Good Evening Mark,
Thank youfor taking the time to perform the tests, complete the forms and email those back to us. You have a beautiful back yard and I love the fire and water feature. Very cool!!
NOTE: The first three photos attached to this email areconfidential and proprietary to Latham and the Homeowner.We have permission to share them, however we are not extending that permissionto you or any other parties. They are being sent to you strictly for the purpose of clarifying the answer to your questions regarding the discoloration of your pool shell.
The pool in these three photos was errantly operated for approximately two and a half months at extremely high chlorine levels, high pH levels, etc which created an extremely caustic environment. The extreme discoloration of the surface of this pool and the skimmer faceplate demonstrate the effect on the pool surface when the water is not kept within the industry standards set forth by the Association Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP). Simply stated, the reason the surface of the pool and the skimmer faceplate (each of which are made of different materials and manufactured by different manufacturers) are both discolored is that they were oxidized by the water. This oxidation/discoloration is cosmetic in nature only and does not affect the structural integrity of the pool shell. In the photo “Oxidized sanded,” you can see where the top layer of the pool surface that was oxidized, has been sanded away and the original color of the gelcoat is now visible.
This is caused by caustic water (high in pH and chlorine) and in most of the cases, but not all, the pool is equipped with a salt chlorine generator. When the salt water passes by the electrode, sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye) are produced. Household bleach has a pH of approximately 12.6 and caustic soda has a pH of approximately 13.5. The production of these two chemicals in a pool with a salt chlorine generator will cause the pH to constantly drift upwards out of the industry standard acceptable range of 7.2 – 7.6.
The pH scale is logarithmic and as a result, each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. For example, pH 6 is ten times more acidic than pH 7 and pH 5 is 100 times more acidic than pH 7 and pH 4 is 1,000 times more acidic than pH 7. Moving in the other direction, pH 8 is ten times more caustic than pH 7 and pH 9 is 100 times for caustic than pH 7 and pH 10 is 1,000 times more caustic than pH 7.
Considering the high pH values attributed to sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide noted above, we can easily understand how a very caustic environment can be created in a swimming pool with a salt chlorine generator. Also, In most cases, the chlorine level exceeds the industry standard of 1 – 3 ppm (parts per million). This is detrimental to everything the water comes in contact with; the pool surface, fittings, and most importantly the people swimming in it.
The otherphotos are of your pool. By comparing these photos of your pool to the first three photos of the other pool, you can see similarities in:
1.the whiteness of the discoloration both when it is wet and when it is dry
2.the discoloration can be removed by sanding with sandpaper
3.the mottled look and waviness of the discoloration in certain areas
The discoloration of your pool surface is not as severe as the other pool but the similarities are apparent. Again, this oxidation/discoloration does not affect the structural integrity of the pool shell. Our Limited Lifetime Warranty does not cover fading, staining or discoloration due to water chemistry as we are unable to control whether or not the water is properly kept in balance.
How can the color of your shell be restored? The entire shell could be sanded to remove the oxidized surface but the process is slow, frustrating and laborious. A better solution would be to resurface the pool with a material called Aquabright/Polyfibro. We have the capability of performing this resurfacing. There are also independent contractors that use this material to resurface swimming pools. This is a very robust material, the process works very well in the field and it typically takes about four to five days to complete the work. It is not inexpensive. Our cost to resurface your shell would be in the $8,000.00 range. You can view this material at the following website:
http://www.ecopoolfinish.com/aquabright/. Both the Aquabright and the Polyfibro are compatible with a fiberglass pool.
Please reply to this email and/or call me on my mobile number (
931-703-3282) and let’s discuss the information above and work together towards a resolution.
Sincerely,
Rick
Rick Black
Director-Warranty/Field Services-Fiberglass Division
Business Development Manager–Southeastern US
P:
931-438-4744| F:
931-438-9647| C:
931-703-3282
[email protected]
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