lotuseater

Hello, first let me thank this forum for making my very first pool season so pleasurable. Our water chemistry was great, our pool is beautiful, and all the tips and advice have eased my newbie mind. Okay, now it's time to close up things for the season. The pool temp. has dropped to the high 70's. We don't have a heater and don't plan on using the pool much farther into this month. Our pool is 15 X 40 with a SWG. Our SWG has "winter mode." Can someone please walk me through what I should be doing with my pool? Do I have to partially drain it and shut it down? I have a two-speed pump, should I just run it in the wee hours, to prevent the lines from freezing? What should my pool chemistry look like? We have an automatic cover to keep debris out. Any tips and help is, as always, greatly appreciated.

Our new pool was plastered a dark grey. The contractor let it sit for several days before getting the pump running and when we tried to brush the plaster dust off a lot of it is simply calcified onto the surface of the plaster. It looks terrible and feels like shark skin! Our contractor agrees this is a mess but he wants to wait until the fall to drain the pool and "acid wash" the plaster. He said the plaster is still curing and of course he blames the plasterer for the bad job. I want him to handle this right away. I am really upset about having to drain off 23,000 gallons of water and repair this. Here are my questions: should he do this right away? What does he mean by "acid wash" and is this the preferred method for dealing with this problem? Should he have a water truck to fill the pool quickly- I've been told that dark plaster is a difficult medium? Any advice on how to proceed will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond! Went out again and was able to brush more off but there are simply some discolored areas that will not brush out. I really agree that not running the equipment was a major contributing factor. The pool was a beautiful, charcoal grey color right before it was filled, but no more... I knew it would take more effort on their part but was willing to pay... I will try to make them make it right. You are right, that final payment will just have to wait. Thanks again for your tips and time, wish me luck...

I believe it is regular plaster with dye added. They had plastic gallon bottles of the stuff out there.

Thanks for the quick response! My water chemistry appears to be okay: Using a Taylor K 2006 test kit (thanks for that tip WaterBear)I have a PH reading of 7.4, A calcium hardness reading of 150 ppm, and my total alkalinity is 80ppm. But you are right, the scuzz on the walls of my pool is white and most of it will not budge. My pool contractor plastered and filled the pool right away but he didn't get the pump online for two days and no one brushed the pool- because the filter and pump weren't hooked up. I am really ticked off, thinking this has to be a major contributing factor. What are my options? Any ideas would be, as usual, greatly valued.

I am having a terrible time removing the plaster dust/residue from the sides and bottom of our new pool. I have been vacuuming and brushing with a stiff nylon-bristled brush and there still seems to be a lot of junk stuck on the sides and bottoms. Our pool was plastered a dark grey, so it is very apparent. Any suggestions/advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions. I really appreciate the info.

We have just installed a new pool. How soon after the final plastering of the pool can we add salt? I keep hearing different stories. Does anyone out there have any ideas? Thanks.

Hello, I am very new to the world of inground pools. We are building a 27,000 gallon pool. Our contractor is installing a 2 hp, 2 speed pump. (Sta Rite) He is also planning on installing a Sta Rite System 3 DE filter. We will be using a salt/chlorine generator as well. Here are my questions: 1. should the salt generator be wired to run when the pump is on low speed? Why? 2. The Filter the contractor is planning on installing is a 37 sq. footer, from what I can tell the optimal flow rate for this filter is 56 gallons per minute. I have calculated my necessary flow rate to be 56 gallons. Is this filter big enough for our pool? I have always read you should oversize- is my guy just trying to save money? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks