So over the winter I had a large crack show up in my Stonescapes mini pebble finish. They came out last week and cut out a section and patched it, matching the existing finish (of course the color will not match but that is ok). The patched area is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, about 3 feet long and 6" wide. After the patch was done we did a simple pool wash (instead of full blown acid wash) for the pool and then I refilled the pool.
My questions are around startup and pool chemistry. When I originally started up the pool when the pool finish was brand new. I followed the NPC startup procedures and then after that first month, I have maintained my pool according to Pool Math/Trouble Free Pool recommendations for a SWG pool. For a patch so small I am wondering if I should follow the full blown NPC startup procedure or not. So far all I have done is put the TA to about 60 and the pH is down to about 7.6. I haven't added chlorine to the pool nor CYA or calcium hardener. I've read differing opinions on salt during plaster startup so I'm probably not going to use the SWG for the first 30 days so will be maintaining with liquid chlorine during that time.
Note there is almost no plaster dust since the patched area is so small. So concerns around plaster dust with a heater or SWG aren't a concern with this startup.
Questions:
1) NPC startup recommends not using chlorine for 48 hours. I guess I can do that.
2) NPC recommends adjusting calcium levels after the 4th day. I'm at about 125ppm without touching it and NPC recommends not going above 200. Should I truly wait 4 days and then not go very high? Last year I kept calcium at about 250, but want to try higher numbers this year based on some issues I had last year. Was going to try to be between 300 and 350 this year. Will that have any affect on the curing of the new patched curing?
3) NPC also recommends not adjusting CYA until after the 4th day as well. Without CYA, any chlorine I add is going to get eaten up pretty quick. Right now my CYA is way less than 30, possibly near 0. Is there any real reason to wait on adding CYA to the pool?
Any other tips? Just trying to figure out the line between getting my water chemistry completely balanced vs what the plaster needs in this first week and first 30 days, keeping in mind it is only a patch...if that matters.
My questions are around startup and pool chemistry. When I originally started up the pool when the pool finish was brand new. I followed the NPC startup procedures and then after that first month, I have maintained my pool according to Pool Math/Trouble Free Pool recommendations for a SWG pool. For a patch so small I am wondering if I should follow the full blown NPC startup procedure or not. So far all I have done is put the TA to about 60 and the pH is down to about 7.6. I haven't added chlorine to the pool nor CYA or calcium hardener. I've read differing opinions on salt during plaster startup so I'm probably not going to use the SWG for the first 30 days so will be maintaining with liquid chlorine during that time.
Note there is almost no plaster dust since the patched area is so small. So concerns around plaster dust with a heater or SWG aren't a concern with this startup.
Questions:
1) NPC startup recommends not using chlorine for 48 hours. I guess I can do that.
2) NPC recommends adjusting calcium levels after the 4th day. I'm at about 125ppm without touching it and NPC recommends not going above 200. Should I truly wait 4 days and then not go very high? Last year I kept calcium at about 250, but want to try higher numbers this year based on some issues I had last year. Was going to try to be between 300 and 350 this year. Will that have any affect on the curing of the new patched curing?
3) NPC also recommends not adjusting CYA until after the 4th day as well. Without CYA, any chlorine I add is going to get eaten up pretty quick. Right now my CYA is way less than 30, possibly near 0. Is there any real reason to wait on adding CYA to the pool?
Any other tips? Just trying to figure out the line between getting my water chemistry completely balanced vs what the plaster needs in this first week and first 30 days, keeping in mind it is only a patch...if that matters.
