Firstly I'd like to thank this forum. And sorry, for what will be a long post, but this is my first here. I just came across the forum not too long ago, and have lurked a bit - this community seems extremely supportive and helpful. Two years ago we purchased our house which happened to have an older, inground pool. The owners we purchased from never knew, and never found out, the actual year the pool was built. My guess is somewhere in the late 70s / early 80s. Either way, I had no experience with anything pool related, and this forum helped me at least get down the basics.
The pool's plaster was pitted all over, and I would constantly find plaster in the filters. It was livable but it was a nightmare to clean, and in desperate need of a replaster. It also had issues with the main drain, to the point where the previous owners epoxied it shut. Last winter we lost about half the water thanks to that epoxy failing. Since the water was half gone when we opened it we decided to finally have it replastered. By the time the work was finished it was mid July - I did my part by brushing twice a day, every day, and keeping the pH and other chemicals in check. All that being said we still were having some issues. White lines, and spots, some mild discoloration. Nothing disastrous, and no cracks, but annoying none the less. The pool company downplayed it as just some "cream on the top" that they'd could just acid brush out. And all that really meant was two guys coming over, dumping like ten gallons of acid in the water, brushing once, and then leaving. They told me to brush each day for a week, which I did, which literally did nothing. They then sent another guy out who said that grey plaster could be finicky, and that he was making a note of it in their records, and that it would eventually disappate on its own, over time. We also had them install a mesh (meyco) safety cover as well. Before I just used a massive solid tarp, which did the job as long as I pumped the water off the top of it.
That brings me to now. Since everything was new this year we paid them to close the pool and install the new cover. They did this right around mid October (we are in Southern New Jersey). I knew that plaster takes a while to fully cure, and I asked the company if this would be an issue when it came to closing and over the winter, which they said wouldn't. When the guys were out here treating and closing the pool, I asked a second time, what I would or should be doing for the new plaster over the winter - they assured me that I wouldn't have to do anything, and that they were adding all of the chemicals needed.
Earlier, I opened the corner of the pool by the skimmer to check and drain the level down a little since we had a decent amount of snow and rain. The plaster looks completely wrecked. I'm incredibly freaked out right now, and hoping someone here can tell me what's happening. I'm attaching some pictures below - the plaster now, and before they closed it. This is my first time with a mesh cover; is this just dirt and sediment from the snow and rain, or could it be settled chemicals from what they added? My fear is that this is build up / scale and cracking. This is also the first time I checked the pool - the weathers been bad and the covers often been covered with snow; either way it was naive on my part believing everything that the company said and waiting to check it. My regret is hindsight at this point.
I only have some Hach pool strips but it looks like:
pH= 7.2
Total Alk= 40
CH= Low, under 100
Stabilizer = Low, under 30
Chlorine is completely sapped
I didn't do any brushing yet, and to be honest, I don't know if I will. At this point my plan was to pay the company to open the pool so they can find it directly and go from there. If this is scale, and it is cracked, etc, I can see all of this getting ugly and them trying to put it back on me. Sorry again for the long post. I'm just freaked out, and am really just hoping that someone's dealt or seen this before, and it's just something simple. Thanks for any advice, info, etc - all appreciated.
The pool's plaster was pitted all over, and I would constantly find plaster in the filters. It was livable but it was a nightmare to clean, and in desperate need of a replaster. It also had issues with the main drain, to the point where the previous owners epoxied it shut. Last winter we lost about half the water thanks to that epoxy failing. Since the water was half gone when we opened it we decided to finally have it replastered. By the time the work was finished it was mid July - I did my part by brushing twice a day, every day, and keeping the pH and other chemicals in check. All that being said we still were having some issues. White lines, and spots, some mild discoloration. Nothing disastrous, and no cracks, but annoying none the less. The pool company downplayed it as just some "cream on the top" that they'd could just acid brush out. And all that really meant was two guys coming over, dumping like ten gallons of acid in the water, brushing once, and then leaving. They told me to brush each day for a week, which I did, which literally did nothing. They then sent another guy out who said that grey plaster could be finicky, and that he was making a note of it in their records, and that it would eventually disappate on its own, over time. We also had them install a mesh (meyco) safety cover as well. Before I just used a massive solid tarp, which did the job as long as I pumped the water off the top of it.
That brings me to now. Since everything was new this year we paid them to close the pool and install the new cover. They did this right around mid October (we are in Southern New Jersey). I knew that plaster takes a while to fully cure, and I asked the company if this would be an issue when it came to closing and over the winter, which they said wouldn't. When the guys were out here treating and closing the pool, I asked a second time, what I would or should be doing for the new plaster over the winter - they assured me that I wouldn't have to do anything, and that they were adding all of the chemicals needed.
Earlier, I opened the corner of the pool by the skimmer to check and drain the level down a little since we had a decent amount of snow and rain. The plaster looks completely wrecked. I'm incredibly freaked out right now, and hoping someone here can tell me what's happening. I'm attaching some pictures below - the plaster now, and before they closed it. This is my first time with a mesh cover; is this just dirt and sediment from the snow and rain, or could it be settled chemicals from what they added? My fear is that this is build up / scale and cracking. This is also the first time I checked the pool - the weathers been bad and the covers often been covered with snow; either way it was naive on my part believing everything that the company said and waiting to check it. My regret is hindsight at this point.
I only have some Hach pool strips but it looks like:
pH= 7.2
Total Alk= 40
CH= Low, under 100
Stabilizer = Low, under 30
Chlorine is completely sapped
I didn't do any brushing yet, and to be honest, I don't know if I will. At this point my plan was to pay the company to open the pool so they can find it directly and go from there. If this is scale, and it is cracked, etc, I can see all of this getting ugly and them trying to put it back on me. Sorry again for the long post. I'm just freaked out, and am really just hoping that someone's dealt or seen this before, and it's just something simple. Thanks for any advice, info, etc - all appreciated.
