New Pool Build - Testing for the first time

[DSMinAtlanta]

Hello,

We just had our new pool built. See my signature for details of the build and our equipment. Here are some additional details about the timeline on where we are now:

- PebbleSheen was completed on April 11th, acid wash was performed the following day and the pool was filled with water
- The PB did twice a week visits to maintain the water up until this week
- Salt was added on May 14th for the first time and the SWG was powered on
- Our pump has been running 24/7 for several weeks now at a rate of 1800 RPM (45 GPM)

I purchased a TF-Pro Salt kit and we did our first test today. Here are our results:

• FC = 15 (when adding the drops I feel like some of them were more air than liquid so I should probably test again)
• No CC observed
• CH = 400
• TA = 120
• CYA = 50? (this was difficult to determine with that test tube)
• pH = appears to be on the high side given the test below

The water itself looks very clear and there aren't any visible issues. We jumped in for the first time last night and it was surreal considering how complicated this build process has been (I'll create a separate thread detailing the build later).

What is the correct routine for a brand new pool build like ours? I thought that the PB would walk us through some of the maintenance items during 'pool school' but they only gave us a brief overview of the equipment and that's it. I want to start off on the right foot here and I know the builder isn't going to help. They told us all of their customers just pay someone to maintain the pool (which is probably mostly true).

Thank you!

 

[Newdude]

FC = 15 (when adding the drops I feel like some of them were more air than liquid so I should probably test again)

The block FC test goes orange around 10 FC and then gets darker like the yellow scale from 0 to 5.

Yours looks darker orange so 15 isn't a bad guess. But conform with another powder test. And skip the FC block test altogether. As you see, it doesn't tell you much.

No CC observed

Sweet

CH = 400

Sweet again

TA = 120

Manage the PH and adjust anytime it becomes an 8+. The TA will fall on its own.

CYA = 50? (this was difficult to determine with that test tube)

pH = appears to be on the high side given the test below

Ph is invalid at 10+ FC. Let the FC drift down and test Ph under 10 FC.

 

[proavia]

The pH test is invalid when the FC is over 10.

Determine the minimum speed the pump will run at and still satisfy the SWG flow switch. Once you determine that speed, add about 200 RPM to it (allows for filter getting dirty). That RPM (minimum plus 200) is the minimum speed you need to run the pump at to produce chlorine. If the pool isn't skimming adequately at that speed, increase RPM until skimming is adequate.

If you have a suction side cleaner, you will need to run at a higher RPM during times you want the cleaner to clean the pool - maybe 2-4 hours daily to start.

I'm guessing you have read
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
And have downloaded and use
PoolMath

Link your PoolMath logs to your forum user account. That way you can enter the results in PoolMath and we can see them here.

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

The block FC test goes orange around 10 FC and then gets darker like the yellow scale from 0 to 5.

Yours looks darker orange so 15 isn't a bad guess. But conform with another powder test. And skip the FC block test altogether. As you see, it doesn't tell you much.

Sweet

Sweet again



Manage the PH and adjust anytime it becomes an 8+. The TA will fall on its own.

View attachment 575245



Ph is invalid at 10+ FC. Let the FC drift down and test Ph under 10 FC.

Thank you for the prompt reply! Is there anything alarming that we need to worry about right now? I guess we thought the Pentair SWG and IntelliCenter would provide some sort of monitoring of the salt/chlorine levels. Is this not the case? We are first time pool owners so we are a little nervous given how much was invested in this project.

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

The pH test is invalid when the FC is over 10.

Determine the minimum speed the pump will run at and still satisfy the SWG flow switch. Once you determine that speed, add about 200 RPM to it (allows for filter getting dirty). That RPM (minimum plus 200) is the minimum speed you need to run the pump at to produce chlorine. If the pool isn't skimming adequately at that speed, increase RPM until skimming is adequate.

If you have a suction side cleaner, you will need to run at a higher RPM during times you want the cleaner to clean the pool - maybe 2-4 hours daily to start.

I'm guessing you have read
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
And have downloaded and use
PoolMath

Link your PoolMath logs to your forum user account. That way you can enter the results in PoolMath and we can see them here.

