Is this efflorescence? (Pics included) … and what to do about it

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SwimmingSparky

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Jun 4, 2021
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Boulder, CO
New pool and chemistry is good with CSI of 0.05.

I’ve read some threads on efflorescence and I think this looks like it to me, but wanted to ask here. It sounds like most recommend dilute MA?

The PB plans to use a tile cleaner (GLB TLC), which does have HCl in it (but looks like at a low concentration). It also contains sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid and a substance to make it stick better to tile before it gets wiped off. Is this product safe to put into the pool? Other recommendations?
Thanks!
 

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I think that is efflorescence as well.

You can remove/minimize it with muriatic acid for a shirt term fix. A better, longer term fix is to lower the decking so the water drains away from the pool and not INTO the pool from the decking
 
duraleigh said:
I think that is efflorescence as well.

You can remove/minimize it with muriatic acid for a shirt term fix. A better, longer term fix is to lower the decking so the water drains away from the pool and not INTO the pool from the decking
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Thanks for the reply - by lower the decking, do you mean make more slope away from the pool? The one pic with the stone above is the area of a water feature.

Financially, we’re not able to make any major changes right now since we just built the pool. It’s a bummer to see this right at the start!

Thanks again
 
duraleigh said:
It sounds like your best bet is to remove it with diluted muriatic acid. It may stop after time. Lowering the soil (on the outside of the pool wall) lower than the water line may not be practical in your case.
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Thanks for the reply. I’ve looked on this forum for ways to apply the MA, and it seems that most recommend pouring it on directly, but I don’t want to be that close to it. I’m thinking of getting a chemical sprayer jug and filling 3/4 of water then 1/4 MA and spraying it on that way (with the wand). Then it should be safe to scrub the grout with eye protection, gloves and a pad when diluted right? Thanks!
 
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This is a no win proposition. You can do all the scrubbing, and the efflorescence will come back.

A pool is not a work of art. The pool sits outside in the elements and you may need to accept nature putting its touches on it.
 

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ajw22 said:
This is a no win proposition. You can do all the scrubbing, and the efflorescence will come back.

A pool is not a work of art. The pool sits outside in the elements and you may need to accept nature putting its touches on it.
Click to expand...
I’m just learning about this now. I thought maybe the PB hadn’t sealed behind the tiles well enough (or maybe they didn’t at all) and this was the reason for it, but it sounds like this just always happens. My hope is that it will decrease over time.
 
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