Our pool was built and filled Memorial Day 2023. We had water leaking through plaster which caused us to drain the pool and acid wash in march 2024. The white drip stains lessened some but didn’t go away and we have yellowish streaks on bottom of the pool. Our PB and plaster co came out this morning and assessed-said it’s our calcium levels (too high or too low will do it; ours has been on the low side) which left the marks and we need to drain again and acid wash. We test our levels every few days and they seemed to imply that it only requires maintenance once a week. We live in Texas so I thought checking levels more often is way better than a pool company that comes once a week. They kept advising we just get a maintenance company. My question is : who’s right and can calcium (or lack thereof) stain the pebbletec?
1 yr old pool needs 2nd acid wash…
- Thread starter AJ81
- Start date
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,818
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Post a full set of test results from one of the recommended test kits.
Test Kits Compared
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if you have a SWG)
Water temperature
Also, post how your CH and other levels have been trending.
Test Kits Compared
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if you have a SWG)
Water temperature
Also, post how your CH and other levels have been trending.
FC 7 (pool guys said they see algae; water has been cloudy. We did an OCLT 2 nights ago and lost 1ppm)
CC less than .5
PH 7.8
TA 80
CH
CYA less than 30 (ours has washed away in extreme rainfall and we are adding it back today)
Water temp 86
During our first year we never added calcium because nobody told us we needed to. We were using trichlor tabs and granular shock that first year. We also rarely ever added muriatic acid because our Ph was 7.6-7.8 always. We now know it was because of the CYA. After filling the pool up again this march, we realized in mid April we needed calcium. We added some and have been around 180 for most of this year. Today is the first time we got to 250.
CC less than .5
PH 7.8
TA 80
CH
CYA less than 30 (ours has washed away in extreme rainfall and we are adding it back today)
Water temp 86
During our first year we never added calcium because nobody told us we needed to. We were using trichlor tabs and granular shock that first year. We also rarely ever added muriatic acid because our Ph was 7.6-7.8 always. We now know it was because of the CYA. After filling the pool up again this march, we realized in mid April we needed calcium. We added some and have been around 180 for most of this year. Today is the first time we got to 250.
reggiehammond
Gold Supporter
- Oct 4, 2020
- 2,253
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Acid washing just removes material. It's likely not the best idea and your PB is doing you ZERO favors in all of this.
With basically very little CYA, I'm shocked you have any FC. Did the pool guys add anything?
Are you using liquid chlorine for sanitation? I feel like there's a lot we still need to learn.
But yes - without a salt water chlorine generator, in Texas heat, at this time of year... you have to check and add chlorine daily.
With basically very little CYA, I'm shocked you have any FC. Did the pool guys add anything?
Are you using liquid chlorine for sanitation? I feel like there's a lot we still need to learn.
But yes - without a salt water chlorine generator, in Texas heat, at this time of year... you have to check and add chlorine daily.
I just took the measurements again now and they’ve changed somewhat dramatically since this morning:
FC 3.5
CC 0
TA 70
PH 7.4
CH 230
FC 3.5
CC 0
TA 70
PH 7.4
CH 230
They didn’t add anything. They were just here to check out the plaster and told us we need to remove the marks by acid washing again. We use liquid chlorine. We additionally use the chlorine pucks in chlorinator because we have some leftover and they help us get the CYA up. But I only buy and primarily use liquid chlorine.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,818
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
What test kit are you using?
Based on your posted results, nothing really indicates your CH caused the issue. But we don't know what your CH has been for the last year. Can you share that info with us?
As Reggie @reggiehammond stated, acid washing removes plaster material. This removes years of life from your plaster surface.
Suggest doing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight to see if anything is festering in the pool water.
Fill out your signature with pool, all pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing you with help without needing to ask you each time for this important information.
Based on your posted results, nothing really indicates your CH caused the issue. But we don't know what your CH has been for the last year. Can you share that info with us?
As Reggie @reggiehammond stated, acid washing removes plaster material. This removes years of life from your plaster surface.
Suggest doing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight to see if anything is festering in the pool water.
Fill out your signature with pool, all pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing you with help without needing to ask you each time for this important information.
I will try to fill out the signature later when I am able to. The plaster co guy also recommended acid washing it again. Said that the marks are calcium and will come up with acid. Anyway, we have no idea what our calcium was the first year because we never tested for it. We didn’t know we needed to.
We did an OCLT 2 days ago and lost 1ppm. The guys today commented how they see algae and calcium which I find hard to believe, although our water is a bit cloudy. Nothing terrible. We recently had major yard work done and trees cut down etc so dirt in the pool was expected.
We did an OCLT 2 days ago and lost 1ppm. The guys today commented how they see algae and calcium which I find hard to believe, although our water is a bit cloudy. Nothing terrible. We recently had major yard work done and trees cut down etc so dirt in the pool was expected.
Calcium Nodules in pools
What are calcium nodules? In swimming pools and spas, they are small mounds, bumps, deposits, or “slag” piles of calcium carbonate which are formed from material that has been released from the plaster. The small calcium nodules are rough to the touch, hard, and generally gritty. Nodules may...
www.troublefreepool.com
Update: Because the water has been a little cloudy we decided to slam it so started that process yesterday. I ran another OCLT and we didn’t lose any overnight (it actually went up .5) but our CC is now 1 when in the past few days it’s been 0 or .5. How can both of those be true?
reggiehammond
Gold Supporter
- Oct 4, 2020
- 2,253
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Can you post some better photos of the areas of concern?
Can you also start posting full logs in pool math and enable sharing so we can see them?
A second acid wash on a new pool is unwise. Sure the builder and plaster company recommend it; it just means you'll be back to them sooner for a $15k+ chip out and replaster sooner.
Can you also start posting full logs in pool math and enable sharing so we can see them?
A second acid wash on a new pool is unwise. Sure the builder and plaster company recommend it; it just means you'll be back to them sooner for a $15k+ chip out and replaster sooner.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,027
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
If You have pucks in your chlorinator- they must be removed for an oclt.
Cc’s are just an indicator that something is being killed off by chlorine- could be the debris you mentioned
Good point. Although I had turned the pump down to 25% which looked basically off. Pool looks clean and clear today. PB got back to me today with acid wash estimate. I told him what I learned from y’all. He said he will see if he can find another person or someone at manufacturer to talk to me about our issue.