Clean my ~90 foot pool and calcified natural rocks

[socrates]

I notice the manufacturer of Kieseritealso offers a slightly more abrasive formulation for blasting natural rock waterlines and pebble-tec. This would solve my situation exactly: I have an 83-foot pool with about half of it incorporating a rock waterline. The rock has become badly calcified. The pressure-washer driven tool that coryp linked is very appealing: I already own a powerful pressure washer. The calcification is already exposed on my pool -- the water level has dropped. My preference would be to get in an inner tube, float around, and blast away, vs. draining the pool substantially.

So I see only one serious impediment to doing this whole job myself, and one minor one. Can anyone help me brainstorm answers?

1) Biggest problem: How can I vaccuum all of the blasting media off of the bottom of my pool when this work is done? I don't mind buying a piece of equipment to help in this process, or putting in some hours of manual labor.

2) Where can an ordinary joe buy Kieserite in non-industrial quantities?

 

[Budman]

Re: Blasting limescale off my pool walls - DONE & REPORT POS

I notice the manufacturer of Kieseritealso offers a slightly more abrasive formulation for blasting natural rock waterlines and pebble-tec. This would solve my situation exactly: I have an 83-foot pool with about half of it incorporating a rock waterline. The rock has become badly calcified. The pressure-washer driven tool that coryp linked is very appealing: I already own a powerful pressure washer. The calcification is already exposed on my pool -- the water level has dropped. My preference would be to get in an inner tube, float around, and blast away, vs. draining the pool substantially.

So I see only one serious impediment to doing this whole job myself, and one minor one. Can anyone help me brainstorm answers?

1) Biggest problem: How can I vaccuum all of the blasting media off of the bottom of my pool when this work is done? I don't mind buying a piece of equipment to help in this process, or putting in some hours of manual labor.

2) Where can an ordinary joe buy Kieserite in non-industrial quantities?

I can answer question #1. I posted it in my reply above.
I use a filter pack. Basically a pump and filter. Get the largest one you can afford since the filter will plug up rather quickly if there is a lot to vacuum up.
Then just pull the filter out and clean it and start over.
It can get tedious but you just pump the water back into the pool. I've seen some guys just use a pump and let it drain to the street.

http://www.poolbargains.com/pool-pack-100.php

 

[socrates]

Re: Blasting limescale off my pool walls - DONE & REPORT POS

I use a filter pack. Basically a pump and filter. Get the largest one you can afford since the filter will plug up rather quickly if there is a lot to vacuum up.
Then just pull the filter out and clean it and start over.
It can get tedious but you just pump the water back into the pool. I've seen some guys just use a pump and let it drain to the street.
http://www.poolbargains.com/pool-pack-100.php

Hmm, a 1.5 HP motor attached to the gadget you linked. My pool has a 1.5 HP motor installed already. Here's an idea -- can anyone fill in the missing pieces?

step 1: My pool pump can provide suction, and I can use it as a powerful vaccuum
step 2: if some sort of in-line filter could be placed in the middle of the suction line to trap and pull out the blasting media and let it settle, then it wouldn't let it through to my machinery and cartridge filter
step 3: I swim all over the bottom of my pool, cleaning up the stray blasting media

or is this a foolish idea?

thanks again. I have an e-mail out to the MaxxStrip Kieserite people, asking about small-scale retail sales (I'm guessing I'll need 100-200 pounds of blasting media.)

 

[socrates]

Re: Blasting limescale off my pool walls - DONE & REPORT POS

I continue to explore the best way to clean my ~90 foot pool and calcified natural rocks.

The most expensive piece of the job seems to be the device to vacuum up the used blasting media from the bottom of my pool. Someone posted this aboveground pump, which runs $389: http://www.poolbargains.com/pool-pack-100.php

I notice on ebay they're selling something called an "INTEX 2500 GPH Krystal Clear Swimming Pool Filter Pump & V-Trap Vac Vacuum". Here's an example auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/INTEX-2500-GPH- ... 5ae6a60722

I'm wondering if this would do the trick. I assume I would hook one of these pumps up to a standard pool hose?

 

[coryp]

i'd guess the cheapest way to get a second filter and pump would be a craiglist find. half the time when people get new pool equipment, they'll practically throw out vintage stuff...

 

[tsyemma]

I am interested in what the end result of this project was? I am considering doing the same using Kieserite. Can you vacuum straight to waste as the media will be very fine?