I had the same problem with my Hansgrohe polished nickle shower fittings. After forgetting to wipe the water dry after one use, the stubborn stains would not go away. I called the manufacturer several times and everytimes I had a different advise. First I tried blue original windex. Apprently Hansgrohe approves that product. it did not work. I also tried diluted vinegar, WD-40, as well as CLR (in diffent concentrations) none of them worked. I finally got a hold of Flitz multi purpose metal polish (in a tooth paste form) and it worked like a magic! Eventhough polished nickle was not one of the metals listed, but I decided to give it a try, since I was running out of options. Flitz is hard to find unless you buy it on line. I found mine in a kitchen and bath fixture shop. To prevent from happening the company recomands NuFinish (orange bottle only) . here is what hansgrohe sent me: To prolong the lifespan of your unit and keep it looking new we recommend the following care tips: 1. Regularly massage/rub the nodules on your hand shower/overhead shower/hand sprayer to keep water debris from accumulating on your water spouts. 2. Periodically soaking your unit in a 50/50 solution of warm water and CLR (Calcium, Lime, & Rust remover) for no longer than 10 minutes and then rinsing with fresh water. (this didnt work, But Flitz did) 3. Polish your unit with Flitz or NuFinish (only orange bottle). 4. Clean your unit with mild soap and water. Refrain from cleaning your products with any of the following: 1. Vinegar 2. Anything acidic (even organic products that have acidic ingredients) 3. Anything "no rinse"

No salt for 30 days for sure with any new cement based interior surface. The heating is actually more of a concern for your heater since pH fluctuations will be crazy for the first month in a concrete pool. A pH of 6, as recommended by someone here, is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 7 and 100 times more acidic than a pH of 8. Since a heater is so expensive and the internals are quite sensitive to pH imbalance it would be in your best interest to have the heater bypassed until you have the pH controlled. If you do not have a heater bypass built in then you can not avoid sending water through the heater unfortunately. Water temp is one of the factors in calculating the saturation index of the pool water - which is to say the potential for a scaling state in the water. This is why you can not just use soft water to fill with - it needs to have calcium hardness high enough to not damage new concrete but also not develop a scaling state from high temps and too much calcium hardness. For the first 30 days simply watch your pH and alkalinity, as well as maintain around 1ppm free chlorine. If you heat it then don't boil it - 80 degrees. New pool owners tend to like 90 degrees until they get the first gas bill.

I hear you...I was worried sick. We ended up not using Pebble Tec.....long story...you can read about it on my thread titled "im so frustrated i could scream"....anyways....we were going to have midnight blue but after all the headaches and delays from pebble tec installer....we ended up going with the "River Rok"....basically the same....it is more like pebble sheen. We went with a custom color trying to match midnight blue....its close....i think somewhere inbetween midnight blue and tahoe blue. Heres my build link if you are interested: Here is a link that might be useful: david pool build

I am sorry to see you have water spots. I am just about to seal our butcher block counter on the island and have read about Osmo. Did you use the Osmo TopOil? If so, how many coats? Also, did you speak to the company about the marks? The website states that a number of liquids, including wine, beer, milk will bead up and can be wiped off. Any info appreciated! TIA