I drained my pool a few inches below the tiles and closed the pool with a mostly solid cover with a mesh opening in the middle. I have had a pump under the cover to keep the water level from getting to high. I opened the cover a bit today to take a look and notice a reddish tint on all of the below the water level. I then tried brushing it off with my hand but then realized it was extremely rough. I got my brush out and tried brushing a few spots to see if the would remove the roughness. It removed some but it was still pretty rough. I wasn’t planning on opening the pool for another month and a half but now am worried. Ph level is also off the charts. Should I try lowering that with a muriatic acid and a submersible pump? Any ideas on what this could be? I assume it is scale. I m looking for any advice on what to do. I took a like 3-4 weeks ago and it wasn’t nearly this red or rough
Rough new plaster from winter
- Thread starter gerg887402
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Since your Diamondbrite was completed only about 2 months or so before closing, I suppose that could explain the extremely high pH and possible scale indications. Although you may want to be careful about the accuracy of that pH test since the water hasn't been circulating. Same goes for adding acid. Unless it's able to mix well it could create other problems. I'm thrown-off by the reddish tint though. I understand the concern for waiting another month or so, especially with this year's crazy weather systems. But you may need to accelerate that schedule just a bit. I'll be curious to see what some of our plaster experts think about your situation.
I would open your pool ASAP. If it is scale (scale alone is not "reddish") or scale combined with dirt, the sooner you can get your pH down, the sooner you can start to try to repair that finish.
Has their been dirt in the pool? It sounds like dirt embedded in scale which likely will require a drain and acid wash.
Can you post current test results?
Has their been dirt in the pool? It sounds like dirt embedded in scale which likely will require a drain and acid wash.
Can you post current test results?
Attach is a picture I just took of the second step where I wiped away what seems to be the dirt. I did it first with my hand which it was pretty rough but most of the dirt left but then I did it with a brush which took some of the roughness away but nowhere near a smooth as the top step which is out of water. I am wondering if I should pulled back the cover pour is some acid or any other necessary chemicals and then brush for an hour to mix it up before opening in a month or so.
Test results today:
Cl-0
Ph-8.2+
TA-50
Ch-200
Cya-30
Temp- 38 degrees
At closing (post slam)
Cl-4
Ph-7.4
Ta-100
Ch-425
Cya-40
Temp-65
Test results today:
Cl-0
Ph-8.2+
TA-50
Ch-200
Cya-30
Temp- 38 degrees
At closing (post slam)
Cl-4
Ph-7.4
Ta-100
Ch-425
Cya-40
Temp-65
Attachments
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,242
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Take it one step at a time and see how things develop:
- open the pool
- lower the pH
- clean out the dirt
- brush aggressively
- balance the water and get a low CSI around -0.4
- give the water a month or two or so while brushing often
This is not going to get cleared up overnight. Be patient.
- open the pool
- lower the pH
- clean out the dirt
- brush aggressively
- balance the water and get a low CSI around -0.4
- give the water a month or two or so while brushing often
This is not going to get cleared up overnight. Be patient.
I am hesitant to open the pool so early as there are still nights with expected freezing temperatures in our area. Prior to getting the pool replastered I typically did not open it until basically the first weekend of May. I was opening to wait another 3-4 weeks at the earliest. Is that a bad idea at this point?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,242
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I open my pool the week of April 15th in Northern NJ. A few weeks is not going to make a difference.
If we get with a late freeze just run your pump that night.
If we get with a late freeze just run your pump that night.
I opened the pool this past weekend (water is crystal clear already) and have so far lowered the pH to 7.2, removed a lot of sediment (turns out that is all of the red in the pool), and been brushing a lot (everytime I brush more sediment gets suspended in the water). The plaster is still very rough and seems to get rougher the further own I reach. The staining is definitely dirt since where leaves were on the bottom of the pool over the winter are the only clean spots. I have added Jack's Magic Blue Stuff. Any other recommendations? Should I lower pH a lot to try an acid bath?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,242
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Post your test results.
What type of pool cleaner do you have?
Sounds like your pool needs lots of brushing and vacuuming. I have found heavier dirt settles before it can get filtered and can only be removed with a good pool cleaner.
Be patient and get all the dirt and sediment cleaned up until you no longer have stuff in the water when you brush. Then evaluate the pool surface.
What type of pool cleaner do you have?
Sounds like your pool needs lots of brushing and vacuuming. I have found heavier dirt settles before it can get filtered and can only be removed with a good pool cleaner.
Be patient and get all the dirt and sediment cleaned up until you no longer have stuff in the water when you brush. Then evaluate the pool surface.
I have a Dolphin S-200. I am just worrying I am wasting my time and effort if the end result is still going to be an acid wash.
Test Results last night were:
FC-5
pH-7.2
TA-50
CH-300
CYA-40
Temp-45
Test Results last night were:
FC-5
pH-7.2
TA-50
CH-300
CYA-40
Temp-45
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,242
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What is your idea of how an acid wash is done?
Whatever happens you need to get the dirt out first.
Your CSI is -1.01 due to your cold water and low pH. That is very aggressive but if you let it work for a few months it may naturally attack the scale. The CSI will come up towards -0.6 as the pool water warms.
Whatever happens you need to get the dirt out first.
Your CSI is -1.01 due to your cold water and low pH. That is very aggressive but if you let it work for a few months it may naturally attack the scale. The CSI will come up towards -0.6 as the pool water warms.
Should I keep the levels as they are now or should I adjust them based on the current water temp to get them to a -0.6 CSI?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,242
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I can’t say. I can’t look into your pool. If you want to do an acid wash I would leave the CSI and see if it is done naturally.
An acid wash does in a few days what an aggressive CSI does in a year.
Be patient, get the dirt completly out of the pool, keep your CSI aggressive for a few months and see if things clear up over time. You may end up giving the surface an acid treatment. But I would not go to the nuclear options until you try other methods.