Hi All -I'm an owner/builder in Richardson TX and have been quietly stalking the forum as I've progressed through my build (Started late Oct 2016). I've attached a rendering of the design and progress pics, but will upload more recent pics shortly. We just finished decking and looking to do our Quartzscapes (St. Martin) this Saturday. After reading so much on the forum I'm determined to follow the bicarb startup procedure given all the benefits and discussion from OnBalance et al. All the equipment ready to go and plasterer is good with fill delay and won't do an acid wash/bath. He's been very accommodating and flexible. I've felt pretty confident with my build until...well, now. This is I my first pool so have zero experience maintaining chemicals. I've read Pool School, walked through the start up procedures and have toyed around with PoolMath too. The goal of this post is to run through what I think I should be doing for the startup and get feedback as to whether I'm missing any steps. Your input will be very much appreciated and look forward to maintaining a TFP and being a contributing member.
Fill Water Test Results (second go around so hopefully pretty accurate - let me know if something looks funky):
Bicarb Startup Procedure:
1) Quartzscapes application
2) wait ~6 hours to allow quartz to cure/harden
3) Fill Pool: Per my calculations from the OnBalance bicarb method, I'll add 41lbs bicarb ((14000 / 71,425) x 210 = 41) to the drum. Stop water once full.
4) Add dose of Jack's Magic Magenta. I have city water with no known metals, but from all I've read it's more of an insurance policy...so worth it to me.
5) Check CH & PH. If PH is 8.2 or higher, bring down to 7.7 - 7.9 with acid using PoolMath to determine dosage. If CH is <150 ppm, bring up using Calcium Chloride.
6) Brush regularly for first month - we'll aim for 2-3 times daily. More if possible.
7) For first month, focus more so on keep PH < 8.2, with a target range of 7.7 - 7.9. Are there any other readings/chemicals I should focus on/adjust during the first month other than PH & CH?
I have a SWG & Heater but will not add salt or use heater for first month.
Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and input.
Kevin
Fill Water Test Results (second go around so hopefully pretty accurate - let me know if something looks funky):
| Free Chlorine (FC) | 1 |
| Combined Chlorine (CC) | 0.5 |
| PH - Acidity / Alkalinity | 8.2 |
| Total Alkalinity (TA) | 90 |
| Calcium Hardness (CH) | 200 |
| Total Chlorine (TC) | 1.5 |
Bicarb Startup Procedure:
1) Quartzscapes application
2) wait ~6 hours to allow quartz to cure/harden
3) Fill Pool: Per my calculations from the OnBalance bicarb method, I'll add 41lbs bicarb ((14000 / 71,425) x 210 = 41) to the drum. Stop water once full.
4) Add dose of Jack's Magic Magenta. I have city water with no known metals, but from all I've read it's more of an insurance policy...so worth it to me.
5) Check CH & PH. If PH is 8.2 or higher, bring down to 7.7 - 7.9 with acid using PoolMath to determine dosage. If CH is <150 ppm, bring up using Calcium Chloride.
6) Brush regularly for first month - we'll aim for 2-3 times daily. More if possible.
7) For first month, focus more so on keep PH < 8.2, with a target range of 7.7 - 7.9. Are there any other readings/chemicals I should focus on/adjust during the first month other than PH & CH?
I have a SWG & Heater but will not add salt or use heater for first month.
Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and input.
Kevin
