Plaster dust one year after install?

[central nj]

Hi,
I have a 1 year old diamond brite finish. When fresh, I did everything as suggested—keeping ph correct w/acid addition daily, brushing aggressively for 1+ months. All last season.

This season, I must admit I don't brush much, but let the polaris with the sponge on the end do the brushing. Well I recently bought a snorkel set to use with the kids. Underwater w/mask, when I brush the finish a whitish powdery plume comes off.

Is this normal, one year after a replaster? When will it stop? And lastly, does the sponge on the polaris tail count as brushing?

By the way, I use the pool calculator, and the csi was/is within a safe zone all summer. (However---i bet it wasn't that way over winter, i'm sure the ph drifted up)

Thanks

Steved

 

[257WbyMag]

I would think that you wouldn't be seeing plaster dust after a year, but if you hadn't brushed like you should have been, I don't know. Is it only on the bottom of the pool or do you get a plume of dust from all underwater surfaces?

 

[central nj]

257--thanks for comment. Just got back from a swim and test. The stuff comes off all the plastered surfaces. The rate also doesn't change---i can scrub thirty times in the same spot, and the same amount of whitish stuff comes off first to last. It isn't noticeable standing using a brush on a pole, or really even that easily with an arm in the water---really only if underwater 1 foot or so from the brush with googles.

I'm thinking that it is normal. The brush i'm using is plastic/nylon, and doesn't cause bleeding when rubbed on my arms, but is certainly unpleasant.

Can I ask what you or others think? Or has anyone observed this?

 

[onBalance]

Very unlikely that it is "plaster dust." Please provide your complete water test results, and include your tap water readings too.

 

[central nj]

OnBalance, thanks

recently ph 7.8, fc 3, cc 0, Ca 310, TA 60, CYA 30, copper zero
municipal tap water, ph <<7.0, Ca 130, TA 60.

As an aside, when the pool was opened this year there was brown stain running down off the return on the wall, as well as light brown stain on the floor and wall. Vit C did nothing. Jacks #1 (iron, cobalt) did nothing. Jacks #2 test “copper and scale” made it disappear in 30 seconds. I take it the brown is copper? I somehow messed up the closing, and newer Jandy legacy heater leached? (the subtle powdery stuff comes off also above the stain line by the way)

Thanks so much for taking the time!!

Steve

 

[onBalance]

The tap is aggressive. Was any calcium chloride added to increase the CH at start-up when the pool was new? Sometimes, aggressive water causes a continual loss of plaster surface material. But the water looks balanced now. Sometimes during the winter, some scale develops (especially if the pH went high), and maybe now some of the scale is dissolving off.

It does seem that there are some metal issues going on too.

 

[central nj]

onBalance, thanks again. I did add calcium exactly as the finish company recommended (i recall they wanted it around 175). The pool company i use to use shocked every week with calcium based shock--i stopped them before the ca got above 350.

May i ask my options? Keep brushing? ( At some point an acid wash of the pool i guess. Maybe wait until next season to see if the metal issue stabilizes.)

Steve

 

[onBalance]

Since you added calcium chloride at new start-up and also a significant amount of cal hypo has been added indicates that the 350 ppm of calcium in your pool water is a reasonable figure. That is good news, because it doesn't appear to be coming off your plaster surface. Copper staining is turquoise, so the brown stains may be from scale that has discolored from dirt or perhaps iron. Brushing should help, and the dusting should stop. Just keep an eye on the calcium level on whether it increases more than normal. I doubt an acid wash would solve anything, nor help the plaster surface. So definitely hold off on that.

 

[central nj]

onBalance-- great help, and advice. U ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Steve