As some of you may know, I just bought a house that came with my (potential) Dream pool. Well the water and maintenance was pretty well neglected, and upon refilling the plaster has started bubbling and chipping away in the shallow end. We had planned on a resurface, but thought we had at least a couple years. Anybody in CA recently resurface their pool? We will probably use it through the season and have it redone either fall or spring.
Plaster bubbling...
- Thread starter Jamann
- Start date
Ah man! Well at least you will get one season out of it 
What you can do now is start getting quotes from the people who do work in your area of CA. Try to get at least 5 if at all possible. Ask to see their work on current pools and pools 5 yrs out. You might even be able to find THE plaster company in your area just by asking who did the plaster.
Kim
What you can do now is start getting quotes from the people who do work in your area of CA. Try to get at least 5 if at all possible. Ask to see their work on current pools and pools 5 yrs out. You might even be able to find THE plaster company in your area just by asking who did the plaster.
Kim
BattleOfYakima
TFP Guide
Love what Kim said and I will add that Plaster serves many purposes, but that YES it is still safe to swim in a pool with failing plaster as long as you keep the chemistry correct.
Congrats on buying the TF-100 - that will allow you to check all the levels, plug them into pool math, and see what your CSI index is - which will tell us if your water is corrosive to the plaster, balanced, or putting you at risk for scaling. You can post your test results in this thread, or start another in balancing your water.
Congrats on buying the TF-100 - that will allow you to check all the levels, plug them into pool math, and see what your CSI index is - which will tell us if your water is corrosive to the plaster, balanced, or putting you at risk for scaling. You can post your test results in this thread, or start another in balancing your water.
Just added chemicals to the new water yesterday. Fc was zero, as listed about an hour after. Have yet to retest CYA after adding stabilizer.
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Fc-5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]CC-0[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Cya-0[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ph-7.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ch-75[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ta-280[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Fc-5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]CC-0[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Cya-0[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ph-7.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ch-75[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ta-280[/FONT][/FONT]
BattleOfYakima
TFP Guide
Thank you! There we go! So two part answer:
1. Super important to keep that FC at the correct levels for your CYA. I believe you get this, so I won't go into it more, but let me know if you want more info.
2. TA & CH - are potentially issues - read up on it here.
If you would like to make the best of it this year, and not replaster, then you will need to bring CH up to at least 250. Since your TA is already quite high, bringing the CH up will actually put towards, but not yet in, the zone for calcium scaling issues. To avoid that, I suggest dropping TA down to around 120, by using the process described here. More or less, this is a safe and scientific process of adding an acid once or maybe twice a week, resulting in a reduction of TA over time, without every putting your PH into unsafe numbers. To raise CH there are a number of high quality products either made for pools or a certain few snow melts (which can often be a great deal!). If you're comfortable with proceeding to balance the water using this approach, let me know, and I'll help you estimate how much acid and calcium you need, and offer suggestions on where to buy.
1. Super important to keep that FC at the correct levels for your CYA. I believe you get this, so I won't go into it more, but let me know if you want more info.
2. TA & CH - are potentially issues - read up on it here.
If you would like to make the best of it this year, and not replaster, then you will need to bring CH up to at least 250. Since your TA is already quite high, bringing the CH up will actually put towards, but not yet in, the zone for calcium scaling issues. To avoid that, I suggest dropping TA down to around 120, by using the process described here. More or less, this is a safe and scientific process of adding an acid once or maybe twice a week, resulting in a reduction of TA over time, without every putting your PH into unsafe numbers. To raise CH there are a number of high quality products either made for pools or a certain few snow melts (which can often be a great deal!). If you're comfortable with proceeding to balance the water using this approach, let me know, and I'll help you estimate how much acid and calcium you need, and offer suggestions on where to buy.
To clarify, I should lower my TA first? I picked up some calcium chloride today to get the CH up. I also picked up more conditioner to get the CYA closer to 50. I will add acid tomorrow to bring the PH down to 7.0. I'm guessing because of the alkalinity it will automatically drift back up, and just keep lowering it to 7.0 till the TA is acceptable? Thanks so much for the replies, sorry if I am slow to respond, between work, moving and dealing with contractors I am swamped!
BattleOfYakima
TFP Guide
You're doing great! I appreciate people who read the relevant pool school articles and love helping them!
In order:
1) If you haven't already, add enough stabilizer to get to 30, if you have, great, test it to verify your actual number. Hold off adding more stabilizer than you need to get to 30 or 40. We don't want to overshoot and will do it in steps over time. (okay to be still be adding CYA for all remaining steps)
2) Based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], bring FC up to target (if clear water) or shock (if not clear) for your current cya (or whatever PoolMath said it should be) pour slow or you have to BRUSH floor
3) 20 mins after last bleach add (never add MA and bleach within 20 mins of each other) pouring a very slow trickle, (think 1-2 minutes not 5-20 seconds) add enough acid to drop you to 7.2 and BRUSH floor, wait 20, retest (in case it drops more than it should), then if it isn't down to 7 yet, add enough acid to get to 7 and BRUSH floor, again we're sneaking up on it during these get to know your new pool days - in the future, we'll know if your gallons is correct, a little high, or a little low and adjust.
4) After FC and PH are both happy, take a moment to congratulate yourself!
