Hello from an excited Newbie in Bixby Oklahoma!!

[twinkiesmommy2009]

TM- FWIW = For What It's Worth

Thanks! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sheree202]

That water is gorgeous....It must be surreal after the wait!!!

 

[H2o-Boy]

This pool turned out awesome. I tried to read all 79 pages.....but couldnt make it lol. I noticed you are doing fire bowls, which I am doing as well. Wondered if you found a good place to lool for them or if you already got them what they look like?

 

[philboyj]

I think the white ball we see is your beaming face I am so happy for you to be done with this. The decking looks great too.

Sorry folks!! I was very busy at work today!!

The white ball you can see in the water is the reflection of the moon.

 

[santacruzpool]

We were filling our pool only 12 months ago - next year, like us, you will hopefully look back and be so happy with how amazing it is to have a pool. It is now easy to forget all the trouble, mud, dirt, "difficult" pool builder and all - I can't imagine dealing with the problems you have endured, but now at least you can enjoy your new pool!

And your pool is stunning!

 

[Nursenini]

Brushing is kinda like a once over. Just brush in straight pushes away from you. Follow a pattern that covers all surfaces once. Change the pattern for next time, but still covering everything once over. Kinda like vacuuming a carpet or mowing the lawn as far as coverage and varying it. My brush does little on the way back toward me, but the resistance with the water when pushing away helps press the brush toward the surface I'm brushing. For vertical surfaces, I reach out a bit to help the brush press toward the pool wall, then push down and the water resistance takes over. Takes me around 20/25 minutes.

Thanks, jet!! The information helped! Brushing went better this morning!

Your pool looks great! I'm sure you will get the technique and water chemistry under control pretty quickly with the help of everyone here.

Thank you, Dstorm!

Pool looks awesome! I'll be curious to see how your pH does since you are curing out a new pebble finish also. We have really hard water here, and I've been battling pH the whole time. Seems to have settled down somewhat now, but I had some big spikes overnight, going from like 7.5 to close to 8 by the morning. I started added some acid before bedtime, just to get ahead of it.

The pool guy told me that they sometimes do an "acid" start where they run the pH down to 6.8 for a couple days I think, to encourage evening of the plaster. You might check that pH, maybe it's why your water is so cloudy? Mine never really was, but we didn't drop the pH very low.

The brushing is a chore... I bought one of those wall whale brushes, and really like it. That also meant i now had a spare brush, which I gave to the kids to hop in the spa and brush it down down real good. I also bought a little corner brush, but haven't found it that useful. At least in our case, I do think it's got a lot smoother over the last couple of weeks of brushing.

We got our polaris 280 in the pool for first time yesterday, and it vacuumed up a pretty respectable pile of pebbles. I felt like you, in that I pretty much just felt like I was pushing stuff around on the bottom. I decided to think of it as "wet" sanding the rough patches...

Also in that first week, the DE pressure went from 20 to 30, which is the dirty mark. They backwashed it then. It didn't really rise at all the next week, but we backwashed yesterday so they could show me how it all worked. So keep an eye on that.

I don't know how your PB is(well I kinda do from reading your thread...) But you really want to keep an eye on your chemistry. They told me they were going to take care of all the start up. Yeah...right. I'm not saying they never came out, but if I relied on their efforts alone, I'd have some messed up water right now.

Congrats on getting through it! Your pool looks great!

Thank you for all the great info, Technobuyer! And for saying nice things about my new baby!

The brushing may not seem as if it is doing anything but it is. It is getting the plaster dust off the side/bottom and out into the water to be filtered out. It is MUCH easier to brush in the pool. Like said above it is like mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house. Go this way and that.

If you want to vacuum now you can get this kind of vacuum head:

11.25 Swimming Pool Weighted Liner Butterfly Vacuum Head with Bumper - Walmart.com

It has brushes on the bottom so is safe to use on new plaster. Two things at a time-brush and vacuum.

It was SO nice to hear you were able to get in the water and enjoy it. I can see how it will be a wonderful thing for you to do every night when you get off work-come home and just relax in the pool as you recover from your day of saving lives:angel:

Thanks for the tips, Kim! Brushing was better this morning. I have zero instructions from PB or plaster people regarding brushing.
Maybe I can vacuum with just the hose for now...I'm a bit tapped out financially...

Relaxing in the pool alone is EXACTLY my plan for after work!!

A Wall Whale brush is what I use. It has a flap that the water will apply downward pressure to help with the brushing.

I have read about those! Good to know they work well...maybe I can get one...

Congratulations! Your pool looks great! Enjoy!!
G

Thanks, Goober!

Looks great!

Thank you!

