Ugh.. what has happened to my pool?

[houstonswim]

I have been a completely hands-off pool owner for 2 years now. We switched our pool to a SWG when we moved in. This is my first pool and I thought that all you had to do for a pool was hire a company and enjoy your swims… that self pool maintenance was for people with time or interest… well, our pool looks like this all around the edges. (see photo - calcium or mineral (white) buildup that reacts to muriatic acid, grayish staining, and some green algae spots that almost look like moss?) The water seems clear and inviting but the waterline is atrocious. It does not respond to gentle brushing by hand. We hadn’t been using the pool because I was pregnant and then postpartum and everything outdoors went unused for a time… I brought it to the pool company’s attention and they want to spend a whole day scrubbing by hand and soaking the waterline with a “gentle cleaner…” which will be $500-$1000+ depending on the hours needed… I personally bought a pumice stone and put a dose of Beautec in. I have a TF-Pro Salt Test Kit that arrived from TF pool test supply today and plan to start trying to follow my pool chemistry, learn more about maintenance myself. Will the pumice and Beautec doses work for me? Am I correct in assuming the pool company should have caught or prevented this? Or does this just happen in pools? The pool company uses strips to test each week and all numbers have been in what seem to be a “normal” range. They add 1 gallon shock and 1/4 ph lowerer each week according to the pool company. What should be my next steps to getting my pool looking good again? Thanks!!!!

 

[houstonswim]

More info: the pool company sends an email with the pool’s testing results each week. The results (they use strips…) have consistently for the last 3 months been: 3 ppm free chlorine, 3 ppm total chlorine, 3200-3400 ppm salt, 7.8 pH, 80 ppm total alkalinity, and 300 ppm total hardness.

 

[Bperry]

I have been a completely hands-off pool owner for 2 years now. We switched our pool to a SWG when we moved in. This is my first pool and I thought that all you had to do for a pool was hire a company and enjoy your swims… that self pool maintenance was for people with time or interest… well, our pool looks like this all around the edges. (see photo - calcium or mineral (white) buildup that reacts to muriatic acid, grayish staining, and some green algae spots that almost look like moss?) The water seems clear and inviting but the waterline is atrocious. It does not respond to gentle brushing by hand. We hadn’t been using the pool because I was pregnant and then postpartum and everything outdoors went unused for a time… I brought it to the pool company’s attention and they want to spend a whole day scrubbing by hand and soaking the waterline with a “gentle cleaner…” which will be $500-$1000+ depending on the hours needed… I personally bought a pumice stone and put a dose of Beautec in. I have a TF-Pro Salt Test Kit that arrived from TF pool test supply today and plan to start trying to follow my pool chemistry, learn more about maintenance myself. Will the pumice and Beautec doses work for me? Am I correct in assuming the pool company should have caught or prevented this? Or does this just happen in pools? The pool company uses strips to test each week and all numbers have been in what seem to be a “normal” range. They add 1 gallon shock and 1/4 ph lowerer each week according to the pool company. What should be my next steps to getting my pool looking good again? Thanks!!!!

Pools do not have stuff like that “just happen”. It happens because of incompetence (even if well meaning and not on purpose). Once your test kit arrives, post up the results and we can help from there. Depending on what the “pH” lower-er is, that may be damaging to your SWCG. Only muriatic acid should be used.