Strange build up on vinyl liner

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G

geocacher

0
LifeTime Supporter
Jun 2, 2010
26
Wilmington, NC
I have a strange build up the bottom of my pool and can't find a topic that exactly matches. It is not really white except for a few small spots that look like a clump of baking soda has settled, but will not brush away. Wherever there is build up, you can't see the pattern on the liner (about 1/4 of bottom of pool). I tried to attach a pic but it said the file was invalid. (I am on an imac if anyone can help with that). It is a pretty clear pic so it would probably be helpful!
The build up is smooth, not rough like others have described calcium.
I have a vinyl liner, 26,000 gallons.Here are my numbers (using Taylor K-2006 kit)
FC-6.6
CC-0
PH-7.5
AK-90
CH-60
CYA-30-40 (don't have R-0013 so used strip for this)
Heading to bed...took too much time trying to attach pic! will check for responses early in am.
thanks in advance for any advice!
 
This spring I've only added baking soda and bleach so far. When needed I use Boarx, muriatic acid. Pretty much BBB. Last year my CYA was really high so I did a partial drain down..and think it was really low through the winter. (don't close the pool in coastal NC but also don't balance regularly) I am using up some pucks along with the bleach since my cya is so low. Wish I could load the pics from iphoto as I don't think I am describing very well!
 
Well, your chem usage is perfectly normal. Glad to see you are not tossing in all kinds of unknown stuff.

It is not really white except for a few small spots that look like a clump of baking soda has settled, but will not brush away
Click to expand...
Add to that just a little. What color would you describe it..gray? How vigorously have you brushed? Have you tried to remove it with your hands? If so, does it feel granular?
 
totally embarrassing to be so inept when talking to you guys! I signed up at photobucket, dragged pic from iphoto to their page, the whole page became my pic, then tried to drag it here and no go. What am i doing wrong? trying to rush before work again so that's not helping!
About the build up, to me the color matches the blue of the liner, but that is probably a trick of the eye. It does not brush up, and is smooth not granular or rough.
 
DSCN2913.jpg


I realized i was in wrong place on photobucket Hope this works! I'll check in in the early afternoon. Thanks again!!!
 

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Don't mind at all. Obviously needed assistance! Well, I jumped in the pool and tried to stay at the bottom long enough to get a better description...would be hilarious on video. Anyway, it is not a fading liner, though the pic does look that way. When i feel the bottom I can feel the texture of the cement through the liner, ya know? But where the build up is, i can't feel it, so something is definitely forming on top of the liner. Also, whatever it is, is spreading slowly and i can vaguely see the liner pattern behind it.
Tried to scratch it up with my finger nails to no avail. Is there any such algae like this that maybe got in while the pool was low on chlorine over winter/early spring?
 
Welcome to TFP!!

How old is the liner?

I'd have to agree with the others that the pattern has faded from the liner (this does NOT mean that the liner is 'shot' - odds are that the liner will last for many more years, just without the pretty pattern :(

How long have you owned this pool? If it's fairly new to you, I'd say the previous owner dumped dry chlorine in the pool and it 'bleached' the pattern off the liner, in those places.

Please keep us posted :cheers:
 
We put the pool in in 2004 when we built the house. Having been able to feel it and see it very closely, I really think it's something else. Also, last year we had some metal staining and we used, I think, the purple stuff (or blue).
Anyway, at that time the same thing was just in the deep end and I thought I had bleached the liner after shocking (possibly too high). After we used the Jack's product, it cleared up and there was our liner! It was a small amount at the time, so I hadn't given it much thought, but maybe it's the same thing. Whatever it is is spreading pretty regularly. I know i sound stubborn and off base, but I just wish you could physically be here to see it....Or not then my lunacy might be confirmed! I trust this sight sooo much more than any other source!
I'll call the store today and have them check records and see what i bought. Then I'll post and see if you think I should add it again. Birthday pool party today...16 11 year olds.. so won't mess with it until after!
 
Well, I agree that this is really an intriguing issue. Calcium deposits certainly come to mind but there appears nothing in your test results to indicate that. Have you EVER had high CH, high pH or TA. Have you ever used Cal-hypo (powder) to shock or chlorinate your pool?
 

ok here's one more shot of some of the white that is also forming in the deep end. Don't know how to add "image tags" so hope someone can do that again!
Used to have hard water and needed water softener. Water supply now from nano filtration plant and is softened there. Have been able to disconnect softener. That was last spring. As far as high ph and alk, I don't really balance all winter just add occasional pucks and filter runs maybe 5 hours a day...probably a no no. Maybe something happens going from that to spring maintenance every year? Thanks for sticking with this issue!
Oh, I called the store. I used Jack's Magic Blue and also stain free. One of those got rid of the problem that I thought was faded liner last year so that was a bonus. Do you know which it might have been? Will buy either and try if good idea.
 
Oh, I called the store. I used Jack's Magic Blue and also stain free. One of those got rid of the problem that I thought was faded liner last year so that was a bonus. Do you know which it might have been? Will buy either and try if good idea.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't. That's too much guessing and guesswork is one of the things we like to eliminate with BBB. Once the substance is identified, then the fix is almost always easy. I'm stumped identifying, though.

Let me ask this, why did you use those products last year? How was that stain different from what you currently have.
 
Can't remember exactly what order things happened in. There was staining, we thought algae, so we put in something with copper,(?) memory vague there. Then we were led to the blue stuff.
At that point I found this forum, read a bit, did a really high shock (based on a high CYA level) to get rid of stains/algea. That did not get rid of problem, so we did the vitamin c test for brown stains and that worked. We purchased the stain free. I was too impatient to wait and order ascorbic acid. either blue stuff or stain free also cleared up what I thought was the liner being messed up from the high shock. I couldn't believe it came back clear as a bell. Thought I had ruined it. That is why I know this isn't a faded liner problem. I just can't remember the order in which everything happened, so don't know what to do and don't want to waste money...don't have any to spare!!!
 

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