They will run the pump(s) flat out for a couple of days and then should dial them back "if the are VS pumps. Once you have control of the pool you can figure how long and that rpm to run the pump to get you a complete turn over or two per day. Save a lot of $$$ and not run pump needlessly. For example my pool is 11,600 gallons. I run the pump for 8AM to 4PM at 1400rpm which gets me a flow of 50 gallons per minute (GPM). I have a flow meter but you can figure it out without one.
So 50GPM X 60 minutes = 3000 gallons per hour of flow. 8hrs run time = 24,000 gallons per day. Therefore I turn the pool water a little over twice a day. Running my pump at 1200rpm uses right a 238 watts of electricity, which is very little. Think of two 100w light bulbs. Cheers and enjoy.

I was reading today about calculating run speed, water turn over and electric usage...I'll need to read it another time or 2 but I'm with you-ready to cut this energy usage!!

Pool looks fantastic with water and glad you were able to "swim". I was in heaven too that first time I went in. Hard to believe it will be 2 weeks tomorrow since my start-up. How long did PB tell you to brush? I've been brushing twice a day and running the pump 24 hrs. I cut that back to 8 hrs on lowest speed and think I can brush every few days now. I don't see any cloudiness anymore when I brush.

Thank you, Irwin! I'm looking forward to being able to cut back the pump run time...I'm afraid to see my electric bill!

Your pool is just beautiful -- especially the gorgeous water color!!

FWIW, Greg used a tile sanding and rubbing stone to smooth a few areas of the pool plaster that were a wee bit rough to the touch.

Aww, thanks!
That's great idea about the stone. I'll look for one! Thanks, Helen!

Denise, that water color looks so gorgeous! Congrats on your pool! Isn't it hard to believe that you actually have a pool??

The water will be cloudy as you brush away that plaster dust. For me, it didn't take very long before I didn't notice any more...maybe just a week? The more you brush the sooner it'll be done! At least you can get into the pool to do it. Mine was filled in April and the water was too cold. I do know what you mean by the brush being unwieldy and awkward. Maybe it's because we are shorter?

Enjoy your pool and happy testing!!

It is a much bigger chore than I imagined! I think you are right about being short and the ease of brushing. I did find it easier to walk around the deck, stand on the wall and the spa ledge. I'm starting to get the hang of it.

The water is so pretty! It feels like it's not the real color until you see it in the sun! Do you keep staring at it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do keep staring at it! So surreal!

That water is gorgeous....It must be surreal after the wait!!!

Thanks, Sherre!! Gosh, I hope you get plaster really soon!!

This pool turned out awesome. I tried to read all 79 pages.....but couldnt make it lol. I noticed you are doing fire bowls, which I am doing as well. Wondered if you found a good place to lool for them or if you already got them what they look like?

Yikes! I'm glad you didn't spend all that time reading! The pictures are really the important part! I'm getting Grand Effects water and fire bowls. Pool supply world has good prices.

I think the white ball we see is your beaming face I am so happy for you to be done with this. The decking looks great too.

Thank you, phil!!

We were filling our pool only 12 months ago - next year, like us, you will hopefully look back and be so happy with how amazing it is to have a pool. It is now easy to forget all the trouble, mud, dirt, "difficult" pool builder and all - I can't imagine dealing with the problems you have endured, but now at least you can enjoy your new pool!

And your pool is stunning!

I'm looking forward to being done and down the road from all of this stress, that's for sure!

 

[bmoreswim]

So happy for you!! It's gorgeous. Love your step tiles.

 

[Nursenini]

So happy for you!! It's gorgeous. Love your step tiles.

Hi bmore! Thank you for the kind words!

 

[Nursenini]

Some pictures from this morning. Had coffee on the bubbler shelf this morning for the first time. That bubbler makes a great foot massager after a busy weekend at work!


Water is starting to look clearer. Spa still looks cloudy.

















The view from my living room

 

[Sandissimos]

Hello from England!
I spent all weekend reading your thread and am so impressed that you managed to stay so calm throughout all the 'challenges' you faced. Well done! Hopefully now you will be able to relax into learning how to care for your pool and reap the benefits. It certainly has been a long time coming.
Wishing you all the very best pool vibes ��
XXX

 

[Marlahoutex]

Congrats Denise!! Your pool is beautiful! Love all of the LS tiles! Did you end up using the Shell Beach tiles anywhere? I really liked the LightStreams but alas my DH did not.

You have a pool! You have a pool! I know it really does seem surreal. Happy swimming!

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Some pictures from this morning. Had coffee on the bubbler shelf this morning for the first time. That bubbler makes a great foot massager after a busy weekend at work!


Water is starting to look clearer. Spa still looks cloudy.

















The view from my living room

I don't cry or even tear up much anymore, but I did just that when I opened your thread a few minutes ago and saw the photos of your gorgeous, gorgeous pool! Denise's pool!!!! This was so worth waiting for! I am stunned and unbelievably happy for you. After my enthusiastic reply for the first plaster, I decided I couldn't post again, until I saw the for real pictures of a filled pool. I've been holding my breath and peeking in.

