White Powder Residue Above Waterline

[kawisser]

I've read several posts on this topic. Either I'm searching the wrong words, or is it true that no one seems to know the cause? My fiberglass pool is about 3 months old. I'm sure the chemicals were out of whack for the first 2 months while it was under construction. But they've been pretty solid for the last month or so. We only started to notice this within the last month. Above the water (not underwater), the walls appear cloudy. When I wipe my finger across it, it leaves a white powdery coating on my finger. When I get the wall wet, it looks clear and shiny like new. As soon as it dries, it goes back to cloudy. I figure since something white comes off and sticks to my finger I should be able to wipe it off, but it doesn't seem that easy. I wipe and wipe, but it continually dries cloudy. The pool guy said to put vinegar on it, if it fizzes, then it's calcium - it did not fizz, so according to him, it's not calcium. He also said to try wiping liquid chlorine on it - I haven't tried that yet - is that safe? What's going on with my pool wall?

(I tried taking a picture, but to be honest, I don't think anyone other than a 3 month new pool owner would be able to see)

 

[ajw22]

Maybe @Texas Splash has some guidance for you about your new pool.

 

[Texas Splash]

Sorry to hear about your problem. Definitely not calcium. I suspect it's an early form of oxidation. But why? Some of us who have experienced such chalkiness can't rub it off, while some others can. Three months is really fast though. I see nothing wrong with your water testing. Have you submitted a warranty clean yet?

 

[kawisser]

Sorry to hear about your problem. Definitely not calcium. I suspect it's an early form of oxidation. But why? Some of us who have experienced such chalkiness can't rub it off, while some others can. Three months is really fast though. I see nothing wrong with your water testing. Have you submitted a warranty clean yet?

I have not. What does oxidation mean?

 

[Texas Splash]

What does oxidation mean?

If you Google oxidation, you'll see a variety of definitions, most of which are summed-up by stating the changing of molecules. For various reasons (chemicals, sunlight, oxygen, etc) situations occur that change the basic compounds of a product. In gelcoats, there can be such changes due to a combination of pH, chlorine, and sun UV that effects the porous compounds of a pool. Some FG pool manufactures caution owners who use a cover to be careful about chemistry changes while covered.

Even in the best of scenarios, sometimes a gelcoat changes for no known reason. Mine did as well, but it took about 3 years. I don't recall seeing anyone post that their gelcoat has changed in only 3 months time. As such, I'm inclined to think perhaps the gelcoat batch (or application) might have had a problem. It just doesn't make sense to react the way you are describing in such a short period of time. I would reach out to the manufacture to discuss your concerns and a potential warranty claim. The sooner the better before they try to say it was somehow your fault (chemistry).

 

[kawisser]

If you Google oxidation, you'll see a variety of definitions, most of which are summed-up by stating the changing of molecules. For various reasons (chemicals, sunlight, oxygen, etc) situations occur that change the basic compounds of a product. In gelcoats, there can be such changes due to a combination of pH, chlorine, and sun UV that effects the porous compounds of a pool. Some FG pool manufactures caution owners who use a cover to be careful about chemistry changes while covered.

Even in the best of scenarios, sometimes a gelcoat changes for no known reason. Mine did as well, but it took about 3 years. I don't recall seeing anyone post that their gelcoat has changed in only 3 months time. As such, I'm inclined to think perhaps the gelcoat batch (or application) might have had a problem. It just doesn't make sense to react the way you are describing in such a short period of time. I would reach out to the manufacture to discuss your concerns and a potential warranty claim. The sooner the better before they try to say it was somehow your fault (chemistry).

I suppose I should reach out to them just to get it on record. I also wonder if I am just being too picky. Like I said I don't think anyone else would be able to see it. I can't really capture it in a picture. It's just a new pool so I know every square inch of it . But maybe it's always been like this.

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm just as OCD as the next person believe me. But if you are clearly rubbing white residue off of a new gelcoat, it's best to let them know.