Newly refinished Diamond Brite pool and spa - start-up questions

[ajw22]

I would not worry about the white stuff on the water in your spa. Once you get your TA and pH normal and some FC in it should clear.

 

[pgershon]

Thanks.

How long do you think before the CO2 dissipates? Should I trust my reading while this reaction is going on? Any ideas why I did not have a similar issue with the pool? The spa started at a lower pH.

 

[mknauss]

Spa is a smaller body of water. It does not hamper your process going forward. I suspect the water is pretty cold which traps the CO2 better.

 

[pgershon]

When do you think I should add FC? The instructions suggest waiting until the third day after balancing the water, but I waited three days in acid bath (per my PB) before starting to balance.

Pool is 62. Spa has gotten up to 67 (its been warm last few days). I am actually quite surprised how quickly the pool heated from 55. It gets a lot of sun in early spring before the trees have leaves to block the sun...

 

[mknauss]

You could add 3 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine at any time. CYA can be added once you get the pH in the 7's,

 

[pgershon]

Still very white in AM. Took full chemistry readings and my calcium is very high - I speculate from the calcium used by installer on DB.

PH 5.9
TA 35
CH 1000

Might it have turned white because of calcium coming out of solution as pH went from below 2 to almost 6?

Anyway I assume I should get TA of pool and spa to 70 and go from there. Probably pump down spa into pool and dilute CH that way.

 

[ajw22]

I would dump the spa water into the pool and fill the spa with fresh water from your house.

Then the spa has reasonably good water and you can focus on the pool.

You on a well or municipal water system?

 

[pgershon]

Well water.

If I dump all of it (will take a few hours), add sequestrant again?

 

[ajw22]

Spa is small and will not take much sequestra.

 

[pgershon]

Pool was finished on Sunday and filled with water by Monday evening. I think tomorrow Saturday I am going to get it on a normal schedule, now that I have the TA under control. My understanding is to keep FC at 3 and not higher, but that I can add CYN. Does 30 make sense? I am concerned about getting CYN too high while FC is capped at 3 for first month.

Tonight's readings:

Pool
pH 6.5
TA 70
CH 250
(added 3 gallons 12.5% chlorine targeting FC 3)

Spa
pH 6.7
TA 80
CH 350
(added 9 oz 12.5% chlorine targeting FC 3)

So I plan to add CYN with sock method in AM and recalibrate other chemicals. Trying to get CSI as close to -0.25 as I can. PB wants me to keep pH as close to 7 as I can,

 

[ajw22]

Trying to get CSI as close to -0.25 as I can. PB wants me to keep pH as close to 7 as I can,

CYA 30 is fine.

The CSI is not applicable to new plaster finishes under 30 days old. It is actually necessary, to achieve a smooth and dense surface, to have about a +0.5 CSI during the first 30 days. This is because the plaster (cement paste) surface contains about 20% calcium hydroxide, which is somewhat soluble in balanced and slightly positive CSI water and can be dissolved away. The plaster surface needs to be "carbonated" before the CSI should be lowered to the acceptable and balanced range. And that generally is achieved during the first month under balanced water

Plaster Start-Up Guides - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Plaster Installation and Maintenance - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[pgershon]

Got it . CSI should be +0.50.

Pool has slight greenish tint today in AM. Not sure why. I hope not copper - never had issues with copper. FC level still around 3. I added 3 gallons of bleach last night.

It subtle color difference between pool and spa. Spa cloudy because I just brushed. Left pump off overnight for 8 hours

 

[pgershon]

Green tint in pool water. Posting better photo to demonstrate. Pool and spa should be same blue. Added chlorine yesterday for first time - sequestrant day before. Well water. What is best way to correct situation? I am guessing iron came out of solution when chlorine went in.

 

[ajw22]

Got it . CSI should be +0.50.

More importantly CSI should be positive, not negative.

You don't need to hit +0.5. The more positive the CSI is the better. Especially after the acid bath.

Don't worry about "fixing" a slight tint. You are creating a moving target with too many variables. Get the pool to stable water chemistry and let it settle down for a few days.

 

[pgershon]

Thanks for all the help. I am learning on the job and the PB gave me a heck of curve with the acid treatment.

Spa water look pretty good now and I’ll post chemistry at end of day. Spa cartridge filter no longer needing a change every few hours too so I think progress.

But I am unsure I am doing the brushing properly. I am still getting all walls and bottom as best I can twice a day. Using nylon whale brush now. But now that chemistry more in line, I am rubbing my hand against the wall and it’s rough and blue comes off on my hand. After six days, is that normal?

 

[ajw22]

I am rubbing my hand against the wall and it’s rough and blue comes off on my hand. After six days, is that normal?

I don't think all the blue palster dust you are getting in your filter is normal. And rough palster and blue on your hand is not normal.

But I don't know what type palster finish you thought you got.

It is hard to understand what your plaster installer did to you as lot of what he did and recommended is not normal to those of use here.

 

[pgershon]

I ordered and contracted for Midnight Blue Diamond Brite. For the most part, the installer followed the third alternative for exposure listed on the SGM website - Wet Acid Wash (AKA Acid Start-Up or No Drain Acid Wash). It does call for setting the pool sit in 0 alkalinity for 3 days and to just brush it. The installer did not go over this process with me ahead of time, and his instructions neglected to tell me he was doing this. It also would seem that rather than testing the alkalinity before adding acid, he just dumped in an arbitrary amount of acid and way overshot what was needed (he would not tell me how much acid was added). From reading the SGM website, the Wet Acid Wash process does not seem ideal, but at least one of the company's processes was followed (sept for using too much acid in the acid wash process). Where the installer seems really off is that he implored me to keep the acid level high even after the 3 days and said the pH would go up on its own,

I have been speaking with the SGM sales rep daily, and he told me on Friday that the spa should be OK even with all the calcium that came out into the water during the exposure. I will ask him again on Monday if he has had experience with this much residual material coming off for days and clogging the filters. I have changed the cartridge filter in the spa 12 times since I brought the pH up, and the DE filter has been backwashed and reloaded 7 times so far. While I find it hard to believe this is normal, my question is will it stop eventually and will my pool and spa be OK.

The installer has no interest in coming to check up on his work. The 1.5 hour trip in each direction is too much of a deterrent. Not a good experience for me, but I am trying to make the best of it.

I still have a bit to go to get the CSI positive, but I am close (will add calcium to pool and bit more baking soda):

Pool:
ph 7.5
TA 110
CH 250
CYA 30
CSI -0.11

Spa:
ph 7.4
TA 130
CH 375
CYA 30
CSI -0.04

 

[ajw22]

Let your pH rise to 7.8. Aerate if necessary.

Are pH of 7.4 & 7.5 because you lowered them to there?

 

[pgershon]

The pH started at 1.5 in the spa and about 2.0 in pool. Installer put in so much acid it’s been difficult to raise. And my fill water is a bit on acidic side too. And the CYN addition brought pH down a bit too. It’s just been difficult to get the pH up. I have added about 70 lbs of baking soda. And 10 lbs borax (amounts are total between the two bodies of water).

Notes added:
pool pH drifted to 7.6 overnight.
Tested fill water and it’s more acidic than I realized. pH 6.3, TA 35 - looked back and same as last year

 

[ajw22]

How do you get a TA of 35?