could swim...so I'm confused. I'm not sure that we told the pool store that our finish was not the standard pool plaster, it is NPT StoneScapes Pebble Interior Finish - does that matter?

I had a coworker who recently built an IG plaster pool and the company acid washed his pool with no water in it and they were swimming a few days after that. Does anyone know why a builder would choose to acid wash the pool with water in it? Just wondering why we didn't do the dry acid wash which seems like would have allowed us to start swimming earlier?

Any advice on what we should know or do at this point would be helpful. Thank you!

 

[Marshall70]

A pic of the pool

A pic of the equipment

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP!!

Order a TF100 Test Kit That will give you what you need for a couple of years normal use. Stay out of the pool store, their testing stinks and their objective is to find reasons to sell you stuff.

You need some chlorine int he water, NOW. Don't wait for the SWCG to bring the level up, it needs help. If you have plain bleach in the laundry room, pour in about a quart. Now, you will loose it to the sun, but not a quickly with that screen enclosure.

Any other recommendations will depend on who is responsible for the new plaster start up. You or the builder? Read this: Start-up New Plaster

I'm not sure why the guy at teh pool store said no swimming for 30 days. But, we have found pool store advice to be poor on a good day.

 

[Marshall70]

Thanks for the response.

I dropped 2.5 gallons of chlorine in the pool yesterday, after the test results that I posted. Are you saying it needs more than that? I wasn't sure about the pool store (pinch-a-penny)...i'll order that test kit.

I read the link you posted and that link says not to swim for 30 days - is that just for plaster or does it matter that our finish is a NPT Pebble finish?

 

[tim5055]

With no CYA in the water chlorine can be consumed within hours. You need CYA in the water, and keep chlorine in there until the CYA dissolves.

The article says no swimming during start up, but the start up is not specifically 30 days. It can take less time.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP and congrats on the new pool!

It is VERY important to never let the chlorine level drop below the minimum level for your CYA level or algae will grow. Chlorine CYA Chart

 

[Marshall70]

Here