Ah that's a good point. The only advice the PB gave us during 'pool school' is to run the pump at a minimum of 1,600 RPM without heat, and 2,000 RPM with heat. I have no idea where he got those numbers but I'll research what that minimum is based on our SWG. This same person also told us that our pump was "self-priming and you don't need to add water after cleaning out the basket" so I cleaned the basket today, put the lid back on, and the pump wouldn't start due to a low water warning. We grabbed the manual to the pump and saw that there are other steps involved to getting the pump back up and running like adding water, getting air out of the lines via the filter, etc. so we followed that and it I got it back up and running. I don't have a lot of trust in the PB equipment installer right now.

 

[Newdude]

we thought the Pentair SWG and IntelliCenter would provide some sort of monitoring of the salt/chlorine levels.

They will do whatever you tell them to do. They do nothing on their own. Don't worry though, we got you.

For now, turn the cell to 0% and watch the FC fall. When it's under 10, report back with FC and PH.

Everything is great for now with zero chance of a swamp. When you have 'enough chlorine' (notice I DID NOT say high or too high) we have all the time in the world to fiddle with the rest of them. They are all long term concerns.

 

[proavia]

Ah that's a good point. The only advice the PB gave us during 'pool school' is to run the pump at a minimum of 1,600 RPM without heat, and 2,000 RPM with heat. I have no idea where he got those numbers but I'll research what that minimum is based on our SWG. This same person also told us that our pump was "self-priming and you don't need to add water after cleaning out the basket" so I cleaned the basket today, put the lid back on, and the pump wouldn't start due to a low water warning. We grabbed the manual to the pump and saw that there are other steps involved to getting the pump back up and running like adding water, getting air out of the lines via the filter, etc. so we followed that and it I got it back up and running. I don't have a lot of trust in the PB equipment installer right now.

Yeah - determine the minimum RPM plus 200 to satisfy the SWG - hopefully will be less than 1600 RPM that the PB mentioned. And a lower RPM will use less electricity as well.

Add your pool cleaner to your signature
From your other thread, it look like you have a booster pump, so a pressure side cleaner.
Check to see what the minimum flow rate for the pool pump is to allow the booster pump to also run. That RPM would be your cleaning RPM for the main pool pump (unless it's lower than the SWG RPM).

The main pool pump speeds, schedules and run times are all programmed thru the Intellicenter.
Check to be sure your SWG is wired thru the Intellicenter pump relay. This will prevent the SWG from running whenever the pool pump is off - and it's important that the SWG is NOT powered if the main pump is off.

I like to run my pump and SWG 24/7 - 20 hours at 1200RPM and 4 hours at 2900RPM (for my IFCS to work cleaning the pool).
Running both the pool pump and the SWG costs me less than $20/month (my electric rates are pretty low).

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

Yeah - determine the minimum RPM plus 200 to satisfy the SWG - hopefully will be less than 1600 RPM that the PB mentioned. And a lower RPM will use less electricity as well.

Add your pool cleaner to your signature
From your other thread, it look like you have a booster pump, so a pressure side cleaner.
Check to see what the minimum flow rate for the pool pump is to allow the booster pump to also run. That RPM would be your cleaning RPM for the main pool pump (unless it's lower than the SWG RPM).

The main pool pump speeds, schedules and run times are all programmed thru the Intellicenter.
Check to be sure your SWG is wired thru the Intellicenter pump relay. This will prevent the SWG from running whenever the pool pump is off - and it's important that the SWG is NOT powered if the main pump is off.

I like to run my pump and SWG 24/7 - 20 hours at 1200RPM and 4 hours at 2900RPM (for my IFCS to work cleaning the pool).
Running both the pool pump and the SWG costs me less than $20/month (my electric rates are pretty low).

Signature updated! I almost forgot about the cleaner. That's also on the list of things needing to tweak to get it working just right but that's something I'll tackle this weekend. In the IntelliCenter config here are the current pump settings:

• Pool alone (no feature or heater) - 1800 RPM
• Water feature - 2200 RPM
• Heater - 2000 RPM

I'll have to research the minimum flow rate to support the booster pump. I know that when I turn off the 'Pool' circuit via the IntelliCenter control, the SWG powers off as does the pool pump. Today when I tried to power everything back on after cleaning the pump basket and the pump went into an error state, I saw that the SWG was flashing red due to no water flow. I assume that's working as designed? When they first connected the equipment (pool pump only), they had it running at something like 65 GPM (not sure about RPMs) and it was consuming nearly 1000 watts of power so I connected to the pump via the Pentair Home app and slowed it down. I have no idea why they left it that way initially. Thank you again!

