Professional question

[Tgerberg]

So I have been shown so many ways to acid wash newly plastered pools. I have noticed some people add Dawn soap to the mix and some do not. My question is what is the purpose of the soap. If any other professional can answer this it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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[Jimrahbe]

T,

Please keep in mind this website is mainly for pool owners, not pool builders. Most pool owners are not going to know the answer to your question, so it might take a while to get a response.

We do have a few pool building experts here, so hang in there...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Tgerberg]

I will I understood when I posted it. Was hoping one of the fellow builders would happen to see it.

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[CJadamec]

I can't answer your question directly as I've never acid washed a pool. But Dawn dish soap is a very effective surfactant even in small concentrations. In general what this means is the dawn will aid in getting the acid solution into all the little surface imperfections that the normal surface tension of water would make it hard to get to. It will also aid in lifting any dirt or oily residue off the surface. In general Dawn is also very non toxic and non reactive and with a lot of chemicals. Not that I recommend mixing with anything unless you do your homework. I would imagine commercial acid wash products include a surfactant in the mix. I would also imagine that over the years the the addition of dawn may give a more consistent result or it's a carry over from a time when the formulation of the commercial mixes aren't as good as they are today.

 

[Tgerberg]

I was thinking it helped aid in getting those difficult cream parts that the acid does not always get. I dont want to do it unless I know for a fact what it does. Home owners would not be to happy if it messed up there newly plastered pool.

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[Tgerberg]

The answer you gave me is what the majority of people have been saying. I just like to get several opinions before I go forward.

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[Patrick_B]

The addition of the soap helps in a few ways. It helps to cut down on fumes, and helps it stick to the walls better and with more uniformity. One ounce of soap to every one gallon of acid is the standard ratio.

Acid washing is only one way to achieve maximum exposure and uniformity of the finish. Trowelling, hard trowelling, and ragging should be used to achieve the best possible results. Unfortunately, too many applicators rely too heavily on acid washing alone to achieve the end goal.

 

[Tgerberg]

I am going to start using Dawn original on the pebble pools I acid wash. I have always used it on Luna quartz and diamond Brite. I really appreciate the input guys. Thanks

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