draining and cleaning pools

[mr2010]

I have a Shasta Pool with “Shasta stone” (no tile) that was built in 2005. The folks at the Shasta Store recommended I drain and refill my pool since the hardness and salt levers were really high. I am planning on doing this Wednesday since the temps will be below 80.

?’s
• Since the pool will be empty, I was pondering tackling my water line that is heavily built up with minerals, etc. Is it advisible to use something like CLR to remove the build up?
• Would a pressure washer remove the build up?

• I’ve heard stories of pools ‘popping up’ out of the ground when a pool is drained. How common is that problem? How would I know if I was at risk?

Thanks All!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Where are you located?

 

[mr2010]

Chandler Arizona

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Popping of pools is a risk in areas with a high water table. Since you live in a desert, I doubt you need to worry.

 

[JasonLion]

The pool can float up out of the ground if the ground water level is higher than the bottom of the pool. This seems quite unlikely in Arizona, but it is difficult to be sure unless you know where the water table is in your area.

White stains along the water line are usually removed with muriatic acid or a bead blaster (kind of like a sand blaster), though the CLR might work. A pressure washer would not do it.

 

[mr2010]

thanks all.... this site is great.

jason lion, whats the prefered method for applying the muratic acid to water line?

 

[waste]

Welcome to TFP!!

I'll not claim to speak for Jason, but I'd mix the Muriatic (31.45%)acid 3:1 (water:acid) and use a plastic watering can to apply the mix. If you're draining and acidwashing the entire pool, wear rubber boots and use a scrub brush on a long handle to help remove the deposits (**watch out for the fumes **) and rinse off each section after you scrub it.

If you are just doing the water line, be careful to watch the pool's pH!

Good luck with the build up and have a great swimming season!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Perhaps you should consider looking into a Reverse Osmosis treatment for your water... then you wouldn't need to drain it.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps you should consider looking into a Reverse Osmosis treatment for your water... then you wouldn't need to drain it.

That would help if they dropped the CH levels low enough to try and come back and "grab" some of the calcium build up, but it may be too thick! Chances are it has gone too long without a drain for that to be real effective (but I like the way you think ). Once he does get it clean, it would be a good idea to get with an R/O guy and discuss treating the water a little more often than it sounds like it has been drained/refilled/added to!

Mr2010; CLR will not touch that, so I would try the acid (again, careful, as others have said!), or maybe have a tile cleaner come in, if you drain it and don't do the R/O treatment. Try not to let your levels get so high in the future so that you don't have to go through this again :-D

Oh yeah, and welcome to the site

 

[SJSwimmer]

When diluting, do what you oughtta: add acid to wata. Somehow that sounds better than it shows in print...

 

[mr2010]

Try not to let your levels get so high in the future so that you don't have to go through this again :-D

Oh yeah, and welcome to the site

thanks. the site is great.

how would you recommend i not let the hardness and salt levels get high? the pool store guy told me it was a result of water evaporating over the last 5 years and leaving behind the minerals. is a pool RO the only way?

Is there a good reason why the pool company wouldn hook up my auto pool filler to my soft water from the house?

Thanks all

 

[mr2010]

Welcome to TFP!!

I'll not claim to speak for Jason, but I'd mix the Muriatic (31.45%)acid 3:1 (water:acid) and use a plastic watering can to apply the mix. If you're draining and acidwashing the entire pool, wear rubber boots and use a scrub brush on a long handle to help remove the deposits (**watch out for the fumes **) and rinse off each section after you scrub it.

I'm gonna tackle this tonight after work. I have access to a pressure washer. WIll the acid loosen the build up enough to where the pressure washer can be effective? will a pressue washer harm my pebble tec/shasta stone?

If you are just doing the water line, be careful to watch the pool's pH!

I am just doing the water line. Won't most of the acid get removed as the pool drains?

Thanks again all!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

If you are just doing the water line, be careful to watch the pool's pH!

I am just doing the water line. Won't most of the acid get removed as the pool drains?

I think he means if you didn't drain the pool entirely.

 

[TR3Rod]

Has anyone tried soda blasting instead of bead blasting. I am not sure if the soda will clean off the deposits or not.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

Quote:
Is there a good reason why the pool company wouldn hook up my auto pool filler to my soft water from the house?
End Quote

Many home water softener systems don't have the capacity. You'd have to figure your home's regular usage and frequency of regeneration needs. It may be as simple as increasing the frequency of regeneration if the added demand from the auto-filler isn't too much for the system to accommodate or, if your system installed wasn't one with potential increases in usage allowed for, i.e. already backwashing every day, a larger system would be needed (substantial $$$!)

Scott

 

[Guest]

Has anyone tried soda blasting instead of bead blasting. I am not sure if the soda will clean off the deposits or not.

I am looking for a good soda blaster for a Jeep project that I am working on. I have thought of using it on tile, and can only see that the material that fell in to the pool would raise TA, and the calcium "might" stay in suspension for a while. Eventually, as the CH levels rise again, it will deposit back.

Have you found a soda blaster you like?