New Northeastern Pa Build

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Thanks Kim! I have been hanging out at his thread. Good info there!

my ph is deff 7.7-7.8 so I’m in cold weather csi range right now. Lol

im also safe once I add the salt I think. 3400 salt level will still put csi in -.15 range.

And as temp goes up I can lower ph a bit to compensate.

Ill check my ta tonight to to see if the borax made it go up at all.

Jim
 
The latest craze around TFP is to fret over CSI. I think it is a very useful tool, and one everyone with a plaster pool and a SWCG should be aware of the number, and play with the calculator sometimes to see what different levels do to it. That said, somewhere between -0.6 and 0 is just fine. We all want our plaster to last as long as possible, and our SWCG to not be caked with scale, but fretting over exactly where you are in that range is a waste of worry. IMO.
 
kimkats said:
I am going call in someone to help you with the csi part of this as it is not my strong suit.

Dirk, oh Dirk
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I'm connecting the dots. Jim posed a question about his CSI in my thread, the one he refers to. I gave him some info there, and concluded a bit like Mr Bruce did, which is not to obsess too much about the specific numbers. Keep things within range and let the pool find its happy place (I've been told that enough here, so it's finally starting to sink into my brain).

Jim, let me know if I can answer any other specific question(s) about your CSI.

Regarding raising pH. I love that I found here solutions that don't always require chemicals. Like yours, my TA is fine, so if I ever had to raise pH, I'd do so with aeration. I figure the less chems I use in my pool the better! Pointing my returns up didn't work for me, or at least not fast enough. And I have no water features. I had to fabricate and attach PVC "sprinklers" to my returns and that did the trick. Let me know if you want more info about how I did that.
 
hey guys.

i was pointing my eyes up all the way up with the pump moving to the point of it being loud splashes of water and a 6 hr period did nothing for my ph so that's why i dumped a bit of borax. it was only 21 oz so i figure it shouldn't wreck havoc on my TA too much.

i have to stop worrying about the numbers also but i get worried cause i close in the winter for a 5-6 month period so a veey close watched ph and csi is impt to me to prevent ruining my plaster over winter.

i was a basket case all winter, but now that i am pen i know what to do and expect next year. i mostly got away scar free from the winter and what i did. my second step at the seam is a bit greyed out in the pics i posted so i know i have to watch those kinda areas next winter. but now i know each time i check the pool brush the heavier dirt off the steps so it and whatever else doesn't sit there for 5 months.

once my water gets warmed i am going to attack that steps. it really has me bummed out.

so i guess my plan for now till my water really starts to warm up is keep everythign where it's at if happy. my TA seems happy. my ph was happy at 7.5 so lets see if it likes to be at 7.8 which is a sweet spot in my eyes for now. my CH is constant within 25-50 PPM for the past year.

once i get back from being away next weekend i'll add my salt, boost up my cya one last time and fire her up.
 
Sounds like you have a good plan. Think of it this way, as I have been. Just knowing about CSI, and being aware of it, and taking reasonable steps to keep it in range, puts us in the top 98th percentile of pool care. Think of how many pools are out there, with owners who have no clue about CSI, which means it's just as likely their CSI is completely whacked out as not, and their plaster is degrading without them even being aware of it. We're sittin' pretty compared to that bunch, even if our CSI is a few data points away from where we think it should be!!

Regarding the "greyed out" area. Not sure what that is, nor what "super blue diamond brite" means, but if this helps: from what I've read, and from my own experience with both plaster, and now pebble, "of color" so to speak, I'm not going to be able to keep up a solid, perfectly even color, no matter what I do. My old plaster was mottled pretty heavily. My 6-month old pebble is already showing the signs. I think this problem is worse with darker colors, but I expect it is the same, to some degree, for anything but white. I actually liked the "clouds" effect my old plaster had, and as long as my new pebble mottles in a similar way, evenly uneven, I'll be fine with that. Another example of embracing the pool's personality. Since the only alternative is to get upset about it, the choice is easily made.

If her grey spots are something that can be addressed, then of course do so. But if not, then let her age gracefully! ;)
 
lol

i know. it's just the fact that it isn't even a year old yet. lol

super blue is my color. diamond brite is a quartz finish. it's a white base with greys, blues, blacks, and lighter blues mixed into the base plaster. my wife didn't want the roughr texture of pebble and i didn't want straight white so this was the middle ground.
 
Hmm, if the plaster is white, and the color is achieved solely from quartz, you'd thing that would be more color-stable than my grey-plaster-based pebble. But who knows. Did the installer give you any indication of the "color-fastness" of the product? I can't even get my installer to come back and look at the color shifts. And I'm not trying too hard, I know what she's going to say "Oh, that's pebble, that's normal. We told you about that when you picked the dark color." And she probably did. I vaguely remember signing some sort of disclaimer about it. So I was somewhat prepared for this eventuality.

My silver lining? (And a warning to be careful when you add your CYA!) I burned a small patch in my brand new plaster by mis-handling CYA. Day two. Talk about heartbreak. I got a glimmer of hope when someone here suggested it might fade over time. It hasn't. But it looks very much like the mottling that is starting to appear. So with any luck, I'll get those clouds I like in the pebble color, and the stain will just look like part of that!! I win!!! ;)
 
Good discussion on CSI here. Lots of good points. I 100% agree that obsessing aboutanumber unnecessary and staying range is all that is needed. My pool etched the first winter because my CSI was way too low, well below -0.6.

I keep my CSI above 0 during winter, which is easy because my pH wants to be 7.8 or more anyway. It is far easier to deal with a little scale and it is impossible to do anything about plaster etching besides replaster.

