How's my plaster look?

[Agentbolt]

I was doing my weekly chemistry check on the pool and decided to do a CYA test again just for fun (I've only done the one before, Taylor gives you enough reagents to do 20,000 CH tests but EIGHT CYA tests, go figure) and doing the dilution trick netted me a result of 150. It's not causing problems with the weather this cold, but everything I read here says it WILL become a giant headache sometime later in the summer unless I am constantly pumping it full of bleach daily, so I figured I'd better just bite the bullet and do a partial drain and refill.

So while I'm draining the pool (with a garden hose, it's slow but it's a neat/free trick) I've noticed the plaster looks...I don't know honestly. Weird to me, at least. I've always thought there were stains on the pool floor and wall from somebody screwing up with copper algaecides or something like that, but it's not stains, the plaster is white with large patches of greyish-yellow looking material mixed in. One of my pain points about this pool is that the prior owner was unable to give a definitive answer as to when it was last replastered, and it's NOT a job I want to have to be dealing with this summer, so when he finally gave an answer of like "Hmmm...maybe 5 years ago?" I figured I still had awhile to not worry.

So do any of you experts want to weigh in on what I'm seeing here? Is this normal? Is the plaster basically gone and I'm seeing the underlaying concrete starting to poke through? Or was it just plastered badly in the first place? It's not cracking, the pool floor feels soft enough (My understanding is that one of plaster's jobs is to feel nice on the feet and hands) and I'm not having any issues with leaks or anything. Maybe this is just the way plaster looks? Any input is appreciated!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/ ... AG0137.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/ ... AG0136.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/ ... AG0135.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/ ... AG0134.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/ ... AG0133.jpg

 

[zea3]

Could you post a set of current test results? Especially CA and TA.

 

[Agentbolt]

TC 14
CC 0
PH 7.6
TA 85
CYA 150
CH 450

 

[daddybug]

Scale, at some point your CH was high and so was your pH.

 

[Agentbolt]

Hmmm, there's something I hadn't considered. I suppose in the grand scheme of things that's good news. The guy who lived here before basically just kept like 5 trichlor pucks in a floater at all times (hence the CYA levels being what they are), if he was using cal hypo to shock or something that wouldn't be the most surprising thing ever.

Once there's scale (and with how much I'm seeing there's clearly a LOT of scale) there's nothing you can really do other than a full drain and an acid wash, right? I guess I'll just live with it.

 

[Richard320]

You have Calcium scale.

If you're patient and persistent, it can be removed. post315958.html#p315958

 

[zea3]

Test the CH of your fill water, that will tell you if you are likely to have really high CH again. You have high CH now but it is manageable if you keep ph closer to 7.2 and TA between 70-90.

 

[Agentbolt]

Very interesting info, thanks guys! I don't have a heater, so it would appear that I can get away with getting the CSI low and maybe using one of those calcium remover products like Jack's Magic The Copper & Scale Stuff, and over time (I'm in no rush, it looks bad but it's not hurting anything, the equipment works fine and I just had the sand filter taken apart last weekend, the sand isn't crusty or anything) it'll maybe get a bit better?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Agentbolt]

Test the CH of your fill water, that will tell you if you are likely to have really high CH again. You have high CH now but it is manageable if you keep ph closer to 7.2 and TA between 70-90.

The fill water here (Tucson, AZ) is pretty hard. The Taylor kit said it's about 260 or so. This partial drain I did should get it down somewhat but I'm guessing not by much.

 

[bobodaclown]

I don't think it looks bad. I would fill and go. You'll need to get your CYA down. You might want to do some reading in pool school. From what I understand CH in Arizona tends to rise, with a CYA of 150 you'll need LOTS of bleach to kill it and get it under control.