Abalone Shell Chips Causing Brown Stains in Diamond Brite Plaster-

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G

Gunite Builder

0
Mar 12, 2015
2
Shreveport, LA
I am first time user on TFP and joined up after seeing older post relating to the issues of Abalone Shell Chips causing brown staining in Diamond Brite Plaster. I am not referring to the shells losing their brilliance...this is an actual stain in the plaster around the shell
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Chemicals are all properly maintained. Brown 'halo' staining occurs around each piece of shell so that the pool appears to have chicken pox. It is in light colored diamond brite plaster (Tahoe Blue)
Acid and industrial strength hydrogen peroxide do nothing to it at all. Stains were not present at startup and appeared later, within or around a year after plaster.
I am located in Shreveport, Louisiana. Please message me if anyone has seen anything similar and I can upload or send images.
Thanks

Jacob
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Why don't you post up pictures here for us to take a look at?

You could try putting some vitamin C on the stain for a few minutes and see if that lightens it ... although no sure why metals would be leaching out of the shells.
 
Gunite Builder said:
Thanks for responding. I will downsize the images to post them
Click to expand...

Hi,
Hopefully I can shed some light on your issues. I am ever too familiar with abalone stains. Here is what I have gathered thus far. So, because abalone is a shell and was once alive, they contain certain amounts of protein. If at any time after the installation the water gets aggressive (acidic) the shells become compromised and start to release these proteins. Looks very unsightly, and progressively get worse. I have come across a remedy to this problem that I will be starting today on a local pool that has these stains. I will keep you posted as to how it turns out. Takes about fifteen days and I guess the trick is to not do it too early as to be sure all the proteins have been released from the shells, or the problem just comes back again..
 
plasterguy said:
Hi,
Hopefully I can shed some light on your issues. I am ever too familiar with abalone stains. Here is what I have gathered thus far. So, because abalone is a shell and was once alive, they contain certain amounts of protein. If at any time after the installation the water gets aggressive (acidic) the shells become compromised and start to release these proteins. Looks very unsightly, and progressively get worse. I have come across a remedy to this problem that I will be starting today on a local pool that has these stains. I will keep you posted as to how it turns out. Takes about fifteen days and I guess the trick is to not do it too early as to be sure all the proteins have been released from the shells, or the problem just comes back again..
Click to expand...


PLEASE is you have any info on this let me know. I am having this exact problem and I cannot find any solution. I thought it was metal or algae and have spend over $300 trying literally everything. Mine have gotten darker and in more numbers to the point its so ugly I dont even want to swim in the pool. If there is ANY solution please let me know. Im glad Im not the only one with this problem. I thought I was going crazy!!!

- - - Updated - - -

It not metals nor Algae. I haven't found anything yet to fix this.
 
OK here is an update.

My pool company says its the proteins in the shell that break down and you have to super chlorinate your water to 4 times what you usually have. You would not be able to swim at all. They are going to start the process in about 1 week and I will update then with how much and for how long and if it works.
 
jblizzle said:
4 times what? Does that take the cya level into account? I would be concerned about their plan
Click to expand...

4 Times the amount of Chlorine. This is merely a test to see if it will work. If this does not work its demo and redo time on their dime.

Today 3 gal of liquid chlorine was added with twice a day brushing. Ill update when they add and when anything is done.

All levels (including CYA) are perfect at the start of this process.

BTW, my pool is Diamond Brite Oyster with Abalone shell. 30K gallons. Approx 6 months since new plaster job.

Wish me luck.
 
Dmack said:
4 Times the amount of Chlorine. This is merely a test to see if it will work. If this does not work its demo and redo time on their dime.

Today 3 gal of liquid chlorine was added with twice a day brushing. Ill update when they add and when anything is done.

All levels (including CYA) are perfect at the start of this process.

BTW, my pool is Diamond Brite Oyster with Abalone shell. 30K gallons. Approx 6 months since new plaster job.

Wish me luck.
Click to expand...


Ok another Update: 4 "bottles" of liquid chlorine used today.Brushing twice a day.
 

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Why 4 "bottles"? Why not 3 or 6? What is the FC target?

I think you are failing to understand that TFP teaches to target specific levels in our pools for a purpose and not just dump and pray.

