New Pool Owner: Questions

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Macauley86 said:
Hey, Frugal is my middle name, too. :)

The pool looks stained here and there, but I'll check today for cracks.

The spa looks like it has a couple of thin cracks on the side walls.
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I'm with Yippee on this one... sounds like a good chance for them to sell you something. The pool does not need to be re-plastered after 8 years just because it's "old." I work with pools that still have their original plaster after 10+ years, and most of them look just fine (depending on how it was cared for). Now cracks can be concerning...
 
As for cracks I would say this - if they are just cosmetic surface cracks, then just fill them in with a water curable epoxy or simple pool plaster than can be worked into the crack. I had a short, cosmetic crack (I'm probably the only one that noticed it) in my spa (it was not leaking) and I have to say that the crack repair (chip out a large section of plaster and redo it) looks worse than the crack did. The plaster patch will fade over time and blend in, but it went from being only something I saw to a huge honking eye-soar.

So if the crack isn't causing a water leak (and most do not) and it's small, either leave it alone or patch it with the simplest and least destructive method possible.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
As for cracks I would say this - if they are just cosmetic surface cracks, then just fill them in with a water curable epoxy or simple pool plaster than can be worked into the crack. I had a short, cosmetic crack (I'm probably the only one that noticed it) in my spa (it was not leaking) and I have to say that the crack repair (chip out a large section of plaster and redo it) looks worse than the crack did. The plaster patch will fade over time and blend in, but it went from being only something I saw to a huge honking eye-soar.

So if the crack isn't causing a water leak (and most do not) and it's small, either leave it alone or patch it with the simplest and least destructive method possible.
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I agree with this, wouldn't mess with it unless it's actually leaking and/or easily noticeable. I've seen some really bad epoxy jobs..

PebblePool said:
Yes, the water softener is for the entire home. I've added a hose bib before the water line enters the softener, because PebbleTec calls for the initial fill water not to be softened.
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That's really cool! It makes a lot more sense now :lol:

-Eric
 
Do you know if the previous owners used any copper products in the pool? Copper based algaecide, the Chlorox Blue products (pucks, etc)? Do you have iron in your water or old pipes?

Oddly enough, the one time we suggest going to the pool store for testing is to test for metals. The tests are sort of pricey on their own so we don't encourage folks to buy them normally. See if the pool store will test for metals and let us know the results?

Start by reading this: Pool School - Metals in the Water and Metal Stains



 
Macauley86 said:
Thank you guys. How can I take care of stains? I have a dark-green stain at the bottom of the deep end of the pool, and a few lighter stains or faded areas here and there.
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As Yippee stated, testing for metals will be the best way to know for sure. Perhaps a question to ask in the mean time is if there is any visible red in the stain? Greens and browns can be organic, but throw in some red, blue, black, or purple and you may have in issue with metal staining. Organic stains usually come off with high enough FC.

-Eric
 
Macauley86 said:
Good suggestion. I don't know whether the previous owners used copper-based products, or whether we have iron in the pipes, but I'll take a sample of the pool water to the local pool store and have it tested.
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Good plan BUT cover you ears to anything they try to tell you or sell you LOL. Come tell us what they said and we will go from there!

Kim:kim:
 
Oh, yes, don't worry; I'll smile and nod politely at the pool store guy while he recommends his great products :)

As for the pool, I don't see any cracks, but the spa does have quite a few surface chips on the sitting ring; they seem to be just cosmetic, though. I'll try and take some pictures.
 

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At least if you do have to drain, we have had enough rain in the last couple of months to where we won't get yelled at for water [emoji23][emoji23] Not sure if San Diego has received as much as we have in LA, but it has been drastic!

These guys will be able to definitely help you with stains [emoji106] I have seen some incredible things on this site in the last 4 years [emoji173]


Christina
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Ok, so we drained the pool two nights ago, resurfaced the slide, removed scale, acid-washed the plaster, sealed tiles, painted faux rocks, and started refilling the pool and spa last night. It's almost done. Will post pictures of before and after.

I tested FC (0), PH (>8), and CYA (~0). Water looks clear but greenish.

Couple of noob questions:
1. Do I add chlorine, muriatic acid, etc. as needed (as per pool calculator)? Or is there a new-water "inauguration" shock procedure?
2. Do I add chemicals to both pool and spa? Or does the pump recirculate pool water chemicals to the spa?
3. Do I use stabilized tabs to add some CYA to the water? Or just liquid chlorine + CYA?

Thanks in advance!

Frank
 
Add the chlorine now. Wait 15 mins (with the pump running) and start pushing the PH down. Do it a step at a time.

CYA-The tabs will not work fast enough. You need to get some power CYA to get it up to where it needs to be. You can use liquid gold CYA but... your wallet takes a hit. Put the powder CYA in a sock (cute one for bonus points0 and hand it off a broom handle in front of a return or two.

-spa+pool-we would need to see a picture of your set up to know if they are connected. Does the spa overflow into the pool?

Kim:kim:
 
Your water level sounds pretty good. It should rest about halfway between the bottom and top of the skimmer inlet.

The spa should overflow a little bit into the pool when the pump is running to ensure fresh, properly balanced water is being introduced to the spa.
 

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