Prehistoric Pool Gets Major Remodel in NorCal!

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Did your PB get some calcium in the pool? I’d be concerned about that. Then work on the pH...

My kids love my jumping pretty rock!
 
Hallelujah! Got my PH and alkalinity in balance at last! As of 6 PM:

PH 7.5
Alkalinity 80 PPM
Calcium 30 PPM

Thanks for the motivational speech, Kim. I did exactly what you suggested. Dose, turn up pump, brush, dose, brush, dose.... and turn up pump, turn up pump, turn up pump, turn up pump. It kept defaulting to "egg timer mode" and shutting itself off after 10 minutes on high. Finally figured that out. I didn't make it to the gym this weekend, but I think I got my exercise brushing!

Dirk, yes, pool builder dropped off calcium chloride flakes 80%. About 15 pounds of it. Start-up card dsaid to address alkalinity and PH first, then calcium, so that is what i did. Start-up card was pretty emphatic about doing things in order, and calcium was actually a day 2 item. So once I got PH and alkalinity sorted out, I put in about 10 pounds of calcium chloride. I have to say the water seemed to really like the calcium - sucked it right up. Pool builder said to take the brush and move it around on the bottom to help it dissolve, but there was nothing left by the time it got to the bottom. I will check calcium again in a few minutes and probably add the rest of what I have on hand.

Right now, I am taking a break with a cold glass of IPA. Something about beer after manual labor, just feels so right....
 
Debbie, the diving board situation in California is challenging, but not impossible and not nearly as hard as most people believe. It is true there is a great deal of reluctance on pool builders' part, for understandable reasons. I find that they want to blame someone else for not putting in diving boards - "the city won't give you a permit, you can't get homeowners insurance, etc." None of that is true, at least not in my town - diving board was in my plans and for the permit the city was very interested that the rebar and bonding was done properly, but they never said a peep about the board itself. I told my homeowner's insurance about the board when I bought the house - no issues. This does depend on your homeowners company, it is true some won't insure you if you have a board. I use State Farm. If your insurer has a problem with boards, switch to State Farm (they are not the only insurance company without a problem with diving boards, just happen to be the one I use).

Now, back to your immediate question. Most of the pool builders I spoke to would not put in the board themselves and take responsibility for it. Only one, if I recall correctly, refused to have anything to do with my remodel if I was replacing the board. Most of them proposed some combination of what they would do and what I was responsible for. Some said they would pour the concrete for the base, but I would have to set the jig in the concrete myself and attach the board to the jig. Some said I would have to find someone else to pour the concrete. The pool builder I used said he would pour the concrete AND set the jig, or base, and I would only have to bolt on the board myself. I went with U-Frames, which means I only have to attach two bolts through the board and back frame. No sweat.

I think if you ask around, you can find a pool builder willing to do something like this. If you can't, I suggest you call SR Smith and ask for a referral to an installer near you. You may need to use one contractor for you pool build / remodel, and another one for your board installation, but you can get it done if you want to.
 
Thanks, Dirk! Last read of the day only got calcium up to 100 PPM and I was out of supplies, but I still have lots of time left in Day 2 of the start-up. Pool service will be here today and I expect they have lots of calcium on hand.

Turned on LED lights tonight and they were awesome! Really glad I made the investment. Will get some pictures up soon. This weekend has been a little crazy.
 

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OK to be cautious with the calcium. Unlike TA, pH and FC, which can rebound from incorrect dosing, if you add too much calcium, you can only adjust that back down by draining water. Better to add some at a time and creep up on your target amount, as you are doing. Same goes for CYA.
 
No idea how high it was - remember: "I know nothing!" OK, OK, I am starting to feel like I know a tiny bit. My confidence is growing. I was afraid to add more acid because hte label said no more than 40 ounces in 24 hours. I guess that advice didn't apply to start-ups. Thanks for the encouragement. THe pool builder came around 1:00 yesterday and sort of verified my testing, whic halso helped. He thought a half gallon of muriatic would do it, but it didn't.

I put in 40 ounces of acid on Saturday night, and a gallon (!) on Sunday, before the PH got into range. It crept back up to 8.0 overnight (maybe from the calcium?), and if the pool service doesn't get here soon I am going to add more.
 
PrehistoricPool said:
It crept back up to 8.0 overnight (maybe from the calcium?), and if the pool service doesn't get here soon I am going to add more.
Click to expand...

That's the new plaster. It'll tend to push your pH up quite a bit for quite a while. A lot at first. You have to test for it each day and dose with MA each day, until you eventually will see it level off. Stabilizing your TA will help with that. High TA fill water can add to the problem. And the "new plaster rise" can last up to a year or more, I've been told. My new surface is 9 months old and still rising. I added an SWG and that makes for more pH-rise as well. I write about the challenges of, and my solution(s) for, adding MA on a regular basis in my own threads...
 
Dirk, pool service came this morning. Their fancy test kit and expert eyes gave pretty much the same readings as me with my baby kit, which was reassuring. They added a half gallon of MA. Guy said it is not unusual for newly plastered pools to take 1-2 gallons. They also added three pounds of calcium. They want to raise that gradually, since, as you say, it never goes away. I will test water again in a little bit.

JannyLee, I will definitely be posting some final product pictures. The fill water was pretty green, apparently my town has algae in its water supply (yuck, we've been drinking that stuff!?). Will get some pics when it clears up. Right now, pool is finished but pool deck is still bare dirt, so it's not really the "final product." I have about ten tons of travertine in pallets in my front yard I am hoping to get put down this week.
 
Pool service came this morning and put another half gallon of muriatic acid in. I think they overdid it. PH went down to 6.8. Start-up card says 7.2 to 7.6. Total alkalinity down to 70 PPM. I have put in about three pounds of baking soda trying to get PH and alkalinity back up a bit and will add more if needed. Also, they put in 3 pounds of calcium but I don't think its enough. I am going to buy some today and try to get calcium up a bit. Its still sitting at 100 PPM.

Before I discovered TFP, I would have been blissfully ignorant. But I am no longer willing to just let them do whatever and call it good.
 
Actually, TA of 70 was fine as is, pretty much where you want it. pH of 6.8 was a little low, but it probably would have risen back to the 7s on its own. No matter. No harm done. Keep working on the calcium. But if nothing else, you can see why monitoring everything and/or doing this yourself is going to be better for your pool...
 

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