What are these stains and how do I get rid of them?

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K

kula

0
May 1, 2018
29
Plano/Texas
Pool Size
16500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Hello,

I just purchased my home with a pool in January. I've noticed these stains in the pool. I think they have gotten a bit worse over time. Here are some facts about my pool and what I have done so far. Any advice would be much appreciated.


  • Salt water gunite pool.
  • The stains are a brownish color and are scattered throughout the pool.
    • Mainly located in the corners and sides of the pool
  • I took the water to Leslie's and it tested well
    • Only issue was that PH was a little high 8.0 and CYA was 0
    • I added acid which brought it down to 7.8 now
    • I added a very small amount of clorox brand conditioner to raise the CYA
  • Here are other chemicals I have added to the pool
    • I have shocked the pool with clorox blue shock
    • I added Kemtek 60% Algaecide
      • I don't think I added quite enough, I had some leftover from previous owner.
    • I added Phos Free
    • I tried the chlorine puck test and the stain didn't seem to change much.
  • I have been brushing weekly since I moved in.
    • I was using a nylon brush, but just switched to a stainless steel brush
      • The stains do not go away with brushing

Thanks!
 

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:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Do the stains feel differently?

FYI, you are adding a lot of products that we do not recommend, some because they are not helpful or needed and others because they can cause problems.

Just about anything with the word Blue in it seems to have copper which can lead to staining.
Phosphates can be largely ignored.
Algeacides are a bandaid and could result in unsafe water if FC is not high enough.

Recommend some reading, starting with ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
 
@Pooldv I think you might have hit the nail on the head with the calcium scaling. I googled some pictures and it looks a lot like what my pool looks like. I am going to try a pumice stone tomorrow. The stains don't feel much different then the rest of the pool, but I will check again tomorrow (weather permitting) in the daylight.

Are there any chemicals that you are allowed to recommend for calcium scaling?
 
Acid is the only thing that will remove scale.
You can spot treat with acid and brush with a stainless steel brush.
Or you can lower your CSI to -0.8 or -0.9 and brush, it will take a while, about as long as it took the scale to develop in the first place.
Or you can do a no drain acid bath, The Zero Alkalinity Acid Treatment
Or you can drain the pool and acid wash it. Acid wash is very aggressive and will remove plaster and shorten the life of the plaster.

You can also try wet/dry sand paper to smooth it out. It is less messy than a pumice stone .
 
Thanks again pooldv! I will try those suggestions and let you know how it goes. One last question is this just a cosmetic issue or does this cause any other impacts?
 
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