Tile/grout efflorescence and pool cleaner issues

[deelowe]

Can anyone tell me if this efflorescence around our tile is normal? Pool was installed in February. I've read horror stories of water getting in behind the coping causing issues like this and that it could be early signs of potential issues. Installer states it's normal and might just need to be cleaned frequently to keep it under control, but that it usually doesn't come back after an initial cleaning.



Also, my pool cleaner keeps having the hose come loose at the cleaner. It also tends to climb the wall in the deep end and skate down the wall towards the shallow end before turning around and repeating the process. When it turns around near the water line, the tail whips around and shoots water out of the out of the pool. Is this a sign that the water pressure is too high coming into the unit? It's a polaris 280.

 

[deelowe]

A few more pics of the calcium/efflorescence:

 

[JamesW]

Is the ground continuously wet around the pool?

 

[deelowe]

I never considered that. It might be? How would I know for sure? It rains a lot here this time of year (Georgia), so it's hard to tell right now.

 

[JamesW]

It looks like the ground is saturated with water and the water is migrating from under the concrete.

Maybe improve the drainage.

 

[deelowe]

Thanks for the help.

We have had hard rain over the past few days. The water on the kooldeck currently drains away from the pool. What other options would there be? Should the installer have put in french drains or strip drains?

 

[JamesW]

Maybe get someone out who does drainage type work to get an estimate.

 

[deelowe]

Thank you for the help. We can't afford more work at this point. The pool itself was already very expensive. Are you suggesting we get an estimate and then go back to the pool company with it? This is a practically brand new installation.

 

[JamesW]

I really can't say what the issue is. I don't know that the pool builder did anything wrong. It might be that you just need better drainage on the property.

You probably need someone who specializes in that type of thing to review the property and drainage including gutters etc to see if there's anything that can be done to better control the ground water.

 

[deelowe]

Understood. I'll look into it. For reference though, the pool is at the top of a hill. All gutters are fed into underground drainage pipes. And, the kooldeck is sloped away from the pool. We made sure of all that before we poured concrete. Ground is hard georgia clay, so it doesn't hold much water. I wonder if the issue is water getting between the coping and cooldeck, hitting the clay, running underneath the travertine, and then evaporating out through he morter.

This sounds like a complicate one. Anyone have any suggestions on the polaris? That seems like a much easier problem to solve.

 

[JamesW]

Also, my pool cleaner keeps having the hose come loose at the cleaner.

Probably has the nut connected backwards.

 

[deelowe]

Interesting. So the nuts should screw from the unit onto the hose not from the hose to the unit (first connection at the polaris should screw up from the plastic fitting onto the hose)?

 

[JamesW]

Interesting. So the nuts should screw from the unit onto the hose not from the hose to the unit (first connection at the polaris should screw up from the plastic fitting onto the hose)?

Yes.