Acid Washing Time!
One of the biggest maintenance jobs we encounter is acid washing a pool. Now is an excellent time of year to consider acid washing a pool since swimming is at a minimum, and we’re looking at summer heat.in the near future. Before deciding acid washing your pool, it’s a wise idea to talk to your pool tech about the pros and cons.
After five to seven years of use, pool water chemistry becomes more challenging to maintain. There may be a white or gray ring around the pool at the waterline, and there may even be rust stains from light fixtures, hair clips, or other metals that wound up in the water. There may be an ongoing fight with green algae that never seems to end.
Draining the water from a pool, however, isn’t a casual decision. It turns a significant home feature into a massive cliff in the backyard. Anyone who accidentally falls into it will hit the plaster bottom, which creates a severe test of the quality of their health insurance. If you’re still interested, read on.
Draining the water
During the drainage process, two things are essential: first, that the home has a sanitary sewer drain system. A septic tank will quickly overflow if the pool is drained into it. However, the old pool water shouldn’t be randomly drained in the yard, either because it’s full of chemicals that have the potential to contaminate the groundwater. The pool should be drained until it’s empty.
Pro tip: turn off the auto-fill feature before starting the drainage process. There’s nothing more disconcerting than to begin to drain the pool, only to come back hours later to discover that the pool is at its original water level.
The acid
Because acid washing takes a thin layer of plaster off of the sides of the pool, it shouldn’t be acid washed very often. The mix is a combination of muriatic acid and water, which is used to clean the sides and bottom of the pool in small segments, along with plenty of scrubbing to get the last bit of discoloration.
The protective gear worn by the crew is to shield them from burns as a result of the muriatic acid. The wash is applied and rinsed in sections so the pool will be clean, but the wash won’t erode the plaster too much.
The acid puddle created at the bottom of the pool can be neutralized with soda ash. The resulting sludge often requires a submersible pump and container, both of which have to be handled and cleaned carefully, and the area rinsed.
Replastering is a last resort, and usually only opted for when a pool is old and badly stained. Your pool tech will tell you if replastering is your best option.
New water
The techs will add a new batch of chemicals to the water during the refilling process, which will turn the tap water into sustainable pool water. Cooler weather works in favor of the acid wash, as fewer chemicals are needed to balance the pool, which is why acid washing is best done before the heat of summer.
Dog Days Pool Service is a pool service company serving Clearwater, Safety Harbor, and all surrounding areas. We offer pool cleaning, maintenance, troubleshooting and more and would love to hear from you! (727) 791-6012
