Hi all, I’ve done my best to go through reddit and the boards here. This is my first summer with the pool and I’ve had several issues and I am hoping to do what I need before the season ends so that it’s finally in good shape for next year, but I’m not sure what that is. I have several different questions that seem to fall into different categories so I thought the new person board was best. Before I get to my questions, I will say that I know I have made one mistake as far as these boards are concerned - I got a service this year. However, it was due to some unexpected personal things, I had to travel a lot this summer and was away for several weeks at a time and, being new, it seemed like the smart decision since I wouldn’t be home to care for things. It wasn’t, but live and learn. On to the background and questions….
Pool is old. Built by Anthony and Sylvan. Prior owners didn’t know age. Permits don’t go back far enough. I had A&S out for a refinish estimate (will get to that) and they said best guess is 70s (house was built in 66. Prior owners were here since 1997). Plumbing inside the house is copper pipes. What I can see above ground for pool equipment is PVC. Light in pool is old (not sure how old) and doesn’t work. It has some sort of metal frame. Unsure if that is copper. Pool is painted a very dark blue - paint and concrete under it are chipped in spots. Pool inspection said nothing structural was wrong but it would likely need a refinish in the next few years, but for now the issues are cosmetic only.
Pool had a heater. Upon opening, learned heater was leaking and coil was corroded. Disconnected it and repiped so no water has flowed through it since opening test. At opening, there was also 4 empty bottles of algicide upside down in the filter baskets - 2 bottles in each one. Pool has had very high copper levels all season. First service also “accidentally” put too much of “the blue stuff” in around June and dyed everything REALLY blue - water, walls, filter cartridges. Took almost a month to clear up with pump running 12hrs/day. Since that incident, Have used metal out twice. Copper drops but then increases again. There are black stains on the bottom from copper/shock reactions and the paint is peeling quite a lot (comes off when brushed, turns skin/bottoms of floats/light colored hair blue).
Current pool service says they initially thought high copper was from the now disconnected heater. Because the high level keeps returning, they said they “guess” is “could maybe” be underground pipes, which may or may not be copper. They recommended a drain, refinishing since it doesn’t need it but could use it and pool would be empty anyway and “maybe digging up” the patio to see what the pipes are. That seemed terrifying and expensive and I wouldn’t use them anyway. I really don’t want to do anything that requires digging. Pool also has two drains in the bottom - one in shallow end, one in deep end and two filter openings - again one in shallow end and one in deep end.
Service reports all say Chems aside from copper have been within range each visit or manageable corrections.
I called 5 places for estimates on a drain and repaint or refinish. No one seems to do repainting anymore in this area (nova) and, as paint only seems to buy another 3-5 years anyway, I decided I may as well refinish anyway. Two places are too busy. One never responded. And one said it sounded like too big a project for them. The Only one that even agreed to come out and give me an estimate was Anthony and Sylvan. They don’t have records for the pool anymore (too old) so they could not provide insight on the pipes. They said the copper was “probably” from my hose line when I refill (which I don’t need to do much) because that pipe is copper. They did give me an estimate on drain, acid wash, and refinish (I would need to refill from the hose). 25% off if I sign before August ends, so I’m debating what to do but I don’t feel educated enough to make a decision so I appreciate any input.
I feel like everyone is just making blind guesses about the copper levels and, since this is my first year, I have no idea. Unfortunately, contacting former owners to ask questions is not an option and Virginia doesn’t have required seller disclosures so I was limited to what I could glean from a basic pool inspection, which said things were old and would need work in the next 3-7 years, but that’s it. The person who serviced the pool for the prior owners was a 1 man operation and he said he was preparing to retire (or lied to me and said he did. Who knows) and wasn’t continuing on or adding new clients when his current clients sold so I didn’t get info from him either. My neighbors on either side are also new (only here a year longer than me) and didn’t have any insight beyond saying the prior owners were barely here (they took off for a second home during Covid and after 2 years decided to retire and not come back) so they didn’t know whether the pool was cared for in that time. The water was clear when I toured the house last year and the pool properly closed for the winter prior to my closing on the home.
1. Any guesses/insight on the copper issues and on whether there is a way to pinpoint the cause? From what I’ve learned on these boards, it appears I do have to drain and refill to have any hope of getting rid of the copper and that it’s prudent to just refinish then since it will be empty and definitely needs it sooner rather than later and I’m not planning on selling the house anytime soon. I’d just like to know I what, if anything, I can do to keep the copper problem from recurring. I would pay to drain and refinish if it solves the problem, but I am very worried I will spend a ton of money and then suffer copper stains on a brand new finish and be right back where I started, minus about 20k (plus interest).
2. Could the copper be from the hose from the house? If so, does that mean I’m just screwed and will be locked in an eternal copper water battle?
3. Is there any situation in which I should NOT go ahead with a refinish now or other solutions I may not be considering?
4. Assuming I go ahead with the refinish, I like the lagoon look my pool currently has so I’m looking at Sunstone Select Onyx or Sunstone select black pearl. Black peal is about $1000 more. Any reason that is worth it or should I go with sunstone select onyx?
