Continuation of an odyssey

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I think we have it under control. I had the wife and one of my kids brush this morning and even that made a difference. It's looking a lot better with one pass. (I came into work but likely will not work a full day)

I think the aggregate is more exposed there so I am going to brush the living bejeesus out of that area for the next few days. It may end up matching.

I am going to follow the PBs instructions until the startup guy is done and gone.

Their startup instructions aren't much different than TFP. But of course aren't as ideal with timing.

I will get a fill TF-100 reading when I get home tonight (just didn't have the extra time this morning), but I probably won't try to balance the water until I talk to the startup subcontractor. Our water is pretty high alkalinity but I am not worried until we start up the pump. At that time I am sure we will balance the water. Apparently it won't be for a couple of days unfortunately.
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I was worried about the "Irish Mist" color, but I think it works...
 
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Fred,

Your journey and the phrase "This too shall pass" were made for each other. Roadblock after roadblock, and yet, here you are. Pool is beautiful. Being a SE Tx individual, its not often I seen yards with zero green. I really like the pads leading to the pool, the crushed rock, stone, the gate, etc. It all works really well! Irish mist looks great on that pool, and I'm looking forward to those pictures you'll toss up next week so we can see how those colors really settle in, after all the brushing and balancing. I've liked quite a few of the Irish Mist pools I've seen pictures of.
 

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Well, I am 50 and I spent the first 48 years in the upper Midwest, last time for 30 years on 35.63 acres of Iowa farmland so I get the not seeing green part. There are other really beautiful things in the desert, though so it probably is okay that I will be here for awhile. My Midwestern pools were two year lasting tear down throw aways that only would stay up for enough time that CYA didn't matter at all.

What I oddly miss more than the green is the black dirt. Weird, I know...

And yeah, it's been fun doing the diary here. I probably am boring all of you to death by now, but I intentionally wanted to do a detailed build log. Hopefully this will be useful to others considering their options when building a pool. I tried to document everything.

By no means was my experience really that bad. I kind of feel sorry for the PB because of the paver base washing out, but I did warn them and it was a case that they thought a bottom of the valley base could be used in the Foothills. I don't think that they will make that mistake again. But they fixed it. Without me asking. And the foreman admitted to me that I was nowhere near his most difficult current customer.

And you probably brought up a good point on the green... Probably subconsciously my wife picked it to green up the yard. We will add landscaping, probably Mediterranean plants to green it up further. But no grass. Had enough cutting to last me three lifetimes in the Midwest.

I can't keep them out already. My homeschooled daughter (yes my kids are all Korean American adoptees and we are whiter than white) is in this picture my wife just sent me. received_467349913861281.jpeg
 
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Oh that's a pretty color! ? How old is your daughter? Last year my (now) 13yr old and a friend were in the pool before the fill water had a chance to warm up too. Their lips turned blue pretty quickly and they came back out, but there was no way they were going to not get in that pool once it had water. Silly kids! :p
 
She is almost 14. The fill water in Arizona isn't like MN, especially in September. I haven't measured the temperature, but the water report from the water department last year at this time was 90.3 degrees. The water in that pool is probably pretty close to 85F. We did get down to the low 60's last night though, so I really do need to get that solar cover on it at night. 95F high today.
 
Rattus Suffocatus said:
...The fill water in Arizona isn't like MN, especially in September. I haven't measured the temperature, but the water report from the water department last year at this time was 90.3 degrees. The water in that pool is probably pretty close to 85F. We did get down to the low 60's last night though, so I really do need to get that solar cover on it at night. 95F high today.
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Looking Good! It looks to me like there may have been some acid left in that pipe of the In-floor and it burped out as the pool filled. I saw a few of my step heads burp water out as I was filling. Hopefully copious brushing will even it out. It already looks a lot better. Don't be afraid to put on some goggles and get in the water with a smaller brush and give it extra attention. You may always see it, but nobody else will unless you point it out to them :)
No water warm up time required this time of year in AZ, you have to actually wait for it to cool down after the fill. On the day of my fill in Mesa about a week ago, the pool was over 95 degrees the 1st day. The sun baked shell actually heated up the 90+ degree fill water even warmer. On the slightly cooler nights the last few days, the pool drops to about 85 overnight and back up to 89 in the afternoon. The cover isn't needed yet, but it will be helpful soon to extend the swimming season
 
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It's funny that you should mention that. I didn't say the acid reflux was the issue here, but I sure presented that to the foreman this morning.

I am going to buy a stainless brush and go at it that way. There is definitely more exposed aggregate in that splotch. Maybe I can mechanically even it out.
 
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OK, now I KNOW this is the moment you have all been waiting for. TF-100 fill plus sit for 16 hours water. No chlorine nor CYA readings of course yet...
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So in addition my previous readings with the cheap kit are okay. Reasonably close to the Taylor chemicals.

Meaning that I am still going to guess a lower CH... It almost turned blue on six drops... So if I can interpolate I would put it at 160 or so which is consistent with the water report I have, and my now defunct Lamotte test.
 
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Rattus Suffocatus said:
She is almost 14. The fill water in Arizona isn't like MN, especially in September. I haven't measured the temperature, but the water report from the water department last year at this time was 90.3 degrees. The water in that pool is probably pretty close to 85F. We did get down to the low 60's last night though, so I really do need to get that solar cover on it at night. 95F high today.
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Wow, I bet that's nice! Straight from the hose here is COLD, even in the summer.

Noodles and beach balls filled with sparkly confetti are the teen favorites here. So is screaming. I don't understand that part, but there's always a lot of screaming when her friends/teammates are in the pool with her. We have new empty-nester neighbors, and I bet they spent some time this summer regretting buying next to a house with a pool and a teenager. ?‍♀️ I'm trying to enjoy it, because it's going by really fast!
 
Yeah, I kind of miss cold water out of the taps though. I occasionally brew beer and instead or running water through a chiller. I have a fountain pump and two large bags of ice. Plus there is no such thing as a cold shower... :) The last 20 years in Iowa on a well, I don't think the water ever got over 55°F... So its taken getting used to...

"Startup crew" at 11 AM to 1 PM tomorrow, and then it's my baby. I still need to get bleach somewhere... maybe after they leave...
 
Don't know if anybody mentioned it but Ekonomy Pools has refillable gallons of 12.5% 4 to a crate. I think they have a NWish side location. they also run a buy 11 get the 12th free punch card promotion. The crate deposit is $8 and I don't remember the price but it is fresh and stronger than most of the other sources. Ace Hardware sometimes does a good sale in the late spring, as do some of the grocery stores/walmart - often $5 for 2 gallons of 10%
 
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