Calcium Crystals Upon Opening

[daytonflyer53]

We opened our pool this spring at the beginning of April and found heavy calcium crystals on the walls and floors. The plaster was completed on the pool July 20th 2020. The service tech has been using the Orenda process to balance the LSI (Calcium Crystals vs. Scale) after researching the problem to help solve without hopefully having to do an acid wash. They have also discussed with Diamond Brite and agreed upon this approach along with using Jack's Magic Magenta Stuff. The goal is hopefully after 6 weeks of balancing the LSI and using the product it'll dissolve the calcium crystals. Interested if anyone else has experience with this problem and the best solution. Yesterdays test results along with results from 4-12-21 and the desired levels are also shown in the attachment. Appreciate any insight.

4/12/2021- Tests and Desired Levels

4/22/2021- Tests and Desired Levels

 

[mknauss]

Sharp Crystals on our pool surface

Moved from here. Wow. I am now a little hopeful after reading @jeffr47 's last post. I have a virtually identical situation here and live right near jeff so may have similar winters and snow/rain fall. Last year we moved to a new house with an old 22,000 gallon pool and spent a small fortune...

www.troublefreepool.com

first opening after new plaster - scale in Jacuzzi

Hi, I had new plaster installed (polished stones capes, on the expensive side). Its very smooth. Maintained water chemistry perfect. Closed with CH around 310, TA 100, PH7.6, CYA 30. At opening CYA not registering, CH320-330, TA 100. PH was 7.6, I brought it down to 7.4. Its a non-SWG...

www.troublefreepool.com

A couple other members in the NE have had issues this spring.

Read the @onBalance responses.

 

[johnmastraci]

Have you tried orenda SC-1000? Any idea what your calcium was at coding last year? Good chance that it was low and when the Ohio winters hit, the LSI drops drastically which causes the calcium to be pulled from the plaster and that shows as crystals on the surface.

PM me your pool builder.

 

[jbilbrough]

I opened my pool yesterday and I have the same issue, little tiny white crystals on the walls and floor, I live in Delaware and had never heard of this before. What action are you taking to resolve the issue and is it getting any better now that your 4-5 weeks open?

We opened our pool this spring at the beginning of April and found heavy calcium crystals on the walls and floors. The plaster was completed on the pool July 20th 2020. The service tech has been using the Orenda process to balance the LSI (Calcium Crystals vs. Scale) after researching the problem to help solve without hopefully having to do an acid wash. They have also discussed with Diamond Brite and agreed upon this approach along with using Jack's Magic Magenta Stuff. The goal is hopefully after 6 weeks of balancing the LSI and using the product it'll dissolve the calcium crystals. Interested if anyone else has experience with this problem and the best solution. Yesterdays test results along with results from 4-12-21 and the desired levels are also shown in the attachment. Appreciate any insight.

4/12/2021- Tests and Desired Levels
View attachment 325270
4/22/2021- Tests and Desired Levels
View attachment 325272

 

[daytonflyer53]

At the recommendation of SGM who manufacturers our DiamondBrite finish they suggested using Jack’s Magic Magenta Stuff for 4 weeks and keep the water balanced. That did virtually nothing. Decided on a no drain acid wash then with an initial dose of 4 gallons in our 16k gallon pool. Later added 2 more gallons on day 2. Results were minimal still even though acid would melt away crystals if spot treated undiluted. Moving onto the Orenda SC-1000 treatment, just put purge dose in yesterday. Been brushing all along since opening through all treatment. Getting rather frustrated. Outside the no drain acid wash have been keeping water LSI balanced with Orenda app.

 

[johnmastraci]

How's it looking?

 

[daytonflyer53]

We are a week into the purge dose of SC-1000 and it hasn’t really had much impact. I’ll continue to do the weekly maintenance dose and brush along with LSI balancing daily. Crossing fingers it starts to loosen up.

 

[johnmastraci]

When you did the in pool acid wash, how aggressive was the brushing? What did the pH get down to?

 

[daytonflyer53]

Brushing 2-3 times a day with stainless steel brush. Have a pH meter that was calibrated to 4.0 solution and was getting between 3.7-4.2 when tested.

 

[zea3]

Try lowering the pH to 7.0 and keeping it there.

 

[johnmastraci]

Any update on your plaster?

 

[daytonflyer53]

We’ve been keeping perfectly LSI balanced and using the Orenda SC-1000 maintenance apps. We’ve also been using pumice stone to remove calcium crystals. Hard to say what is winning the battle but it is starting to look better. Not sure we’ll ever get to normal without an acid wash but we are going to keep trying to see what what balanced water and SC-1000 does over a couple months. May try ScaleTec as well because the SC-1000 kills any chlorine and can be hard to keep up with in heat.

 

[zea3]

May be best to wait til fall to try Scale-Tec.

 

[daytonflyer53]

May be best to wait til fall to try Scale-Tec.

Is there a reason why fall is best? I didn’t think scale tec had an effect on chlorine levels.

 

[zea3]

You have to keep the SWG off for 2 weeks during the treatment, and keep the FC between 1-3. During the heat of summer your chlorine is going to drop whenever you have any bather load, so it may be more difficult to keep algae away.