First pool Tampa area - Plumbing question
- Thread starter TampaKathy
- Start date
Looking more blue but cloudy. Chlorine and Calcium chloride added today. Start-up guy will be back once or twice next week then it's on me 
He said I should check Ph on Fri or Sat and add MA if needed. I'll be checking everything tomorrow, not going to wait until Fri.
The PB wanted this guy to look at the lines I keep complaining about in the plaster (not sure why, not his area of expertise) but he looked and I asked if the lines were normal...he just threw up his hands and said, "I'm not saying anything." So someone else is coming out this afternoon.
He said I should check Ph on Fri or Sat and add MA if needed. I'll be checking everything tomorrow, not going to wait until Fri. The PB wanted this guy to look at the lines I keep complaining about in the plaster (not sure why, not his area of expertise) but he looked and I asked if the lines were normal...he just threw up his hands and said, "I'm not saying anything." So someone else is coming out this afternoon.
poolnoobgrandma
Gold Supporter
- Sep 15, 2018
- 938
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
Looking soooo pretty!!!Looking more blue but cloudy. Chlorine and Calcium chloride added today. Start-up guy will be back once or twice next week then it's on me
The PB wanted this guy to look at the lines I keep complaining about in the plaster (not sure why, not his area of expertise) but he looked and I asked if the lines were normal...he just threw up his hands and said, "I'm not saying anything." So someone else is coming out this afternoon.
View attachment 380667
That color is looking much better already.
Did they not patch the lines when they did the acid wash? I forgot to ask about that.
Did they not patch the lines when they did the acid wash? I forgot to ask about that.
Wait... *Garagemahal*? Sorry Kathy, I'm officially hijacking your thread. I need pictures.
Forgot to comment on the acid... Absolutely check it every day and rebalance the acid. I shot for 7.6, and every morning it was back to 8.0+. So every day was a liter or so of acid, and every two or three days was a trickle of chlorine to keep it around 3.
And if the water is cloudy definitely keep brushing two or three times a day.
And if the water is cloudy definitely keep brushing two or three times a day.
No...and I had pointed them out to the guy and he said, "no problem, I can take care of those." Well he finished, started filling and took off and my PM ignored my texts asking about it.That color is looking much better already.
Did they not patch the lines when they did the acid wash? I forgot to ask about that.
Wait... *Garagemahal*? Sorry Kathy, I'm officially hijacking your thread. I need pictures.
Well you are almost there and the final details can feel like infinity. Since you did not get the autofill, is your only option to add water is via a hose?Looking more blue but cloudy. Chlorine and Calcium chloride added today. Start-up guy will be back once or twice next week then it's on me
The PB wanted this guy to look at the lines I keep complaining about in the plaster (not sure why, not his area of expertise) but he looked and I asked if the lines were normal...he just threw up his hands and said, "I'm not saying anything." So someone else is coming out this afternoon.
View attachment 380667
I went back and looked at your original drawing and the bowls will be on each side of the Baja deck. What will be in those 4 raised sections on the left of this picture where there is white pipes?
The water is definitely less green but it will get much better with a fully balanced water, continued circulation and as the plaster dust is captured by the filter.
Thanks for the update.
I'm getting autofill...I'm not giving in on this. Oh, I must not have posted the final drawing. Look at my avatar...that's more accurate...going to put plants next to the shelf, the bowls will be on the 2 center pillars and then deck jets will be on the other 2 (I will probably barely use those and am thinking I will actually put some plants there).
The whole build has felt like infinity, haha...I have a list of like 15 things to still be done...I'm trying to tell myself to chill out since I can actually use the pool now but I just want to be done, lol.
poolnoobgrandma
Gold Supporter
- Sep 15, 2018
- 938
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
Let me know how adding autofill works at this stage of the build. I'd like to have autofill and drain, but assumed it was too late.
One other note on autofill... Before I add water, I look at the weather. If rain is forecast (often the case here!) I wait for mother nature to get the job done so I don't end up draining. If I had autofill, I'd want it to fill just to the bare minimum (skimmer not sucking air) rather than the ideal level, and count on rain to do the rest.
One idea is to consider repurpose one of your deck jets to a fill line. It would take some rework on the equipment pad and may have to modify the pillar. But if you do not plan to use the deck jet then get credit on them to get the auto fill if that is more value to you. You can make a scenario that you “really want” the deck jets but you will give that up if they can make an auto fill assuming they give you credit for the deck jet and also the auto fill since you are “giving up” something to fix something that they should have done. I think you have some leverage to get it done. The alternative may be tearing up your deck and that may not be great.
One other option, if those are sprinkler pipes that are going to the planters on either side of the Baja deck then one of those may be able to be hooked up to an auto fill system.
Keep us posted.
I thought the pipe that they put the overflow cap on was what was being used for autofill so unless they tell me otherwise, I expect that they will need to dig a trench from the current overflow cap to the hose bib and attach the autofill to the overflow pipe. I will let you know.
From my reading on here, if you can smell chlorine it means there's something wrong...does that mean you shouldn't smell chlorine at all or can you smell a light amount? The pool hasn't been turned over to me yet so I didn't want to just start putting chemicals in and messing with the start-up guy's process.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,633
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I can only get a very light chlorine smell when I get out of the pool. That is the chloramines stuck to me and my swimclothes from the chlorine acting on sweat, etc. But if I walk outside right now, I will not smell anything from the pool.
poolnoobgrandma
Gold Supporter
- Sep 15, 2018
- 938
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
You can start testing, and if something is way off base (pH super high or low, chlorine low or CCs > 1) ask your PB or his startup guy about it. Just demonstrating that you know how to test and are tracking water chemistry closely may lead to higher quality start up from your PB. I recommend letting them add the chemicals for now, and being ready to take over on day 30.
+1. You have to let them handle it for warranty purposes the first 30 days. However. If they happen to show up and your PH/FC/CYA is already good, Well look at THAT. Either you are lucky or one of his crews musta came when you weren’t home and balanced it. *wink wink*.
Newdude...you are assuming that they test, bahaha...so far they have just thrown stuff in (at least from what I saw)...that's why I'm afraid to mess them up, lol.
I texted the start-up guy and told him FC was very low...like almost 0...he wasn't supposed to come back until Monday but said he'll send someone tomorrow. I also got 0 for CYA but he said he puts some in. I don't know how much "some" is. Ph and CH are good.
this is the only time you will know the CYA is 0 if they haven’t added any. Add to 30 or subtract whatever they added from 30 and DIY. Monitor FC daily and add as needed. They let new pools go green all over and shock them before handing them back over.
poolnoobgrandma
Gold Supporter
- Sep 15, 2018
- 938
- Pool Size
- 17000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
Our guy may have tested. But he only came out once a week, and his instructions to us were to sprinkle a pound of Cal hypo every other day (ish- as memory serves) and pour in a third of a gallon of muriatic acid twice a week. I didn't have my test kit yet so I wasn't doing my own testing until right at the end of their startup. Precise to TFP standards it was not. But the folks here helped me get it sorted as soon as the pool guys were done.
I went back and found my panic post from 2019. Pool builder had in theory been taking care of the pool, and I tested in advance of a big 4th of July party. Thread 'First day of all salt... low chlorine, low ph.. help!' First day of all salt... low chlorine, low ph.. help!
As you can see, the great folks here got us sorted.
I went back and found my panic post from 2019. Pool builder had in theory been taking care of the pool, and I tested in advance of a big 4th of July party. Thread 'First day of all salt... low chlorine, low ph.. help!' First day of all salt... low chlorine, low ph.. help!
As you can see, the great folks here got us sorted.
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