New plaster need help with chemicals

[Sbgamecock]

Hey everyone,

I have a new salt water plaster pool that I need help on. i am now 16 days in from water and 9 days of the pump working. For the first 10 or so days no chemicals were added due to delays with electrical and as the builder passed off to a pool cleaning guy to maintain the chemicals. we have brushed twice a day since the water was in.

I am now testing chemicals as I have not been comfortable where we are. the pool guy added chlorine Thursday but when I tested Thursday night there was not a trace. the water is clear.

this was an acid startup as the plaster guys used multiple gallons of acid as they finished and they did use a sequestrate.
fc:0
ph: 8.3
CH: 500
CYA: 0
TA 20-30, started red at 20

what order chemicals should I add. I know I will need chlorine and acid, and presumably cya.

 

[ajw22]

You have PoolMath?

Add 30 ppm of stabilizer/CYA now using the sock method.

Maintain 3 ppm of FC. Test and add liquid chlorine daily.

Raise TA to 60 using BAKING SODA.
It is often best to make large TA adjustments in a couple of steps, testing the water after each step, as adding large quantities of baking soda can raise the pH a little and you don't want the pH going out of range.

Lower pH into the 7s.

@mknauss advice how to manage raising TA while lowering pH?

 

[mknauss]

It is chemically difficult to have a pH of 8.3 and TA of 20. I would be hesitant to address either very quickly. Possibly add 20 ppm worth of baking soda and test pH again tomorrow.
How did you test the pH?

 

[Sbgamecock]

Thanks
i am using the tf100 but just learning. I did the ph a few times so that should be correct. I just looked at the extended directions for ta and I took the test wrong, was counting until it started to turn pink/red so I will re-run and repost with those results.

 

[Sbgamecock]

i just did a retest of ph and ta using the Tf100.
ph 8.2 and that I am very comfortable with
TA is either 30-40 or I am just having problems distinguising between minor color changes in pink. I have run about 5 test, some speed stir, and some swirling, but the numbers would still possibly not make sense. I have also run the test with 25 ml sample and the 10 ml per the extended directions. The fc is 0 and cya is zero. Are There any other tips for the TA test or am I at the point for adding chemicals. I do have a spillover that runs with the pump so I see that ph will rise with that.

 

[ajw22]

Add baking soda to raise your TA by 20 ppm and see how your pH and TA changes.

Get chlorine in your pool NOW!

The chlorine is much more important then messing around with the TA.