 

[ajw22]

Heater at 2000 RPM is unlikely to be sufficient. Your MasterTemp 400 needs a minimum of 40 GPM and really should get close to 50 GPM.

Turn on your heater and look at the pump status for the GPM you are getting. If not at least 48 GPM increase the heater pump speed setting until you get the needed flow.

 

[ajw22]

Your cleaner does not have a minimum flow for the main pump. Your booster pump will do its job as long as the main pump is running.

OTOH, you fill find your skimmers work most effectively at higher pump speed and flow. So you may want to run your main pump at a speed that your skimmers work well while cleaning so you are cleaning the surfaces and skimming the water during that cycle to have a nice clean pool.

 

[ajw22]

Read the OTOH I added in post #10

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

Update: We have been slowly learning how to get our numbers where they should be. It's definitely taking some patience and there has been some trial and error. I currently have our IC40 at 15% and our pump is running 6 AM - 9 PM which appears to be sufficient for now.

The one thing I feel like we continue to fight is high pH. We have been adding muriatic acid at the recommended amounts per the Pool Math app and it will start to drop and then it jumps back up again. Is this typical with a new pool? How often are people adding muriatic acid to their pools to keep the pH levels down? We are trying to limit running the scuppers only as needed as I know the aeration can increase pH. I'd love to get feedback from others on this. Thanks again!

 

[Newdude]

How often are people adding muriatic acid to their pools to keep the pH levels down?

It can be a year of a couple times a week, then it tapers off to weekly for most.

Your 80 TA should continue to drop as you keep the Ph a 7, and when the TA gets 60ish it may help slow the rise some. Target a high 7 when you dose if you aren't already. The harder you push, the harder it pushes back.

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

It can be a year of a couple times a week, then it tapers off to weekly for most.

Your 80 TA should continue to drop as you keep the Ph a 7, and when the TA gets 60ish it may help slow the rise some. Target a high 7 when you dose if you aren't already. The harder you push, the harder it pushes back.

Thank you for the reply. That makes us feel better about adding muriatic acid more than once a week. It feels like it's a lot but we've never owned a pool so this is all new to us. We will continue to fight the pH throughout this first year and see if we can get the level to stay under 8 for more than a few days.

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

One other lesson we learned the hard way is to always handle chemicals outdoors. We used a plastic mat to cover our kitchen island so we could weigh the amount of CYA to add. We got everything measured out and added it to the pool just fine and cleaned up the kitchen. We didn't think any of the CYA powder got on anything. It turns out we were wrong and I guess some fine powder spilled off the plastic mat because we now have brownish permanent streaks in our quartz countertop on the island.

 

[DSMinAtlanta]

So I believe we have been able to get most of our numbers within the ideal ranges. We test regularly with our TF-Pro kit and we have been adding acid more frequently to keep the pH within range. What is frustrating is our Pentair IC40 keeps alerting me that our salt level is low. In IntelliCenter, the current reading is 2,750 and it’s been reading low for several weeks now. When we test the salt level with our TF-Pro kit, we see numbers around 3,900-4,000. I opened a support ticket with Pentair and they asked me to send them test results from a pool store. So I went to Leslie’s for the first time today and their test is showing 3,050. So I’m not sure which is considered the most accurate. Pentair may say that 3,050 is within the allowed tolerance of the IC40 reading of 2,750. Should I try a different salt test? Maybe it is actually low?

Also, the Leslie’s test results show Phosphates being really high. This isn’t something we have ever tested for before. Do I need to worry about this?

 

[ajw22]

941 phosphates is not high. 941 may be a big number but note it is measures in ppb and not ppm the otther chemicals are.

Phosphates are measured in parts per billion. Billion and not million!

Is 941 ppb a large amount? NO!

Until phosphates is around 10,000 it is not high.

Now Leslie would like to see you expensive phosphate remover. So they test for something with a small amount measured by a large number and then tell you that number should get lower.

Don't fall for the phosphate scam. Phosphates don't matter if you maintain sufficient chlorine.

Just add another 200 ppm of salt so your IntelliChlor reads 2900-3000 ppm and stops nagging you.