Let Pool Guy Go - Calcium Scaling?

[Brick Bossload]

Moved into a new house and had a pool built 2 years ago. Initially maintained it myself but I got lazy and hired a pool guy at the end of last summer. "Everything included" - no need to worry about anything. The guy was cool seemed knowledgeable and was able to fix a few things I hadn't figured out yet.

Checked FC and PH about an hour after he left last month and saw 0 FC and PH very high. Ordered a new TF100 kit and CYA was 10 or less. I canceled service and I've got levels back to normal now but have a few issues I need help with.

First, brushing the pool bottom would create white clouds. Ran my dolphin a bunch over a couple days and it got significantly better. Pictures below - any idea what this is? Almost looks like plaster. I've also noticed white buildup around my beach area fountain and bench. Is this calcium scale? It doesn't come off easily - I scraped it some with a wire brush and that produces a small cloud. Didnt want to scrub too much as I'm unsure if that's the right way to deal with this.

Current levels:
FC 2
PH 7.5
TA 120 (working on getting this down)
CH 875
CYA 60
Salt 3200



You can see the white buildup around the fountain and the bench

Color difference between wall and bottom
FC and PH after pool guy left....

Stuff that was on the bottom of the pool, picked up by dolphin.
Inside view of dolphin filter.

 

[mknauss]

Calcium scale. Look at your test results. 800+ CH, high TA, high pH. CSI very high.

If you want to attack this, first will be a drain and refill to lower CH. Then try low CSI to see if it cleans up. Hate to see you do an acid wash on that pretty plaster. It will degrade it alot.

 

[Brick Bossload]

Calcium scale. Look at your test results. 800+ CH, high TA, high pH. CSI very high.

If you want to attack this, first will be a drain and refill to lower CH. Then try low CSI to see if it cleans up. Hate to see you do an acid wash on that pretty plaster. It will degrade it alot.

Thanks - I was thinking finding someone to do RO might be the only way to bring CH down. I'm on hard well water and I see the water delivery trucks filling up down the road also using a well -probably from the same aquifer I'm on. Could that work, have them bring it way down and then the water would leach the calcium back into the water?

 

[mknauss]

What is the CH of your well water?

 

[Brick Bossload]

What is the CH of your well water?

Just tested it - 650. Also dealing with PB to fix leaks. I've been adding 3 to 4 inches a week for the longest time.

 

[mknauss]

You are in a tough spot with that water. Not much reason to drain if that is what you will it with. And if you do dissolve any of the scale it will make the CH rise.

You might have to consider a drain and acid wash to get rid of the scale. Then if you fill with that water you will have to tightly control it.
I assume you have a water softener for your home? If it can handle it, use it for make up water after you fill the pool and you can keep the CH the same or lessen it over time.

 

[Brick Bossload]

I have a softner. Didn't think and originally tested my kitchen tap water - surprise no calcium! I don't think any of my hose bibs near the pool are softened. I do have one on the other side of the house for a RV to use. Also the amount of water I need to add weekly due to my leak issues would make that somewhat unfeasible. It's also very windy by the pool and the Texas heat doesn't help keep water in the pool.

Is it fair to say that if the chemicals had been maintained properly this wouldnt have become an issue? Would you rule out RO treatment? Thinking that might just need to be something I need to do every couple years in addition to maintaining the water balance.

 

[Rossterman]

Have you explored the cost of trucking in treated water?

 

[mknauss]

If pH and TA had been managed scale could have been avoided. But, daily pool water chemistry maintenance is pretty much impossible to maintain the parameters you need to keep the CSI in the negative region with weekly pool guy visits. And they can only spend a few minutes at the pool. Maybe with a SWCG and acid dosing system, but that needs test results and adjustment too.

RO is an option. The water must be completely free of algae. Cost in most areas is ~$1000 or more, depending somewhat on volume to be treated.