New Pool, need advice.

[tjslice]

This is my second pool, but I haven't had one in about 5 years. The first one was 14,000 gallons, and we kept great with the methods here, but I didn't start doing it until 6 months in.

Our new pool is about 33,000 gallons and is just about done filling. It is a SWG with plaster/pebble finish.

The following are the values of the source water from my tests. The water quality report from their website I will put in ( ).

TA 410 (430)
CH 0 (19)
Ph 8.2+ I'm guestimating 8.4

So, I have a large project ahead of me. The calculator says 100 lbs of calcium and 20+ gallons of muriatic acid.

I assume getting the TA down is going to be a process of weeks.

I plan to take several days to get the calcium up.

Does this seem like a reasonable plan? Should I wait for the Ph to come up a bit, and add acid a gallon at a time, or wait until I hit 8.2 and add 3 gallons at a pop?

Last question. at what point do I think about adding chlorine and CYA?

Thanks!

 

[Grubby]

Hello!

Your Ph is going to be a bit of a battle for the next month with a new plaster pool since the plaster will eat up acid as it cures. See: Start-up New Plaster. Test your Ph daily, and add MA as needed. There's also direction in there about when to add CYA and Chlorine to your new plaster/pebble pool. Also, pay close attention to the Acid startup section, if that applies to you.

I'd hold off on working your TA levels until your plaster is cured and the Ph is (mostly) stabilized, since the process of adjusting TA is a bit of a dance with MA and aeration. See: Lower Total Alkalinity.

Cheers, and congrats on the new pool!

 

[Texas Splash]

Those are some unique test numbers. Are you from the IL, IN, MN area by chance? What test kit are you using? That is city water, not from a well?

 

[duraleigh]

Like Texas Splash, I am a bit dubious about your test results. How are you testing?

Your plan seems quite logical but I think we need to verify those results before you make any additions.

 

[tjslice]

Thanks for the info.

I am using the TFT kit for my testing.

I'm about 60 miles north of Dallas, but not on city water. The report states that it is ground water from the Trinity Aquafer. When I tested it and saw how high the TA was, I was thinking I had done something wrong, but I kept getting the same result. That's when I downloaded the water quality report and saw roughly the same results.

One more question. The new pool startup says, "No swimming until the water is properly balanced." What constitutes balanced? I've got 2 kids who have been watching this process for 15 months, and I'm not going to be able to hold them back too long.

 

[tjslice]

Here is a clip from the Water Quality Report from the source website:

 

[Grubby]

@Texas Splash and @duraleigh - does new plaster absorb calcium as it cures, thus causing the 0 CH reading? It definitely eats up acid, which makes the Ph level make sense to me.

As for what constitutes balanced water, the biggest one is to make sure the water is sanitary. Ph below 8, and Chlorine within limits for your CYA (see FC/CYA Levels). Anything below SLAM levels and above your minimums for your CYA is safe to swim in.

[edited for spelling]

 

[Texas Splash]

I've got 2 kids who have been watching this process for 15 months, and I'm not going to be able to hold them back too long.

Ha ha. Okay, let's get you going since you seem to have a good test kit from TFtestkit. At some point be sure to add it to your signature for us.

That is some incredibly soft water. Wow. That new pebble needs calcium in the water or the water will steel it from the pebble. I would add enough calcium to reach the minimum target of 250 for now. You can always add more later, but let's err on the side of caution.

Use muriatic acid to keep the pH at about 7.8. Later, after you verify the calcium is at least 250 or more, then you can start working on the TA, but for now you need the additional TA and pH to compensate for the very low CH.

New water has no CYA, so use the sock method to increase the CYA to 70. Use multiple socks, let them soak for about 30 min, then squeeze like crazy to get all the mush out. For today, use liquid chlorine to get the FC up to about 3 ppm. Once the stabilizer is all dissolved, then you can balance the FC to the CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.

Once the stabilizer is in the pool, you have add some liquid chlorine, and the pH is adjusted to about 7.8, let those kids in.

 

[Texas Splash]

For the next few days, monitor your FC and pH closely. Keep the pH around 7.8. Neve let the FC drop below 3, if it gets low add liquid chlorine right away then go look at your SWG output settings and/or pump run time to see if you need to make adjustments.

 

[tjslice]

For the next few days, monitor your FC and pH closely. Keep the pH around 7.8. Neve let the FC drop below 3, if it get slow add liquid chlorine right away then go look at your SWG output settings and/or run time to see if you need to make adjustments.

I'm not running the SWG yet... most recommendations I see say wait a month, so it's just liquid chlorine for now. The only chlorine so far is from the fill water, but this Texas sun is going to burn that off fast.

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm not running the SWG yet... most recommendations I see say wait a month, so it's just liquid chlorine for now.

Ugh. Sorry about that. You are correct. In that case only take the CYA up to about 50 and balance with liquid chlorine as a non-salt pool to that CYA of 50 as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. Good catch. You PASSED!.

 

[tjslice]

Ugh. Sorry about that. You are correct. In that case only take the CYA up to about 50 and balance with liquid chlorine as a non-salt pool to that CYA of 50 as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. Good catch. You PASSED!.

Lol, thanks. The first of many tests.

 

[tjslice]

Last night, my Ph was 7.5, this morning it was 8.2. TA is 380. I've got my CH up to 250. The PB has us running the pool and waterfall. We also get a little bit of aeration from the spa overflow.

Adjusting CH, Ph and TA is inline with what my PB has for pool startup. However, the instructions he gave me have me adding borates now as well.

From what I am reading, borates will just make it more difficult for me to adjust my TA down.

I'm inclined on holding off, but I don't want to void any warranty.

Should I add the borates now, or not?

 

[Texas Splash]

I would wait as well. Focus on the main parameters first then you can look into borates to help with stabilization.

 

[tjslice]

Thanks, that will be my plan.