Hi everyone...new to this site. I was reading these post about the vinyl liner feeling like sandpaper. I opened my pool to the same situation yesterday. My PH was very high and I am in the process of lowering it this very minute. My liner is only 3 years old and I have never had this sort of issue before. If lowering the PH doesn't work, is there anything else? Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. I am a little upset over this and I want to be as educated as possible if I end up calling a pool company in.
Vinyl liner feels like sandpaper
- Thread starter binkyMD
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
It would be a big help if you could post a full set of water test results. Then we could give you much more specific advice.
That is almost certainly calcium scaling, which usually occurs because your levels are out of balance in some way. You can usually scrape it off of vinyl, though how easy that is varies. There are also some chemical things you can do to soften it up a little to make scraping easier, though they don't always help.
It would be a big help if you could post a full set of water test results. Then we could give you much more specific advice.
That is almost certainly calcium scaling, which usually occurs because your levels are out of balance in some way. You can usually scrape it off of vinyl, though how easy that is varies. There are also some chemical things you can do to soften it up a little to make scraping easier, though they don't always help.
Re: My vinyl liner feels like sandpaper
binkyMD,
Welcome to the forum :lol:
Take your pH carefully down to 7.0 and then carefully manage it so it stays there. Brush the sides and mechanically remove as much of the scale as you can (as often as you can) exposing more and more of it to the 7.0 water.
It may take a while, (days) but I think you will see some improvement perhaps even a cure.
A combination of high pH, high TA, and calcium in your water very likely is the cause and hopefully lowering your pH to the VERY bottom of the acceptable range will loosen and release the scale.
Posting a full set of test results will be helpful.
binkyMD,
Welcome to the forum :lol:
Take your pH carefully down to 7.0 and then carefully manage it so it stays there. Brush the sides and mechanically remove as much of the scale as you can (as often as you can) exposing more and more of it to the 7.0 water.
It may take a while, (days) but I think you will see some improvement perhaps even a cure.
A combination of high pH, high TA, and calcium in your water very likely is the cause and hopefully lowering your pH to the VERY bottom of the acceptable range will loosen and release the scale.
Posting a full set of test results will be helpful.
Thank you both for the quick response! It is very much appreciated. I am having some anxiety over this as stupid as it may sound. I always take the best care of my pool as possible since I dumped so much money into a few years ago for the new liner and some plumbing repairs.
I have been working on getting my chemistry balanced the last two days. When I opened it yesterday the water was pretty green but is now a pretty blue and getting clearer each hour. Yesterday my numbers were:
PH: 8.4
Free Chlorine: 0
TA: 0
Stabilizer: 0
Since then I have been adding chlorine and conditioner and working on lowering the PH. I just retested and this is where I am now:
PH: 7.4
Free Chlorine: 4
TA: 20
Stabilizer: 20
I know the TA and Stabilizer still needs to be higher but used the chemicals I had. I am headed to the store first thing in the morning to get more and a better test kit! I tried softly to use my brush in one section but didn't feel any improvement. I am so afraid I am going to cause more damage.
I have been working on getting my chemistry balanced the last two days. When I opened it yesterday the water was pretty green but is now a pretty blue and getting clearer each hour. Yesterday my numbers were:
PH: 8.4
Free Chlorine: 0
TA: 0
Stabilizer: 0
Since then I have been adding chlorine and conditioner and working on lowering the PH. I just retested and this is where I am now:
PH: 7.4
Free Chlorine: 4
TA: 20
Stabilizer: 20
I know the TA and Stabilizer still needs to be higher but used the chemicals I had. I am headed to the store first thing in the morning to get more and a better test kit! I tried softly to use my brush in one section but didn't feel any improvement. I am so afraid I am going to cause more damage.
If you can get a reading on the calcium hardness, that would help.
Your first TA result of 0 is not possible with a pH of 8.4. There must be some sort of testing error occurring.
Your first TA result of 0 is not possible with a pH of 8.4. There must be some sort of testing error occurring.
binkyMD,
For full disclosure, I make one of these kits but I want to caution you about buying anything other than what's suggested.
Most kits in stock at a pool store do not have the FAS/DPD chlorine test which is central to the methods we teach. The three kits (that are practical for homeowners) are the Taylor K-2006, the TFTestkits TF-100, and the Leslies FAS/DPD Test kit.
You will be spinning your wheels if you get something other than one of those. Don't be misled by the Taylor K-2005......it's not the same kit.
Now, 7.4pH will do nothing towards removing the calcium scale. Sooner or later, you will have to screw up the courage to follow the advice given here if you want to get it removed. It may or may not work but if you follow the instructions given, you will not damage your pool.
On another note, you really need to get some more chlorine in your pool.
I suggest you read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School......it'll give you some insight on what you need to do.
For full disclosure, I make one of these kits but I want to caution you about buying anything other than what's suggested.
Most kits in stock at a pool store do not have the FAS/DPD chlorine test which is central to the methods we teach. The three kits (that are practical for homeowners) are the Taylor K-2006, the TFTestkits TF-100, and the Leslies FAS/DPD Test kit.
You will be spinning your wheels if you get something other than one of those. Don't be misled by the Taylor K-2005......it's not the same kit.
Now, 7.4pH will do nothing towards removing the calcium scale. Sooner or later, you will have to screw up the courage to follow the advice given here if you want to get it removed. It may or may not work but if you follow the instructions given, you will not damage your pool.
On another note, you really need to get some more chlorine in your pool.
I suggest you read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School......it'll give you some insight on what you need to do.
Good morning!
I went on a hunt for one of the mentioned test kists above and was unsuccessful at both the pool stores near my house. I did pick up a kit that also test hardness as the one I had did not. I tested my water and then also took a sample back to the pool store closest to me to so how the results between the too lined up.
Total hardness: Very High @ 100ppm
Free Chlorine: 5ppm (acceptable)
PH: 6.8 (low )
TA: 20
CYA: 30 (low end of acceptable)
I guess I wasn't surprised at the hardness level given the scaling issue. After the PH decreaser I added last night I was able to get my ph down to a 6.8 level and have gone over the entire pool with a brush once this morning.
I went on a hunt for one of the mentioned test kists above and was unsuccessful at both the pool stores near my house. I did pick up a kit that also test hardness as the one I had did not. I tested my water and then also took a sample back to the pool store closest to me to so how the results between the too lined up.
Total hardness: Very High @ 100ppm
Free Chlorine: 5ppm (acceptable)
PH: 6.8 (low )
TA: 20
CYA: 30 (low end of acceptable)
I guess I wasn't surprised at the hardness level given the scaling issue. After the PH decreaser I added last night I was able to get my ph down to a 6.8 level and have gone over the entire pool with a brush once this morning.
You should raise TA to at least 60 and not leave the PH that low for too long.
Total harness at 100 is not high, I would call that low. Though, with a vinyl liner, there is no need to raise it.
Total harness at 100 is not high, I would call that low. Though, with a vinyl liner, there is no need to raise it.
Hey, I can assure you that after having that PH where it is and if you get the chlorine up you can go over it with your hand and it will leave the vinyl lined pool, if that is what you have. Mine felt like sandpaper as well and listening to these folks here it got better quick. Still I have a green pool and I am gonna keep on keeping on POP
Total hardness is not the same thing as Calcium hardness. If you can have the water tested for calcium hardness using a drop based kit (not test strips) that would help.