I have been in the pool retail business for quite a while and I had a customer ask me a question the other that I wasnt quite sure how to answer as we do not have many ingrounds around here, and mine is fiberglass and concrete. He was telling me that he has a plaster pool with gunite underneath. It is indoor. He was getting what sounded to me like algae, but when he brushed the pool walls, white dust was coming up from the plaster. Is this a normal reaction? The pool is only a few years old, and he swears to me that his water is well in balance (because I suspected etching). Could anyone tell me a bit more about plaster pools?
Plaster Pool Care
- Thread starter Leslieslsa
- Start date
Leslieslsa said:
Yeah, I've heard that response too :lol:
Any chance you can get out to see it? Plaster doesn't behave that way (it is more granular). If your description is accurate (based on what he told you!) it sure sounds like a painted pool to me.
Welcome to the forum! :-DLeslieslsa said:
Ask your customer to bring in a sample of his water for testing... presuming your work space allows you to test water samples for pH, FC, CC, CH, TA and CYA. The test results may give you a better idea. If the pH is way out of range or the levels of calcium and/or alkalinity are too low, perhaps it is the plaster degrading. Do you know what the customer uses to chlorinate the pool?
Plaster sheds white dust for a week or two when it is brand new. Paint commonly sheds white dust when it is old. Dead algae can sometimes be white and dust like, but it doesn't normally adhere to the walls of the pool (and usually isn't white).
He is using mostly potassium based non chlorine shock, because he has a mineral sanitizer. (nature 2) I told him he had to use some chlorinated shock, if he wanted to get rid of his algae, so I gave him some cal hypo. When i talked to him, he hadnt used chlorine in months.
Well I didnt think to ask him that, but in my experience it typically sinks to the bottom rather than on the sides.