Rashes from a New Pool...Please Help!

[amyd1282]

Hello everyone.

I have searched online extensively and haven't been able to find the cause to the rashes we have been getting from our new pool. Here are the specs/water readings.

Plaster (Tahoe Blue), 33,600 gallons, chlorine tabs, brushed plaster 3X/day for 10 days before swimming, received initial calcium from pool builder. We have a sand filter that we have backwashed 3 times to clear out the plaster dust that was collected. The last water testing showed the following:

FAC - 0.5
TAC - 0
Calcium - 150ppm
CYA - 0
TA - 80ppm
pH - 7.6
Copper, Iron, Phosphates - All 0
Total Dissolved solids - 450

I just added conditioner a few days ago to get the CYA levels up so we can maintain chlorine levels. Once the CYA is up we were going to get the calcium up to 200ppm.

The kids and I (as well as a few guests who have joined us in the pool) have gotten rashes wherever our skin touched the plaster. If we swim in the water without touching the plaster (other than our feet) we don't get the rashes. Given that the chlorine levels have consistently been 2 or less (I have shocked the pool twice and test daily since we started up the pool) I figured it's not a chlorine sensitivity.

I have asked a few people and researched online, but haven't been able to figure out what's going on. We are super frustrated and disappointed that our new pool (plastered on May 20th, first swam in it May 31st) is giving us and our guests rashes. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

Are the rashes like a scrape due to rough plaster or just red marks? It does sound odd. It is apparent your test results are from a Pool store and thus we do not take much comfort in their accuracy, but nothing jumps out as a major issue. You do need CYA, which you have added some, to keep the chlorine from being too harsh and to be able to maintain it in the pool.

Hopefully some other members may have some ideas.

Take care.

 

[kellyfair]

Are the rashes immediate, or do they take time to develop? Do you get them on your hands if you touch the plaster?

 

[ajw22]

Where did you get your initial pool fill water from?

What test kit are you using?

You need to get your FC up and do a OCLT to determine if you have any organics in the water.

What does your water look like? Is it crystal clear?

 

[jeffchap]

Double-check your pH. In my experience, skin sensitivity is usually due to pH out of the 7.2-7.8 range.

 

[amyd1282]

We initially filled it with city water from multiple hoses. My home test kit that I use daily is Poolmaster 22260 test kit. It tests pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels. Since start up I have taken samples to the pool store every few days to a week to get things balanced. The water itself looks completely clear. I can easily see to the bottom with no cloudiness. I just looked up what OCLT meant and that sounds like a good idea to try. I definitely don’t have a sensitive enough kit to test chlorine that closely. What kit do you recommend? The lady at the pool store mentioned maybe I should add something (I can’t remember what she said now - she said it was a pink liquid - she might have said it removed organics).

Sonce my original post my CYA is now at 30 and my CH is at 200. pH is at 7.6 and alkalinity dropped to 70 (I will correct that tomorrow).

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you. I check it daily and it’s always in range.

 

[amyd1282]

Welcome to the forum!

Are the rashes like a scrape due to rough plaster or just red marks? It does sound odd. It is apparent your test results are from a Pool store and thus we do not take much comfort in their accuracy, but nothing jumps out as a major issue. You do need CYA, which you have added some, to keep the chlorine from being too harsh and to be able to maintain it in the pool.

Hopefully some other members may have some ideas.

Take care.

I attached a photo of the rash. It is a bunch of small bumps and the whole skin area around it is red. The rash burns once we are out of the pool and dry. It doesn’t seem like the rashes are from scrapes, but I’m not ruling it out. Even I get them though, and I just sit in the water. The interesting thing is that our plaster feels very smooth. Honestly it feels like a chalkboard after it’s been erased. So the surface is smooth but with just a bit of tacky-ness. We brushed the pool often during the first 10 days and no plaster dust comes up when brushing now (that I can see).

To answer the other response, the rashes form while swimming, so within an hour of getting in the pool. The kids have gotten blisters on their feet, but I assumed that was from repeated rubbing as they jump and push against the plaster as they play. They got the blisters on their hands too when they were walking on their hands in the 10” shelf too.