5) CH time - slight warning - CH adds can sometimes cloud the pool temporarily, if the timing of this isn't good, it can wait a couple days - add enough to get to CH 200, then BRUSH until all on floor is dissolved and retest the next day to verify it increased as expected and not much higher (sneak up)
You are correct, the Lower TA procedure in a nutshell is acid ph down to 7, which lowers ta a little, then ph naturally rises back up due to ta and aeration until 7.8, then repeat cycle until TA is what you desire. Each cycle will take longer and longer since TA is lower and lower. You can speed up all cycles by adjusting your returns up towards the water surface until they make bubbles on the water surface drastically increasing aeration ph rise. We're still talking many hours/days, but it's faster than returns pointed under water.
In order:
1) If you haven't already, add enough stabilizer to get to 30, if you have, great, test it to verify your actual number. Hold off adding more stabilizer than you need to get to 30 or 40. We don't want to overshoot and will do it in steps over time. (okay to be still be adding CYA for all remaining steps)
2) Based on [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], bring FC up to target (if clear water) or shock (if not clear) for your current cya (or whatever PoolMath said it should be) pour slow or you have to BRUSH floor
3) 20 mins after last bleach add (never add MA and bleach within 20 mins of each other) pouring a very slow trickle, (think 1-2 minutes not 5-20 seconds) add enough acid to drop you to 7.2 and BRUSH floor, wait 20, retest (in case it drops more than it should), then if it isn't down to 7 yet, add enough acid to get to 7 and BRUSH floor, again we're sneaking up on it during these get to know your new pool days - in the future, we'll know if your gallons is correct, a little high, or a little low and adjust.
4) After FC and PH are both happy, take a moment to congratulate yourself!
5) CH time - slight warning - CH adds can sometimes cloud the pool temporarily, if the timing of this isn't good, it can wait a couple days - add enough to get to CH 200, then BRUSH until all on floor is dissolved and retest the next day to verify it increased as expected and not much higher (sneak up)
You are correct, the Lower TA procedure in a nutshell is acid ph down to 7, which lowers ta a little, then ph naturally rises back up due to ta and aeration until 7.8, then repeat cycle until TA is what you desire. Each cycle will take longer and longer since TA is lower and lower. You can speed up all cycles by adjusting your returns up towards the water surface until they make bubbles on the water surface drastically increasing aeration ph rise. We're still talking many hours/days, but it's faster than returns pointed under water.
Are you Sure the TA is 280 never seen it that high in California ?
calcium hardness sounds about right for California lol, add calcium chloride to a bucket no more than 10lbs in a 5gal bucket (water gets very hot) let it sit for 3min, then with a scoop add evenly to pool
what chemicals did you add? I also recommend to clean your filter to start the swim season fresh!
calcium hardness sounds about right for California lol, add calcium chloride to a bucket no more than 10lbs in a 5gal bucket (water gets very hot) let it sit for 3min, then with a scoop add evenly to pool
what chemicals did you add? I also recommend to clean your filter to start the swim season fresh!
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Pool chem 7/8[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText][/FONT]
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[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Fc-1.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]CC-.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Cya-40[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ph-7.2[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ch-175[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ta-240[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=.SF UI Text]I replaced filters a couple weeks ago, and the pool is plastered. These numbers could easily be off, i As I am a novice. I am following the step by step instructions in the "Extended test kit instructions" thread. Thanks for all the input![/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText][/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Fc-1.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]CC-.5[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Cya-40[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ph-7.2[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ch-175[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText]Ta-240[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text][FONT=.SFUIText][/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Text]I replaced filters a couple weeks ago, and the pool is plastered. These numbers could easily be off, i As I am a novice. I am following the step by step instructions in the "Extended test kit instructions" thread. Thanks for all the input![/FONT]
BattleOfYakima
TFP Guide
Great job testing! To gain confidence in testing: Advanced test kit mastery: videos of some of the tests being performed here, instructions and frequency of testing here, and extended testing instructions (really helped me) available here. Then feel the testing power!
Great job adding the stabilizer! 40 is great, add no more for now. After everything else is balanced, we'll revisit.
So now that you have CYA 40, according to [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] your FC is...too low. Please use bleach/pool chlorine to raise it to the target range when you can.
On the TA test, you probably did it right, but to double check the math - how much water? how many drops? swirling for a few seconds after each drop before adding the next? letting each drop get big and fat before gravity pulled it from the tip of your vertical dropper bottle?
We have to make sure we have confidence in the TA before adjusting CH, I believe.
Great job adding the stabilizer! 40 is great, add no more for now. After everything else is balanced, we'll revisit.
So now that you have CYA 40, according to [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] your FC is...too low. Please use bleach/pool chlorine to raise it to the target range when you can.
On the TA test, you probably did it right, but to double check the math - how much water? how many drops? swirling for a few seconds after each drop before adding the next? letting each drop get big and fat before gravity pulled it from the tip of your vertical dropper bottle?
We have to make sure we have confidence in the TA before adjusting CH, I believe.
We get TA that high in our area depending on water source. I had to work on it a long time to bring my TA down to 70 from over 200. One thing that helped was a change from well water to Sacramento river water in the past year. Another was 35" of rain sine October.
Great videos! Using the Speedstir, 25ml sample of water for the TA test. Took 24 drops, but the last few just took it deeper shades of red, if that makes sense. I did add pool chlorine right after testing, we are now at 5ppm. Lucked out and have a HASA vendor very locally, picked up more chlorine and acid today.
BattleOfYakima
TFP Guide