On my 3rd ladder?! Help!!

[DK4347]

I recently purchased my first home (with an existing in-ground pool). Within my first month, I converted to Salt Water. 6 months later, I decided to replace the already rusted, existing Rail & Ladder.
The company I went with was aware I had a salt water pool. I requested a Stainless Steel Rail + Ladder. In less than 2 months, the Ladder (only) was rusting. The company came back out, took their own photos (mine were apparently unclear, I've attached to this post) and took a sample of the pool water. Everything came back accurate, so they agreed to replace.
Not even 2 months later, the new Ladder was rusting AGAIN!
Keep in mind, the Rail which they installed at the same time, is doing just fine.
Last week, they emailed me stating "We believe when your pool was originally constructed the builder never bonded the deck anchors properly". Question 1: Is that true?? Could the deck anchors cause a ladder inside the pool to rust?
I tried to research myself, and I went back to the original invoice to get more information. I had paid extra for "CORE DRILLED OUT AND REMOVED FUSED IN ALUMINUM DECK ANCHORS SECURED TWO UPGRADED BRASS DECK ANCHORS. DECK ANCHORS, MISC MATERIAL AND LABOR" They're telling me the original deck anchors were not being bonded correctly, but unless the invoice is incorrect that they had "Removed the fused in aluminum deck anchors", Question 2: shouldn't their theory of the the deck anchors not bonded properly be a non-issue since those had been replaced?
The invoice also said I paid for a SS ladder with SS steps. They installed a SS with PLASTIC steps. Is this company trying to pull a fast one on me?

 

[gwegan]

There are a series of issues here.

First that looks a lot like calcium scale to me. What are your calcium hardness numbers. Do you have complete water test results?

What was the quality of the ladder they installed. Some ladders are better than others but none should be rusting this quickly. A salt pool should not decrease the useful life of most of this stuff by much. SR Smith is one of the largest manufacturers of pool accessories. They have a variety of ladders some of which are more salt resistant than others. Ladders And Rails - Official S.R. Smith Products

I think you pool builder is talking about the pool bonding system. That is a safety system that connects all the non charged conductive surfaces of a pool so that if one becomes charges all are charged and no current will flow therefore no electrical shock. The ladder base should be connected to a #8 (thick) copper electrical wire that connects to the pump, the deck rebar, the swg etc. When they replaced your ladder they should have connected it or made it VERY VERY clear that they could not connect it.

Of that said does the missing bonding wire have anything to do with your rust? Almost certainly not. Rust is a chemical reaction of iron with oxygen. So if the chemical levels of your pool may be off and might cause rust, its generally the oxygen bonding with the iron. That may be some other reaction.

What I think they are getting at is galvanic corrosion. That is where there is some current flowing through the pool. A bonding system prevents current flow. But even pools without salt and working bonding systems occasionally have galvanic corrosion. And what you have doesn't look like corrosion. And it usually takes longer to manifest itself.

So I don't know what you have but I suspect a less expensive ladder or high calcium hardness or both. But I don't think its caused by the presence or absence of a bonding system.

Finally I want to emphasize that ALL POOLS NEED A WORKING BONDING SYSTEM.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Before we can help you, we need to know more about your pool. I see this is your first post but I would like to ask you to please update your signature with all of your pool information.

Secondly, we need to know how you are caring for your pool chemically. You have an SWG and that is great but how are you testing your water chemistry and what other chemicals are you using in your water?

Finally, that corrosion pattern looks very strange to me. Notice how the color and orientation of the oxidation pattern. It looks like someone was pouring chemicals in right near the ladder. I also see a water return very close to the ladder (it's in the background of the picture). What is the circulation pattern of your water?

 

[alben]

I used to work in the food & dairy industry. There are several grades of stainless steel. Also stainless steel needs to be put through a process called passivation after manufacture to remove iron particles on the surface. It looks like the manufacturer did not do the passivation process.