How to care for pool in southern California winter?

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T

TwinsPool

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Oct 3, 2021
68
Los Angeles
Pool was replastered, and today (Dec 14) is 13 days after the 2-day fill ended. I am trying to follow the NPC guidelines, which the plastering company approved of, regarding brushing and balancing. My main concern is to prevent any problems/damage to the new plaster, especially maintaining a smooth floor in the shallow end. Kids were getting bloody feet this summer from the previous rough surface (it's a relatively new house for us, and is our first pool).

Here are the current chemistries using TF-100/SpeedStir:
FC 2.5 (maybe 3.0, a little hard to tell which is correct) I usually use liquid chlorine, but may mix with Trichlor pucks carefully to avoid too much CYA.
CC 0
CH 200 (should raise, but to what level for new plaster?)
TA 80 (what is ideal now?)
pH 7.6
CYA ~10 (still see a very faint dot at 20) (will be raising CYA to about 30)
Water temp 49F
CSI by PoolMath: -0.46 (presumably this low mainly due to low temp?)

We don't plan to swim in it until next spring, but I want to do what's necessary to keep this new plaster in the best shape possible.

I know I should raise the CH somewhat, but I don't want to go overboard.
My TF-100 laminated sheet says 250-400 is ideal, but the Recommended Levels in Pool School say 350-550 is ideal, so would like to hear what the current suggestion is considering this is New Plaster. And would this change later after the plaster has fully cured?
NPC recommends CH at minimum of 200 for first 28 days and 200-400 afterward.

Ideal TA level is also a question I have.
My TF-100 laminated sheet says 100-120 is ideal, but the Recommended Levels in Pool School say 60-80 is ideal. These are quite different ideal levels.
NPC recommends TA at 80-100 for first 28 days and a "Carbonate Alkalinity" (CA) level of 80-120 afterward. CA = TA - (1/3)(CYA).

Is CSI anything to think about now, or is the cold water throwing that figure off too much?

Thanks for suggestions on what levels I should adjust to for new plaster.
 
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Any CH above 250 ppm is fine for plaster.

Calcium Hardness - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

We do not use adjusted TA. Forget about it. PoolMath does any required adjustments.

Since we do not use adjusted TA in TFP alkalinity recommendations, our recommendations are not comparable to those of those who do. Also, many TA recommendations assume Trichlor tablets will be used, which have acid that lowers TA, so you need to maintain a higher TA to offset it. We don't recommend Trichlor use, so a lower TA can be targeted.

TA - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Any CSI between +0.6 and -0.6 is ok. Low CSI is to be expected with cold water.

  • TA of 80 is fine. Don't touch it.
  • Raise your CH to 250-300 ppm.
  • Raise your CYA to 30
  • CSI of -0.46 is fine for the winter months
 
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Check your fill water CH. It is likely 200+. Be careful raising CH that will be rising naturally as you use fill water to offset evaporation.
 
@ajw22 - Thanks so much for the suggestions and reading links! This is a huge help and I feel much better now.

@mknauss - Thanks for the caution. I expected high CH when testing fill water, but when I tested it in August it was only 100. I will test again now that I am better with the proper way to read color changes (continue until color change no longer intensifies and use the last drop that caused a color change intensification). I have already added 10 lbs of CaCl2 to get to 200, and will add more now, probably to 250 I guess. In SoCal, it doesn't rain much in the winter (except for the very occasional "atmospheric river"), and there is a LOT of evaporation in the summers.

I'll be starting a new thread on what to do with the pool during our cold months.
 
How should I maintain the pool during the winter months in southern California (generally no danger of freeze)?
Specifically, is it difficult to keep it algae-free without the usual very frequent testing and cleaning?
Is there a way to "set it and forget it"??
Should I actually close the pool (whatever that means) or not close the pool?

I bought a large bubble cover (20'x40'), but have a weirdly shaped pool. A satellite view before our replastering to white:
1734306967958.png (about 35 ft from diving board to opposite end)
Should I use that and figure out a way to roll up sections of it?

Last year was a disaster for us (filter died, swamp grew, etc). I don't want to go through that again, especially with brand new plaster, but I hope to not have to do a lot of maintenance when we will not be using the pool. Advice from experts is greatly appreciated.
 
Maintain the pool as you always have. You can likely add chlorine only once or twice a week. Test that often. Run the pump as necessary to skim the surface and mix the chemicals.

I would not advise using the solar cover. That is best for the times you wish to keep the pool water warm as the nights cool off (spring and fall).
 
Hmm. Sounds like no rest for the weary. Oh well.
Thanks for the advice about the solar cover. I thought it might be good for something besides saving warmth and possibly for winter use to keep leaves out, evaporation down, etc, No?
 
Evaporation is minimal during the winter. The leaves will get on the solar cover, get wet, be a mess. Best to leave it off.
 
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