Does your pool look tired and worn? Is it stained or chipped? Did you buy a home with this pool and you love the idea of the pool, but it just isn’t as pristine white as you’d imagined a pool should be, or you want yours to be? How to acid wash a pool is something the swimming pool service contractors from Tipton Pools in Knoxville, Tennessee explain to pool owners on a regular basis.
An acid wash, or chlorine wash, strips away the top (dirty, gray) layer of concrete and reveals the white, shiny pristine colors beneath. When it comes to an acid wash, it is typically a job best left to the pool professionals; you could injure yourself with the chemicals or do damage to the pool itself.
Something that may lead you to request an acid wash? An algae-filled swimming pool. The algae can leave a green tinge even after the pool water is clean and ready to swim in. A chlorine wash should be done every couple of years regardless of whether it’s stained.
How to acid wash a pool
Water hardness — levels of 700-800 PPM –parts per million — could lead to the calcium build-up. This could clog the pool equipment — filter, pipe and filtration system and this negatively impacts the mechanisms of the pool. It is hard to reduce and remove calcium without having to drain the pool BUT an acid wash could help bring the pool back in line and make a dent in the calcium build up.
What does an acid wash involve?
- The pool may need to be completely drained in order to thoroughly acid wash the pool – extreme, but it may happen.
- Muriatic acid is used to clean the plaster.
- The acid is poured down the walls and into the bottom of the pool and the deck as well. The pool will be acid washed one section at a time.
What will an acid or chlorine wash remove?
- Organic stains
- Metallic stains
- Calcium deposits
The main difference with an acid wash and a chlorine wash is that the acid wash will remove a thin layer of the pool plaster during the process.
Give us a call and let’s talk about whether you should have your pool plaster and your pool acid washed.