Finally, to answer other common questions I see people wanting to know before giving advice - the pump is old (don’t know how old) and will likely need replacing in the next few years, but I’m trying to hang on until it fails. Filter uses cartridges, no sand, and seems to be in good working order. I don’t have an automatic chlorinator or a vacuum, but am considering putting the money in for both when the time comes to replace the pump. Not planning on buying a new heater anytime soon, given all the other work needed, but maybe in the distant future.
If you made it through all that, thank you!
Pool is old. Built by Anthony and Sylvan. Prior owners didn’t know age. Permits don’t go back far enough. I had A&S out for a refinish estimate (will get to that) and they said best guess is 70s (house was built in 66. Prior owners were here since 1997). Plumbing inside the house is copper pipes. What I can see above ground for pool equipment is PVC. Light in pool is old (not sure how old) and doesn’t work. It has some sort of metal frame. Unsure if that is copper. Pool is painted a very dark blue - paint and concrete under it are chipped in spots. Pool inspection said nothing structural was wrong but it would likely need a refinish in the next few years, but for now the issues are cosmetic only.
Pool had a heater. Upon opening, learned heater was leaking and coil was corroded. Disconnected it and repiped so no water has flowed through it since opening test. At opening, there was also 4 empty bottles of algicide upside down in the filter baskets - 2 bottles in each one. Pool has had very high copper levels all season. First service also “accidentally” put too much of “the blue stuff” in around June and dyed everything REALLY blue - water, walls, filter cartridges. Took almost a month to clear up with pump running 12hrs/day. Since that incident, Have used metal out twice. Copper drops but then increases again. There are black stains on the bottom from copper/shock reactions and the paint is peeling quite a lot (comes off when brushed, turns skin/bottoms of floats/light colored hair blue).
Current pool service says they initially thought high copper was from the now disconnected heater. Because the high level keeps returning, they said they “guess” is “could maybe” be underground pipes, which may or may not be copper. They recommended a drain, refinishing since it doesn’t need it but could use it and pool would be empty anyway and “maybe digging up” the patio to see what the pipes are. That seemed terrifying and expensive and I wouldn’t use them anyway. I really don’t want to do anything that requires digging. Pool also has two drains in the bottom - one in shallow end, one in deep end and two filter openings - again one in shallow end and one in deep end.
Service reports all say Chems aside from copper have been within range each visit or manageable corrections.
I called 5 places for estimates on a drain and repaint or refinish. No one seems to do repainting anymore in this area (nova) and, as paint only seems to buy another 3-5 years anyway, I decided I may as well refinish anyway. Two places are too busy. One never responded. And one said it sounded like too big a project for them. The Only one that even agreed to come out and give me an estimate was Anthony and Sylvan. They don’t have records for the pool anymore (too old) so they could not provide insight on the pipes. They said the copper was “probably” from my hose line when I refill (which I don’t need to do much) because that pipe is copper. They did give me an estimate on drain, acid wash, and refinish (I would need to refill from the hose). 25% off if I sign before August ends, so I’m debating what to do but I don’t feel educated enough to make a decision so I appreciate any input.
I feel like everyone is just making blind guesses about the copper levels and, since this is my first year, I have no idea. Unfortunately, contacting former owners to ask questions is not an option and Virginia doesn’t have required seller disclosures so I was limited to what I could glean from a basic pool inspection, which said things were old and would need work in the next 3-7 years, but that’s it. The person who serviced the pool for the prior owners was a 1 man operation and he said he was preparing to retire (or lied to me and said he did. Who knows) and wasn’t continuing on or adding new clients when his current clients sold so I didn’t get info from him either. My neighbors on either side are also new (only here a year longer than me) and didn’t have any insight beyond saying the prior owners were barely here (they took off for a second home during Covid and after 2 years decided to retire and not come back) so they didn’t know whether the pool was cared for in that time. The water was clear when I toured the house last year and the pool properly closed for the winter prior to my closing on the home.
1. Any guesses/insight on the copper issues and on whether there is a way to pinpoint the cause? From what I’ve learned on these boards, it appears I do have to drain and refill to have any hope of getting rid of the copper and that it’s prudent to just refinish then since it will be empty and definitely needs it sooner rather than later and I’m not planning on selling the house anytime soon. I’d just like to know I what, if anything, I can do to keep the copper problem from recurring. I would pay to drain and refinish if it solves the problem, but I am very worried I will spend a ton of money and then suffer copper stains on a brand new finish and be right back where I started, minus about 20k (plus interest).
2. Could the copper be from the hose from the house? If so, does that mean I’m just screwed and will be locked in an eternal copper water battle?
3. Is there any situation in which I should NOT go ahead with a refinish now or other solutions I may not be considering?
4. Assuming I go ahead with the refinish, I like the lagoon look my pool currently has so I’m looking at Sunstone Select Onyx or Sunstone select black pearl. Black peal is about $1000 more. Any reason that is worth it or should I go with sunstone select onyx?
Finally, to answer other common questions I see people wanting to know before giving advice - the pump is old (don’t know how old) and will likely need replacing in the next few years, but I’m trying to hang on until it fails. Filter uses cartridges, no sand, and seems to be in good working order. I don’t have an automatic chlorinator or a vacuum, but am considering putting the money in for both when the time comes to replace the pump. Not planning on buying a new heater anytime soon, given all the other work needed, but maybe in the distant future.
If you made it through all that, thank you!
