New Pool Startup - PB’s guy no show 😳

[devinedaybreak]

Good morning - first I want to say I’ve been lurking since we started building in September. I am blown away that everyone here is just uniformly friendly and helpful. It’s so rare to find a corner of the internet that seems to be wonderfully devoid of trolls and stuck-up know it alls! TFP has kind and helpful know it alls!

As for my dilemma - they acid washed and started filling our pool on Wednesday; it finished around 1pm Pacific Time yesterday. The PB has someone from another company he sends to do the startup and first month’s chemistry, but the guy “got backed up” and was a no-show yesterday. The PB promised the guy would be here 7-8am today, it’s ~7:45 now, and I need to leave for work at 8. It is currently raining lightly with no t storm activity. If the guy no-shows today again, how worried do we need to be? I know brushing is critical the first week or two and we didn’t yesterday because the pump hadn’t been started. I am not a total stranger to pool care; I handled all the maintenance and chemistry on the pool in my childhood home until I moved out (38k gal white plaster), about 15 years ago). This pool was filled with plain city water. If the guy no-shows again, I don’t mind doing startup myself but I don’t know what to buy from a chemistry standpoint to get us off the ground. The TF Test kit I ordered shows up today. This is of course a vastly different pool architecture than I know from before.

I’m off work at 3pm today - what do we do other than nag the PB?

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! I would recomend reviewing the link below. You'll see some key points about what you can (and can not) do with new plaster. Except for brushing, your hands are pretty-much tied until day 3 anyways. If you still have questions let us know. Have a nice weekend.

Start-up New Plaster

The first few months are the most criticle for a newly plastered pool. We're here to share best practices to ensure the plaster will last for many years.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajw22]

Pick the most appropriate manufacturers startup guide and follow it...

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

You will do better then your PB guy. I suggest you take matters into your own hands and test and maintain the pool from day 1.

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

Good morning - first I want to say I’ve been lurking since we started building in September. I am blown away that everyone here is just uniformly friendly and helpful. It’s so rare to find a corner of the internet that seems to be wonderfully devoid of trolls and stuck-up know it alls! TFP has kind and helpful know it alls!

THANKS for the Uber kind words. And Welcome !!!!!

 

[devinedaybreak]

Details: he showed up at 8:01 when I was headed for my car in the driveway , and I ended up late for work showing him around. He started the pump without priming it prompting a slew of no water flow alerts, skimmed but didn’t brush, and added chemicals. Gave me conflicting info on when I could use the heater and the SWG. I’ll be testing the water shortly, but probably won’t interfere with his “process” as he said it would take 4 days.

Needless to say I will take over ASAP once he’s started it. Thank you all for the links; they will NOT go to waste.

 

[Falcons Fan]

Details: he showed up at 8:01 when I was headed for my car in the driveway , and I ended up late for work showing him around. He started the pump without priming it prompting a slew of no water flow alerts, skimmed but didn’t brush, and added chemicals. Gave me conflicting info on when I could use the heater and the SWG. I’ll be testing the water shortly, but probably won’t interfere with his “process” as he said it would take 4 days.

Needless to say I will take over ASAP once he’s started it. Thank you all for the links; they will NOT go to waste.

Wondering how this turned out for you. I am in a similar situation, where my pool was filled and pump was not started nor were chemicals added for 72 hours. I started a different thread on that. Eventually the PB recommended company showed at Noon after I was told they would be there first thing on Monday. When they arrived, they threw in a gallon of liquid chlorine, and a gallon muriatic acid, started everything, told me not to do anything, and left. They didn’t show up today, which is day 2 after start up. I tested the water and pH is really high, CH is really low, and TA is really low. They literally do not care or follow the NPC guidelines at all - as I have the NPT Stonescapes Pebble finish. For example they haven’t added anything for TA or HC. CYA comes on day 4, if I follow the guidelines correctly. I have no idea when they will be back. To add insult to injury, when they tested the spa jets, dirt (South Carolina red clay)came shooting out of all of the jets and turned the spa brown. The service guy did…absolutely nothing, left the spa brown, didn’t brush the considerable clumps off the newly plastered surface risking huge stains, etc. I want to take over. Wondering if you took over, and how you handled that with the PB and the service company. We haven’t been through “Pool School” with that company yet, although I have been through it here on TFP .

 

[devinedaybreak]

Wondering how this turned out for you. I am in a similar situation, where my pool was filled and pump was not started nor were chemicals added for 72 hours. I started a different thread on that. Eventually the PB recommended company showed at Noon after I was told they would be there first thing on Monday. When they arrived, they threw in a gallon of liquid chlorine, and a gallon muriatic acid, started everything, told me not to do anything, and left. They didn’t show up today, which is day 2 after start up. I tested the water and pH is really high, CH is really low, and TA is really low. They literally do not care or follow the NPC guidelines at all - as I have the NPT Stonescapes Pebble finish. For example they haven’t added anything for TA or HC. CYA comes on day 4, if I follow the guidelines correctly. I have no idea when they will be back. To add insult to injury, when they tested the spa jets, dirt (South Carolina red clay)came shooting out of all of the jets and turned the spa brown. The service guy did…absolutely nothing, left the spa brown, didn’t brush the considerable clumps off the newly plastered surface risking huge stains, etc. I want to take over. Wondering if you took over, and how you handled that with the PB and the service company. We haven’t been through “Pool School” with that company yet, although I have been through it here on TFP .

It turned out fine… because I took over and did what needed to be done. I basically had the same experience as you and all the chemicals were out of whack - he tossed in chlorine and MA and called it good. We’ve had a lot of rain so it’s been interesting trying to keep the water chemistry right but not hard with the right test kit, and it’s something I enjoy doing anyway. The PB will take what I’ve paid for chemicals off the little bit we owe him for the finalization of the project.

 

[proavia]

What "right test kit" would that be?
Please add it to your signature.

 

[devinedaybreak]

What "right test kit" would that be?
Please add it to your signature.

Sorry, done now. I have a TF-Pro Salt with Smart Stir.