Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite pool

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kingbink

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Jun 6, 2011
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I have ben fighting this stain issue for 2 years.. I have tried everything like vitamin A etc.. My local pool store guys thinks I have a fungas on the under side of my gunite pool due to poor drainage from a clay base... Thanks NJ...

He told me to use Oxalic Acid in the pool and to also mix and poor the solution as close to the base of the pool around the outer edge. Where is the best place to find Oxalic Acid and how much do I mix in water for the treatments. HELP !!!!

I have a 30,000 gallon gunite pool with a quartz 3M finish in the plaster.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

At the pool store.

Oxalic acid is found in products that remove iron stains, you'll probably find it in powder form in a little pouch that you place on the stain.

It's also found as deck or wood cleaner at the hardware store (may be mixed with other chemicals, may be in liquid form), or at the grocery store in the cleaning product area (Bar Keeper's Friend is such a product). Again these may include additional chemicals that are not suitable for pool use and such the quantity for pool use cannot be determined.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

What is the symptom that you are trying to treat?

Fungus underneath the floor of a gunite pool wouldn't make any difference. It would not be able to get through the gunite and nothing would be affected by it.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

The symptom I have is a light Brown stains that get worse every year and sems to spread around the pool. I put a chlorine tab on the stain as a test and after a while is does make it go away. Am i barking up the wrong tree?
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

Then the stains are organic and you are chronically not maintaining enough chlorine in the pool. Bring the chlorine up to adequate levels and the stains will eventually go away. Post a set of test results and we can help get you started.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

I just had the water tested yesterday when I spoke with the local pool guy.. Chlorine is adequate and i tend to run it on the highside.

PH 7.3
Free Chlorine 7.0
Alkalinity 110
CA 150
 

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Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

If the puck lightened the stain, then the stain is organic and chlorine will eventually remove or lighten it. Keep your FC right where it is continuously (don't let it drop) and brush the stain often. I think you will see improvement in a week or perhaps sooner. It is fine to swim at the current FC of 7ppm

Why did you shock?
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

Dear King,

You need to get a very good test kit--either the TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006. You won't find these in stores. Look in Duraleigh's signature for the TFTestKits--click on the link. Get that thing on its way in the mail to you.

In the meantime, read Pool School. Get a CYA test done on your water at the pool store, although once you get your own test kit, your results should be the results you trust.

Good luck~~

Lana
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

I shocked last weekend after heavy use from a holiday party. Is there some sort of super shock treatment I can use to promote the lightening of the stains? 4 years ago I had a guy come in a dump 16 gallons of muratic acid in and it did lighten the stains but they came back.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

Is there some sort of super shock treatment I can use to promote the lightening of the stains?
Click to expand...
Yes. Chlorine. The stains didn't get there in 24 hours nor can you expect to remove them that quickly. Holding your FC up around 7-10ppm for a week will be simple and inexpensive.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

solarboy said:
I recently had an unsettling experience when I added too much.
Click to expand...
Sodium oxalate is packaged and commercialized as a CH reducer in Europe. As you noticed, it forms a precipitate (calcium oxalate) which is then vacuumed to waste.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

CaOCl2 said:
solarboy said:
I recently had an unsettling experience when I added too much.
Click to expand...
Sodium oxalate is packaged and commercialized as a CH reducer in Europe. As you noticed, it forms a precipitate (calcium oxalate) which is then vacuumed to waste.
Click to expand...
Yep I certainly noticed, I'd just spent a few coins on putting the CH in there ! :lol: It's only just redissolved in there.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

With a CYA of 150 (if I read that right) your min FC level should be in the neighborhood of 10 ppm.

You need to drain about half of your water to get the CYA in range. Then you can keep the FC in the proper range to lighten those stains.
 
Re: Oxalic Acid to Treat Fungas on under side of a gunite po

I did drain the water last year and lowered the CYA.. It came back up qucikly this year with the tabs I am using so I am now planning to us more frequent liquid chlorine and less tabs.. It is more work.. If the FC is in range how does the CYA affect the stains?

Thanks for all of your great feedback everyone.
 

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