One year Pool Owner and enjoying every minute of it.

[Spaceman]

My pool is approximately 22,000 gallons with spa. It is salt water and uses Pentair equipment with four pumps. They are the filter pump, wet edge pump, water feature pump and waterfall pump. The filter pump is a variable speed pump. The pool is an infinity edge pool around all sides and is half above ground and below ground on a sloping ground from the house. It has a lower basin that collects all water flowing over the infinity edge and also collects all the debris leaving the main pool pristine. We have a dark blue pebbletec plaster. Controlling the chemicals was a learning process, but a salt water pool makes it a lot easier. The pool is still sucking muriatic acid, but my pool contractor says this should stop around 9-12 months. I am at 12 months with wage. I am just interest in the type of questions/support this forum offers. At this time I have no questions and am only here to offer my lessons learned. It was a year project for the pool, arbor, landscaping , summer kitchen, and patio project.

[BigDave]

Be sure to maintain adequate Total Alkalinity. The maintenance regime you describe (areation and muriatic acid to counteract pH rise) is chemically very close to the method for reducing TA. Pool water with inadequate carbonate alkalinity will etch plaster surfaces even when pH is kept in range. Curing plaster will also cause pH rise but when the cure is complete the pool will need TA addition (baking soda) to offset the effect of the waterfall and negative edge.

Congrats on your pool and welcome to PoolForum!
Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but, it sounds like you're at the end of the plaster cure.

[Spaceman]

We have been putting tons of sodium bi-carb in the pool. We are constantly balancing total alkalinity against the pH. Thanks for the input. We have an excellent pool builder that has greatly helped out on the chemistry. He even supplied a 50 lb bag of the sodium bi-carb.

[BigDave]

Great! I want your PB.

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership updated.

I highly, highly recommend that you get a K2006 testkit: http://pool9.net/tk/

This page explains what's happening to your alkalinity, why it's happening, and why it won't stop, unless you can bypass the infinity edge: http://pool9.net/alk-step/ The focus on that page is lowering alkalinity on purpose; you are doing the same, but accidentally.

There is a way to reduce -- not stop -- the loss, but it will require careful attention to your pH, TA & CH with ACCURATE (not pool store!) testing. Damage to your plaster is almost inevitable, if you don't learn this.