Your finish is THE perfect color for LS Peacock glass tiles! You nailed it, Nini!!!! I truly love every pool I see (unless it's green and slimy). I've never seen a pool with TFP water and thought it wasn't beautiful. But I'll admit, I do have a few favorite pools and a few favorite pool finishes. Yours has just become my new favorite. And look at those shells! I've never seen so many show up in a photo like they do in the photo of the corner step out. Wow! And from experience, I know that means in person, they are dazzling!!!! As Kim said, I'd need to wear sunglasses to stare straight into that pool, or my eyes would fry!!!

Hugs and kisses!
Suz

ps..... I 'replied with quote' on purpose. Those pictures deserve repeating - over and over again!!

 

[bdrex28]

Everything looks just perfect! You guys did a really wonderful job. Water and the entire pool looks very inviting! I may swing by next time I'm in jenks! haha!

 

[kimkats]

OH nini! You did it! You really have a pool AND it is SO pretty! WOWER! Look at those sparkles!!! Coffee by YOUR own pool! OH happy day!

ahhhhhhhhhhh all is right with the world today!

 

[amandahein3]

Your pool looks awesome!! So happy you are going to be swimming this weekend!!!

 

[TheBraLady]

That water is just gorgeous! Just imagine how much more perfect it will be as time goes on! So happy to hear that you were able to enjoy the bubblers and the shelf - I hope some of your stress is melting away!

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Awsome looking pool. Make sure you run your spa jets and spa floor drain to flush fresh chlorine in them at least once a day. I run the spa main drains for 15minutes each day and also the spa jets for 5 minutes and blower for one minute during that time.

Sorry, but this is new to me, and I'm a slow learning newbie. When I run my pump on pool mode for about 10 hours a day, the jets/returns in the spa are circulating also and mixing with the main pool water. Is this what you are talking about? Are the spa drains working also, or is there something separate I need to be doing with the spa floor drains?

As far as my pump for the water features, my PB set up the remote timer schedule to run them for a short period once each day to keep fresh chlorine running through them daily. But he did not tell me to do anything separately for the spa drains and jets. My spa is connected to the pool and has a typical spa spillway into the pool. Is Nini's spa a different set-up needing separate running to flush with fresh chlorine each day? I hate being dumb, but I'd rather get things right for my pool and better understand other pools if their set-up has different requirements. Thanks.

 

[wjr75]

Well my spa jets have a separate pump that needs to be turned on for them to work. If yours are always running when the pool is on you should be fine. Also if I don't have the spa in spa mode there is no water circulating through my main drains in the floor of the spa. This is why I turn it on spa mode once a day for 15 minutes to flush fresh chlorine in those pipes as well as our blower which has four returns in the bottom of the spa. I still have water pumped through the spa when the pool is on with the spillover. When I first got my pool I didn't realize this and would get cloudy water when you go into spa mode.

 

[SuzfromTexas]

Well my spa jets have a separate pump that needs to be turned on for them to work. If yours are always running when the pool is on you should be fine. Also if I don't have the spa in spa mode there is no water circulating through my main drains in the floor of the spa. This is why I turn it on spa mode once a day for 15 minutes to flush fresh chlorine in those pipes as well as our blower which has four returns in the bottom of the spa. I still have water pumped through the spa when the pool is on with the spillover. When I first got my pool I didn't realize this and would get cloudy water when you go into spa mode.

Thank you so much - that helps! It sounds like I should still turn on my spa once a day for the spa main drains and also turn on the spa blowers (not sure I should have bothered even getting those!). I did notice a couple of weeks ago that when I used the spa after not using it for a while, there were milky bubbles coming out of the jets. I had never thought about the spa blowers needing to be run or the main drains flushed.

You can't imagine how much newbies like me appreciate info info. I love this site and all you experts - I learn things I didn't even know I needed to learn!!! Lol!!!

Suz :sunny:

 

[twinkiesmommy2009]

Some pictures from this morning. Had coffee on the bubbler shelf this morning for the first time. That bubbler makes a great foot massager after a busy weekend at work!


Water is starting to look clearer. Spa still looks cloudy.

















The view from my living room

It's gorgeous Denise! Your water color makes me second guess mine which is quite dark. That is just beautiful!!! Congratulations! I know it had to feel good to finally sit out there with water and drink your coffee as planned. I'm so so so happy for you!

Thank you so much - that helps! It sounds like I should still turn on my spa once a day for the spa main drains and also turn on the spa blowers (not sure I should have bothered even getting those!). I did notice a couple of weeks ago that when I used the spa after not using it for a while, there were milky bubbles coming out of the jets. I had never thought about the spa blowers needing to be run or the main drains flushed.

You can't imagine how much newbies like me appreciate info info. I love this site and all you experts - I learn things I didn't even know I needed to learn!!! Lol!!!

Suz :sunny:

This helped me a ton too!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk