My Jacuzzi TriClops cartridge filter's manifold cracked, so I decided to go with a new Hayward sand (neobrite). The pool contractor talked me into a re-plaster job too (white gunite). I know it was about time as our feet were getting roughed up, but the pool was beautiful. He also convinced me to go with a “miracle†sealant for my rocks (to prevent organic staining from mossrock). Here's what happened:
The contractor drained the pool and chipped off the old plaster. On the date that he applied the new plaster, tropical rain was forecast for the afternoon. Early that morning, he told me he needed to start early to beat the rain. That evening when I came home, the new plaster was finished and curing in the post-rainstorm sun. To my dismay, the new plaster had brown streaks off the mossrock, all the way to the bottom.
Of course I complained, and the contractor told me that it would go away within a month if I shocked once a week (“…don’t worry about it!â€). I asked if it would help for me to use a wire brush, and he told me that it would help a lot.
For a month, I did as I was told. Thirty days later, the brown stains were still there (undiminished). After unanswered phone calls and ignored e-mails, I complained to local pool store that recommended the contractor. They were surprised that he told me to use a wire brush on new plaster. They also suggested that if he had applied his miracle sealant first, that this would not have happened (I had not thought of that yet).
After complaining to the pool store, the contractor showed up and acted incredulous that I was complaining. He also said I should not have waited a month to call. After he lied about everything that had happened (denying that he recommended vigorous wire brushing), he promised that spot treatments with muriatic acid and ascorbic acid would do the trick. It helped, but did not make my pool look like it did before this contractor started with his job. We still had brown streaks, just faded.
His next suggestion was an acid bath. He dumped 6 cases (24 gallons) of muriatic acid into my 21,000 gallon pool and told us to leave the equipment off for a few days; he promised that they would return to re-start the chemicals. They came back 5 days later. They dumped baking soda into the pool and left. I must admit that the brown streaks were finally gone, more than a month after they took my money.
June in our part of Texas means mustard algae, especially with the pump off for 5 days. I had watched the green line developing during the time the pump was off. The line starts about 18’’ off the bottom in the deep end. It is a crescent moon shaped – the distinct green line circles the northwest side of the deep end, and as you look up toward the surface, it fades out (see picture). The bottom of the deep end is perfectly white, as is the area just below the surface of the water. The affected area takes full morning and midday sun – it becomes shaded at about 2 pm.
The picture would be better with a polarized lens, but my iphone doesn't have that app yet...[attachment=0:xgeg8ey5]green line.JPG[/attachment:xgeg8ey5]
The contractor told me it was algae, and recommended that I scrub (nylon brush) and shock, followed by tricoppercide (local product from our pool store). I was glad to have them gone, and really though I could take care of mustard algae (I have battled it for years).
The majority consensus of the pool store folks recommended against tricoppercide (even though their parent company makes the product), warning that it can cause blue stains if over-applied and also if not removed from the water after a short time. However, the manager at the pool store knows me, and he also knows of the contractor’s success with tricoppercide maintenance for their weekly pool cleaning customers. The pool store manager carefully schooled me and sent me home with the tricoppercide. I used it once, per directions, and never attained any measurable level of copper in the pool. The green line remained unaffected.
Unfortunately, the green line is not algae. The pool store suggests that this could be an acid burn. What should I do? Emptying and acid-washing sounds silly if it is an acid burn.
QUESTIONS:
How do I fix this? I want my pool to look like it did before these clowns took my money.
What effect did the spot treatments and then the super acid bath have on the life of my new plaster? I know that the spot treatments created rough spots on the steps.
What effect of heavy wire brushing on new plaster? How much life did I lose on my new surface?
The contractor drained the pool and chipped off the old plaster. On the date that he applied the new plaster, tropical rain was forecast for the afternoon. Early that morning, he told me he needed to start early to beat the rain. That evening when I came home, the new plaster was finished and curing in the post-rainstorm sun. To my dismay, the new plaster had brown streaks off the mossrock, all the way to the bottom.
Of course I complained, and the contractor told me that it would go away within a month if I shocked once a week (“…don’t worry about it!â€). I asked if it would help for me to use a wire brush, and he told me that it would help a lot.
For a month, I did as I was told. Thirty days later, the brown stains were still there (undiminished). After unanswered phone calls and ignored e-mails, I complained to local pool store that recommended the contractor. They were surprised that he told me to use a wire brush on new plaster. They also suggested that if he had applied his miracle sealant first, that this would not have happened (I had not thought of that yet).
After complaining to the pool store, the contractor showed up and acted incredulous that I was complaining. He also said I should not have waited a month to call. After he lied about everything that had happened (denying that he recommended vigorous wire brushing), he promised that spot treatments with muriatic acid and ascorbic acid would do the trick. It helped, but did not make my pool look like it did before this contractor started with his job. We still had brown streaks, just faded.
His next suggestion was an acid bath. He dumped 6 cases (24 gallons) of muriatic acid into my 21,000 gallon pool and told us to leave the equipment off for a few days; he promised that they would return to re-start the chemicals. They came back 5 days later. They dumped baking soda into the pool and left. I must admit that the brown streaks were finally gone, more than a month after they took my money.
June in our part of Texas means mustard algae, especially with the pump off for 5 days. I had watched the green line developing during the time the pump was off. The line starts about 18’’ off the bottom in the deep end. It is a crescent moon shaped – the distinct green line circles the northwest side of the deep end, and as you look up toward the surface, it fades out (see picture). The bottom of the deep end is perfectly white, as is the area just below the surface of the water. The affected area takes full morning and midday sun – it becomes shaded at about 2 pm.
The picture would be better with a polarized lens, but my iphone doesn't have that app yet...[attachment=0:xgeg8ey5]green line.JPG[/attachment:xgeg8ey5]
The contractor told me it was algae, and recommended that I scrub (nylon brush) and shock, followed by tricoppercide (local product from our pool store). I was glad to have them gone, and really though I could take care of mustard algae (I have battled it for years).
The majority consensus of the pool store folks recommended against tricoppercide (even though their parent company makes the product), warning that it can cause blue stains if over-applied and also if not removed from the water after a short time. However, the manager at the pool store knows me, and he also knows of the contractor’s success with tricoppercide maintenance for their weekly pool cleaning customers. The pool store manager carefully schooled me and sent me home with the tricoppercide. I used it once, per directions, and never attained any measurable level of copper in the pool. The green line remained unaffected.
Unfortunately, the green line is not algae. The pool store suggests that this could be an acid burn. What should I do? Emptying and acid-washing sounds silly if it is an acid burn.
QUESTIONS:
How do I fix this? I want my pool to look like it did before these clowns took my money.
What effect did the spot treatments and then the super acid bath have on the life of my new plaster? I know that the spot treatments created rough spots on the steps.
What effect of heavy wire brushing on new plaster? How much life did I lose on my new surface?
