Pool about to be finished... do I close now?

[Mcfalcons15]

The builder is just finished with my pool (maybe in another week or two). Unfortunately, the summer is over. Is it okay to close the pool right away? Any tips since the pool will have not been used at all (except maybe for an inaugural cold jump in)?

 

[jimim]

The builder is just finished with my pool (maybe in another week or two). Unfortunately, the summer is over. Is it okay to close the pool right away? Any tips since the pool will have not been used at all (except maybe for an inaugural cold jump in)?

ok i'll jump in here and others can too. . . but i would be keeping that pool open as long as possible with new plaster. ur PH is prob rising daily. . . hourly. you want to at least keep it open long enough to do the plaster start up. you have to pretty much. you have at least 4 weeks of brushing along with that PH rise which will be present for a while. but the longer you can keep it open the better.

did they give u the startup procedure for ur plaster. mine was quartz. it's a 28 day startup. but also went another 3 months before i closed cause of the ph rise and didn't want to run the risk of scale build up.

you really need to keep it open as long as u can. i'm in pa. as long as u are running the pump to keep that water flowing keep it open. get the plaster under control as long as possible.

jim

 

[Mcfalcons15]

ok i'll jump in here and others can too. . . but i would be keeping that pool open as long as possible with new plaster. ur PH is prob rising daily. . . hourly. you want to at least keep it open long enough to do the plaster start up. you have to pretty much. you have at least 4 weeks of brushing along with that PH rise which will be present for a while. but the longer you can keep it open the better.

did they give u the startup procedure for ur plaster. mine was quartz. it's a 28 day startup. but also went another 3 months before i closed cause of the ph rise and didn't want to run the risk of scale build up.

you really need to keep it open as long as u can. i'm in pa. as long as u are running the pump to keep that water flowing keep it open. get the plaster under control as long as possible.

jim

Thanks a lot Jim.

They haven't plastered yet, they are doing the decking as we speak, and the plaster will be soon. I didn't know I had to do a startup for the plaster. I will ask them about it. At least I know I can leave the pool open for a month. We don't really get snow in this part of MD until December at the earliest.

 

[ajw22]

Review this pool startup guide - http://www.nptpool.com/sites/nptpool.com/files/NPC_SwimmingPoolStart-UpProcedures.pdf

You need to take care of your pool for at least the first month.

Do you have trees that will drop leaves that will get blown into your pool? Tree leaves will stain the plaster in your pool. Usually CL will get rid of leaf stains. But a big storm blowing leaves into your pool can leave you with a lot of stains. And high Cl levels are not recommended for new plaster.

I don't know whose scheduling got you into this situation. If I were you I would talk with your PB about pushing the plaster to the Spring.

 

[jimim]

I was going to say that on my original post but I didn’t think anyone would want to hear that if it was my pool there is no way under any circumstances I would let them plaster my pool at this time.

Its just way way too late. With my plaster finish I was adding acid three times a day for at least the first month and then for the next two months I was still adding it once daily.

Even then hen I was worried last winter.

Don’t have them plaster. If your builder says all will add stuff to prevent scale over the winter that is true to some point but if your levels are just so out of whack because of the new plaster nothing is going to help

And if he says you only have to brush for a week or two that’s not really true either like mentioned above

 

[ajw22]

If you plaster now and have problems upon opening in the Spring you will never know the cause. There are many threads here about folks who have plaster issues in their first few months and need to work it out with the PB.

You are taking a risk. It may work out or it may not. No one can say. Just go into the situation with your eyes open.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I too would put off plastering until the spring. You’ll have to deal with a cement hole in your yard for a few months but the risks of plastering now are too great. The PB should want the best possible outcome for your pool and that means waiting.

I would discuss that option with your PB.