What is this?

[sbcpool]

My apologies, but I am new to pool care. I am trying to figure out what's going on with this pool's surface. I know it needs to be replastered, but I'm wondering what I'm looking at. It looks almost like there's a rough layer with a concrete-type appearance and plaster over it, and these areas are where the plaster was worn away. I know that not what's really happening because there are places where the plaster is flaking off and it's lilly white underneath.

Shot showing side of pool and bottom

Closer shot of bottom

Thanks for any insight.

 

[jblizzle]

Likely calcium scaling if it feels rough and raised from the surface.

 

[sbcpool]

Yeah, it's rough. I have no idea how the water chemistry was before I arrived, but the CH is now 325, TA 130, and pH is about 8.2. I'm going to get some MA tonight. The entire pool is covered with this stuff. There's no humanely possible way to remove all of it. Any options to improve the appearance before it's replastered?

 

[jblizzle]

High pH is the biggest factor for scaling starting in cahoots with high CH and high TA.

If you keep the pH lowered and brush a LOT you might get some of it to slowly go away. Or you can acid wash. I would just wait for re-plaster.

 

[sbcpool]

High pH is the biggest factor for scaling starting in cahoots with high CH and high TA.

If you keep the pH lowered and brush a LOT you might get some of it to slowly go away. Or you can acid wash. I would just wait for re-plaster.

Thanks. Our tap water is pH 7.9, TA 110, and Ca 40. I'll be fighting my water forever because even a full drain and refill has me starting off with a high pH and TA.

 

[jblizzle]

That CH is really low. Which is good. Likely the pH in the pool was just left WAY too high. Also odd that your pool TA is higher than your tap water.

 

[sbcpool]

That CH is really low. Which is good. Likely the pH in the pool was just left WAY too high. Also odd that your pool TA is higher than your tap water.

Our water comes from multiple sources, so that's a weighted average. Levels can be as high as 100 mg/L for Ca and 230 for TA. Plus, who knows what the pool boy was doing to this pool before I bought the place. He had never cleaned out the filter basket and the skimmer didn't even have a basket in it. Judging by my inability to switch the DE filter to backwash I'm guessing he never cleaned that either. Judging by all of that, I'm guessing he was throwing baking soda or something else into the pool to fight whatever issues were popping up from incompetent maintenance. It's just speculation though.

 

[Richard320]

Keep the pH at the low end of safe and use a steel brush when you brush. It will slowly - think glacier speed - dissolve back into solution. As the walls improve, the CH readings will increase. The whole problem is aggravated when your water is crystal clear. You'll see every blemish clearly.

 

[sbcpool]

Keep the pH at the low end of safe and use a steel brush when you brush. It will slowly - think glacier speed - dissolve back into solution. As the walls improve, the CH readings will increase. The whole problem is aggravated when your water is crystal clear. You'll see every blemish clearly.

Yeah, unfortunately I have the water crystal clear. Hard to believe it's unfortunate, but it looks pretty bad. There's so much of it that the pool just looks like it's concrete with paint that's worn off in most areas. I have someone coming out tomorrow to give me an estimate on the work I need done to the pool and the filter system.