Salt residue soaking through Leuder

[cholec]

Hi - newbie here. Installed a new saltwater pool pool in our Austin, Texas home this summer. Have everything balanced - salt is ~3200 and most all has been good. We (after debating heavily) used Leuderstone for the coping, as it seems deterioration from salt would take a long time. Have not sealed it yet but plan to soon.

My issue is I’m getting a lot of salt residue on areas of my coping. The worse is above the skimmer - it seems the water is soaking up through the stone above the skimmer and leaving white salt on the surface. I also get this on the edge of my hot tub overflow.

Any ideas how I can stop this and if it’s going to destroy my stone if I don’t?

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

I think that is efflorescence which is a form of water deposits that migrates to the surface of stone. It has nothing to do with the salt level of your pool and will not destroy your stones.

Efflorescence - Causes, Removal, and Prevention

It can also be calcium deposits left from evaporation. What is your water chemistry?

 

[Jimrahbe]

C,

Why do you have the big rock on the skimmer lid? Does water gush out of the top of your skimmer when you shut off the pump or at some other time???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[cholec]

Welcome to TFP.

I think that is efflorescence which is a form of water deposits that migrates to the surface of stone. It has nothing to do with the salt level of your pool and will not destroy your stones.

Efflorescence - Causes, Removal, and Prevention

It can also be calcium deposits left from evaporation. What is your water chemistry?

Thanks for the reply. If I'm reading your link correctly, I think it's confirming my theory. Salt water (from the pool) is splashing up from inside the skimmer to the underside of the leuderstone, it's soaking through the stone to the surface, and when the water evaporates at the surface the salt residue is left over. We noticed lingering moisture in these areas before we added salt to the pool (at the 30 day mark), but the white residue didn't start until after salt was added. At this stage I can just hose off the residue and all is fine, but my concern is letting that process continue will rapidly deteriorate the stone as I can't imagine it's good for it to constantly have salt seeping through it? The one by the spa is likely a similar issue - our builder installed leuder borders to the spa overflow, but the water absorbs through it and leaves some residual moisture on the deck next to the spa. Evaporation occurs and we're left with salt on the surface.

As a related question, do most people with Leuder coping find that the leuder above their skimmer is frequently damp due to the same issue (salt or not)?

Water chemistry is largely ok - Chlorine is a bit high right now around 3, PH is around 8.0 (constant struggle to keep it lower), Calcium Hardness is ~250, Alkalinity 74, CYA 67, no phosphates.

 

[cholec]

C,

Why do you have the big rock on the skimmer lid? Does water gush out of the top of your skimmer when you shut off the pump or at some other time???

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim - funny answer to that. I've got some type of critter(s) coming into my backyard almost every night. They drive my dog crazy, and they've started to pop my skimmer baskets off to get to the crickets that were collecting. Rather than have to fix the lids every night my wife put the rock on top. Problem solved!

 

[jimbethesda]

If your chlorine is at 3, it not high. In fact it’s at the minimum for your CYA level. You are flirting with danger. I would raise it.

 

[JamesW]

What is the thing next to the skimmer?

Is it an autofill?

 

[cholec]

Yup - no issues with it

 

[cholec]

If your chlorine is at 3, it not high. In fact it’s at the minimum for your CYA level. You are flirting with danger. I would raise it.

Thanks Jim - it was actually 3.6 when I had it tested this weekend. But thanks for the advise. I didn't realize that it needed to be higher with the CYA being higher too. I found the table on this site after reading your note (Chlorine / CYA Chart - Trouble Free Pool) - sounds like I should adjust my SWG and shoot to keep mine closer to 5. Is that as necessary in the winter when the pool isn't getting used though?

 

[cholec]

What is the thing next to the skimmer?

Is it an autofill?

Yeah - haven't had any problems with it.

 

[jimbethesda]

Thanks Jim - it was actually 3.6 when I had it tested this weekend. But thanks for the advise. I didn't realize that it needed to be higher with the CYA being higher too. I found the table on this site after reading your note (Chlorine / CYA Chart - Trouble Free Pool) - sounds like I should adjust my SWG and shoot to keep mine closer to 5. Is that as necessary in the winter when the pool isn't getting used though?

Yes, keep your chlorine levels in that range at all times. It is safe to swim up to slam levels. No harm in running high, but running on the low side can lead to problems