I keep my CSI around -0.3 in summer. I usually lower it toward -0.5ish and let it rise to -0.1ish and repeat. My SWG was installed in summer 2012 and i have never needed to clean it. It is still clean as a whistle and works like a champ.

My black plaster is significantly fading in many areas, the more sun exposure the more faded it is. To the point of being light gray. Places with little to no sun exposure are still completely black. There are pics in my pool thread, link in sig. It has nothing to do with saltwater, chlorine, CSI, bleach or anything else but the sun. The pebbles are all still the same color but the plaster color now varies widely. We were going for a natural pond look so he more variation the better as far as were concerned. Our pool still looks amazing to us. But, expecting pigment in dark colored plaster to remain uniform is an unrealistic expectation.
 
pooldv said:
Good discussion on CSI here. Lots of good points. I 100% agree that obsessing aboutanumber unnecessary and staying range is all that is needed. My pool etched the first winter because my CSI was way too low, well below -0.6.

I keep my CSI above 0 during winter, which is easy because my pH wants to be 7.8 or more anyway. It is far easier to deal with a little scale and it is impossible to do anything about plaster etching besides replaster.

I keep my CSI around -0.3 in summer. I usually lower it toward -0.5ish and let it rise to -0.1ish and repeat. My SWG was installed in summer 2012 and i have never needed to clean it. It is still clean as a whistle and works like a champ.

My black plaster is significantly fading in many areas, the more sun exposure the more faded it is. To the point of being light gray. Places with little to no sun exposure are still completely black. There are pics in my pool thread, link in sig. It has nothing to do with saltwater, chlorine, CSI, bleach or anything else but the sun. The pebbles are all still the same color but the plaster color now varies widely. We were going for a natural pond look so he more variation the better as far as were concerned. Our pool still looks amazing to us. But, expecting pigment in dark colored plaster to remain uniform is an unrealistic expectation.
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can u take a look at my pics of the grey spots.

People have been helping me here. It’s a tad lighter but still there.

My csi all winter had to be off the wall cause I opened to a ph way above 8.2. There was dirt sitting where the areas r all winter. My ph was high cause I closed it with still curing plaster. No choice.

I habe been brushing. Used pucks. Used vit c. Used sandpaper but didn’t go crazy. Didn’t do the acid sponge thing. I’m afraid.

It isnt raised. It’s in the plaster.

I have light plaster also remember.

Its goodcto know about ur csi and swg. Makes me feel very confident now. Along with dirks input and others.
 

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Along with dirks input and others.
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Please keep in mind... I don't close my pool, so my thoughts about, and experiments with, CSI (about anything, really) are based on my experience with my pool. And my pool is exposed to the sun and moon 365. Be sure you confirm anything I add to the conversation with advice from others, especially when it comes to winter time and how closing your pool affects your levels, etc. I don't have any experience with that.
 
So, if it is scale then keeping your csi negative (-0.6 to -0.8) will slowly dissolve the scale. If the stain is organic then FC halfway or a it more toward shock level will lowly reduce the stain.

If it isn't raised or rough then I wouldnt be too concerned about scale. Especially if sand paper didnt do anything. Keeping csi negative will slowly remove it anyway. More likely it is an organic stain. More here, Pool School - Stains in your Pool


I think it is time to let the pool build thread go and start posting new questions as they arise in new threads so people, like me, will notice the questions. I don't spend a lot of time in pool build threads.
 
pooldv said:
I think it is time to let the pool build thread go and start posting new questions as they arise in new threads so people, like me, will notice the questions. I don't spend a lot of time in pool build threads.
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Aw, come on. He's almost to 1000 posts!! Wouldn't that get him some kind of record, or prize or something!?! ;)
 
Hey what’s wrong with my build? I’m not even done yet. I got at least another 2 years in me.

Actually I was keeping my build to just build stuff and was posting questions as other threads but then I got on the stain kick and it kinda stayed here. Whenever I have chemical questions I do try to take em to the other threads.

Pooldv. So you think leave it go for the season? All I really have left to try is an acid wash in that area which I am scared for doing.

Maybe tomorrow ill I’ll throw it out there as a separate thread.

I have tried everything people suggested here though.

- - - Updated - - -

Dirk said:
Please keep in mind... I don't close my pool, so my thoughts about, and experiments with, CSI (about anything, really) are based on my experience with my pool. And my pool is exposed to the sun and moon 365. Be sure you confirm anything I add to the conversation with advice from others, especially when it comes to winter time and how closing your pool affects your levels, etc. I don't have any experience with that.
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i know. When I have winter questions I know who to bother. Lol. But those of u who don’t close also help me learn cause when I am open it’s the same as u guys.
 
ok some updates for my build. . .

monday we do electrical and low volt. i'm thinking 2 days cause we got to get the easy touch inside and hooked back up along with moving the circuit breakers out and into a new sub panel. then we can start brick.

IMG_9709 by Jim, on Flickr
IMG_9711 by Jim, on Flickr

my plumber working! he doesn't like to work anymore. lol
IMG_9717 by Jim, on Flickr
IMG_9712 by Jim, on Flickr

here is where we r at today
IMG_9723 by Jim, on Flickr

IMG_9725 by Jim, on Flickr
IMG_9726 by Jim, on Flickr
the fireplace room is vaulted and the kitchen area is back down to 9 feet. the gables and the ceiling will all be tung and groove sapele 5 1/8" full bead to bead vs the small 2 inch bead. my buddy is getting it run for me from one of the places he buys from. the beams for the pool house will be wrapped in cement board though painted white for contrast. my buddy is also building my access doors and cabinets for the kitchen area out of the sapele vs buying stainless. he can give me the exact sizing i want this way and it is actually cheaper.

jim
 

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