Minor scaling above water line

[clw72]

Pool is 6 months old and I have fought high pH and high TA from the beginning. My numbers as of yesterday are:

FC 5
pH 7.8
TA 150
CH 290
CYA 35
Salt 3100

There is some scaling on the water line tile just above the water line. I believe that's due to the pH and TA being too high for too long. I am in the process of lowering pH and aerating to get the TA down and I have added CYA granules to raise that number. Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[zea3]

Your plaster is still relatively new, and pH will continue to rise as it cures. It takes about a year for the process to complete and stop effecting the pH. Use muriatic acid or dry acid to lower pH & TA. Aeration raises pH without effecting TA levels, so that will not help your situation. You don't need to lower TA just for the sake of having a lower test value, once you are able to keep your pH fairly stable.

 

[Richard320]

A pumice stone will remove that water line. It will sound awful - fingernails on a chalkbooard X10 - but it doesn't destroy the tile surface the way it sounds like it's doing. It will also lead to sore shoulders and knees. There will also be a lot of pumice grit to vacuum up.

 

[clw72]

A pumice stone will remove that water line. It will sound awful - fingernails on a chalkbooard X10 - but it doesn't destroy the tile surface the way it sounds like it's doing. It will also lead to sore shoulders and knees. There will also be a lot of pumice grit to vacuum up.

Well that sounds super fun!



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[clw72]

Your plaster is still relatively new, and pH will continue to rise as it cures. It takes about a year for the process to complete and stop effecting the pH. Use muriatic acid or dry acid to lower pH & TA. Aeration raises pH without effecting TA levels, so that will not help your situation. You don't need to lower TA just for the sake of having a lower test value, once you are able to keep your pH fairly stable.

So, am I wasting my time aerating? High TA is okay for now? I'm so confused, because I've read other threads that say, lower pH with acid then aerate to raise pH repeating the cycle until TA is within range.


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[zea3]

TA helps regulate pH. If the TA level is causing problems then it should be adjusted, however your pH is going to climb naturally as the plaster continues to cure. Useing acid will lower both pH and TA, you just don't need to aerate to raise the pH back up, it will come up by itself. Once the pH starts to stabilize you won't have to worry about the TA regardless of how high it reads.

 

[clw72]

TA helps regulate pH. If the TA level is causing problems then it should be adjusted, however your pH is going to climb naturally as the plaster continues to cure. Useing acid will lower both pH and TA, you just don't need to aerate to raise the pH back up, it will come up by itself. Once the pH starts to stabilize you won't have to worry about the TA regardless of how high it reads.

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation.


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[Tresiarth]

I have a bit of that calcium build up as well on my new build pool. My PB suggested I mix 50/50 water and muriatic acid in a spray bottle and spay on the tile and then a little scrubbing. It actually worked perfect. Needed to add some acid to lower my PH so did while I was dosing the pool and it basically ate the scaling up without a lot of scrubbing.

 

[clw72]

I have a bit of that calcium build up as well on my new build pool. My PB suggested I mix 50/50 water and muriatic acid in a spray bottle and spay on the tile and then a little scrubbing. It actually worked perfect. Needed to add some acid to lower my PH so did while I was dosing the pool and it basically ate the scaling up without a lot of scrubbing.

Nice! I'll try that this week. Thanks for the tip.


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[Tresiarth]

Nice! I'll try that this week. Thanks for the tip.

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You will find it works well. Just be sure to use gloves and not lean too close to the tile to avoid splash back. Otherwise I let the acid do the work and avoided much scrubbing. I had one very large one; and just continued to spray let the acid eat it and spray again until it was basically gone. I bought some piece of **** calcium scrubber from Leslie that didn't even make a dent... so that is going back..... Also put your water in the spray bottle first... then add your acid.... following that rule of adding acid to water... not the other way around.

 

[clw72]

Gotcha. Thank you so much!! I buy as little as possible from Leslie's. Even when they try to push products on me. I fell for that trap with our previous pool...thank goodness I found this forum when we started building our current pool!! ??


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[clw72]

The water/acid mix in a spray bottle worked perfectly!!! My water line tile looks brand new. Thank you so much for the tip! ?


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[Tresiarth]

Great!!! I am glad it worked for you!!!??


In ground, 15x27, 80 feet perimeter, 3'6 to 5 feet deep, 9,600 gallons, 2 skimmers, 6 returns, Jandy VSP, Jandy DE 60, Jandy LXI, Nature 2 Ozone, 2 pool LED lights, 1 Spa LED light pebble tech aqua blue. Frisco,
Texas


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