Also, the required chlorine level is a function of your stabilizer level according to the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] ... in the same way your CYA impacts the FC level you would need to maintain to oxidize the shells (although I have no idea what level is needed for that).

Point is if your CYA is 20ppm, then 4 bottles of chlorine would make the pool very harsh, but if your CYA level is 100ppm, then 4 bottles of chlorine would not make the pool harsh and it would be perfectly safe to swim in.

I have yet to see an test results beyond "they are perfect" which as we see time and time again on this forum usually means you are not testing accurately.
 
jblizzle said:
Why 4 "bottles"? Why not 3 or 6? What is the FC target?

I think you are failing to understand that TFP teaches to target specific levels in our pools for a purpose and not just dump and pray.

Also, the required chlorine level is a function of your stabilizer level according to the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] ... in the same way your CYA impacts the FC level you would need to maintain to oxidize the shells (although I have no idea what level is needed for that).

Point is if your CYA is 20ppm, then 4 bottles of chlorine would make the pool very harsh, but if your CYA level is 100ppm, then 4 bottles of chlorine would not make the pool harsh and it would be perfectly safe to swim in.

I have yet to see an test results beyond "they are perfect" which as we see time and time again on this forum usually means you are not testing accurately.
Click to expand...

The goal is not to shock and maintain but to bleach the *blank* out of the proteins from the abalone shell that have leached into the plaster. It's a test to see if it works instead of demo and re-plastering which is the only other solution here.

Yes you are correct, there is no way I would even stick my hand in the water right now for fear of chemical burn. That's the point. So far there are 7 gallons of chlorine added within 2 days.

I have found nothing on the internet with any solution to my (and apparently other people's) problem. If it works, this experiment could help tell other people what to do, or that it didn't work.

FWIW, I'm am not doing this on my own, my pool company who did the plastering job is overlooking the entire process. My testing matched up with theirs = perfect. Same results. I'm not taking it to Leslie's or anything like that.
 
Knowing what your CYA is would help to make sure your FC is at or above shock level so that it will have a better chance of making a difference. [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]. Yes, it is a fairly common problem but one that can likely be solved with chlorine and brushing.
 
7 gallons in a pool your size is really not that much. I put more than that in my pool last week when I was slamming over the course of two days. And I had my arm in it all the time.
 
Dmack said:
The goal is not to shock and maintain but to bleach the *blank* out of the proteins from the abalone shell that have leached into the plaster. It's a test to see if it works instead of demo and re-plastering which is the only other solution here.

Yes you are correct, there is no way I would even stick my hand in the water right now for fear of chemical burn. That's the point. So far there are 7 gallons of chlorine added within 2 days.

I have found nothing on the internet with any solution to my (and apparently other people's) problem. If it works, this experiment could help tell other people what to do, or that it didn't work.

FWIW, I'm am not doing this on my own, my pool company who did the plastering job is overlooking the entire process. My testing matched up with theirs = perfect. Same results. I'm not taking it to Leslie's or anything like that.
Click to expand...


UPDATE:

After 5 days and over 10 Gallons of liquid chlorine with the pool running, there has been no lightening of the stains. The Pool company has deemed it unsuccessful. The plaster company is going to give it a shot. Ill Update with that they do and if it worked then they try.
 
Dmack said:
UPDATE:

After 5 days and over 10 Gallons of liquid chlorine with the pool running, there has been no lightening of the stains. The Pool company has deemed it unsuccessful. The plaster company is going to give it a shot. Ill Update with that they do and if it worked then they try.
Click to expand...


Well,,its official.

The installer, pool company and the NSPF all agree there is nothing that can be done and the entire pool is going be redone.
 
Sorry to hear that. On a brighter note, this is a good thread for others thinking of building a pool and using abalone shells in the plaster mix. Seems to be a random enough effect that it's just not worth taking the chance. Adding glass micro beads will produce a similar effect without the ugly brown stains.


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Hard to say, I don't know if anything but scattered reports of the problem so there isn't much hard data. Reputable pool plastering companies will buy product(s) specifically labeled for pool use; others might not. I'd check with your plaster applicator for details of what they used.

Who supplied the abalone? The PB or plaster applicator?


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