Increase CH now or watch and wait?

[stodds]

Plaster was completed on 11/18, and pool fill was completed on 11/19. Been expecting my CH to go up (fill water was 175 ppm CH) due to the new plaster based on posts from this forum. We got a good amount of rain 1/17 - 1/18. Here's the rub, my notes suggest that my CH was riding at 225 up until the rain event, and I'm not sure why I'm doubting that now. Assuming rain is 0ppm CH, pool calc says it would mean 22% of the water was replaced by the rain event. OK, maybe that is where the doubt comes in . . . Factor in a 25 ppm per drop on titration test, and maybe the difference is less than 50 ppm due to lack of test precision. Whatever.

So, the question is this, do I worry about adding calcium chloride now, or do I wait a bit with the newish plaster? Are there other thoughts, like increasing by 25 ppm and waiting a bit?

I've been really comfortable with keeping my pool balanced by using this forum. But, I'm not too proud to ask, I suppose.

Just in case this matters:
FC: 3.5 ppm
CC: 0.0 ppm
CYA: 20 ppm*
TA: 90 ppm (this also dropped by 10 ppm after the rain)
CH: 175 ppm
pH: 7.7 pee-aitchinal units

*CYA -- Though I don't plan on using them forever, there are still trichlor tabs in my feeder from the pb-supplied startup pool guy (who is now gone). I plan on keeping an eye on the CYA with weekly testing. Once they're gone, I'll get CYA to the right level by actually adding CYA before spring is in full swing here in the Austin area.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Texas Splash]

While your minimum CH is 225 based on the Pool School - Recommended Levels page, your CSI is actually balanced at about 0.06 on the Poolmath Calculator. If your local water is anything like mine, you'll add CH fairly quickly over the summer just from evaporation refills, so I would be inclined to wait and not add anything at this point. Your TA and pH help to off-set the lower CH for now, and later this year you may find your CH increasing from refills to the point where you need to keep pH and TA lower. So for now, I'd leave it alone and monitor.

Final disclaimer ... ..... if your plaster is still under any warranty issues, then certainly check with your builder. But if the builder has "cut the cord" and you full autonomy, then I'd simply monitor the CSI (via TA, CH, and pH) on the Poolmath calculator for now. Hope that helps. Have a nice weekend.

 

[pooldv]

As long as your CSI is above -0.6 then I would wait it out because your CH is going to creep up over time with evaporation. But, my first winter I had CH in the 175-200 range and I had a fair amount of etching occur. This was before I knew anything at all. Poolmath will calculate your CSI, tweak pH and ta to change CSI. Keep it above -0.6 for sure and -0.3 is better.

 

[stodds]

Ah, yes, of course. I meant to include my CSI. Which I calculate at -0.18 based on my water temp of 58* F. Thanks to you both for your time!

 

[Texas Splash]

Ahhhhhh shoot! I forgot the water temp. Good catch (-0.18). Still balanced and within reason. Still, I'd just keep an eye on it. Make sure the TA & pH don't drop too much more at this time and CH should increase soon with weekly water top-offs.