Any swimming pool boffins out there?

[Wynand N]

I have a fiberglass swimming pool that is about 6 years old. The pool is always kept under sail cover during autumn and winter and opened during summer only. Always crystal clear and blue.
I always used a stabilized chlorine floater with a bit of shock treatment once in awhile to keep it tip top.

However, about two weeks ago we had plenty of rain and thunder storms and noticed the pool water color is a bit off and bought new floater and did not noticed it was an un-stabilized chlorine floater dispenser until today. (can this cause problems?) Gradually it looked like some light green algae forming on the sides.

Today I jumped in the pool to scrub off this "algae" only to find that the blue gelcoat has discolored to an egg shell cream color I tried to scrub it off but to no avail. cannot even scratch it - above water level the gelcoat is still blue. Even where dust laid on the steps in patterns is like it is fused into the gelcoat, much like it was radiated in by some nuke force...

Interesting is that this cream colored stain on the gelcoat is only on the sides and fades lower down although some slight discoloration is showing on the bottom.

Can anyone tell me what had happened to my pool the last couple of days and it looks like it will need a new coat of paint soon.

[rasorinc]

Your chemicals are way out of balance. Too much acid or alkali or even heavy chlorine can dissolve paint. Chlorine - real high can destroy copper piping and can turn a plaster pool green with copper sheen. Get an accurate reading of what you have and add appropriate chemicals to balance it. Do not go in the pool until it is balanced. It can actually burn you, especially eyes. It will require draining and new paint. No way to fix that. Where I live the swimming pool chemical stores do thorough testing of your pool water so as too supply the proper chemicals. If you are going to paint it, drain it now and balance out the new water. Do you do your own testing with a kit?

[hoytedow]

Check for calcium carbonate deposits, too.

Better living through chemistry.

[Poida]

Those floaty things are good if you are going away for holidays, but are unable to balance your pool properly. I find they make the pool too acidic.

A standard test kit that shows chlorine level and PH should be, all that is required.

The test kit shows whether you should add Acid or Soda Ash without even having to understand PH.

It sounds like the pool water is too acidic as it, together with the Sun is bleaching the pool surface.

I don't know about the rest of the world but pool shops here are set up to sell and load you up with a pile of crap with stupid names like "buffer", "stabaliser" that you don't need.

All you need is Chlorine, Acid (to lower PH) and Soda Ash (to raise PH)

Sometimes if the water gets cloudy, it's because the particles ar too small to get caught in the filter. Add some water clarifier that makes the particles sticky and they then get caught in the filter and can be backwashed out.

Poida

[hoytedow]

Home made acid test: http://www.homegrownbud.com/forums/s...ead.php?t=2675

[Poida]

Oh Hoyt you are such a hoot.

Anyway on your way to the fruit and vegie shop, duck into the pool shop and grab a test kit. Then, by the time you have boiled your Red Cabbage you would have already tested your pool water.

But all is not lost, the boiled Red Cabbage can still be usefull. Add some Spuds, Green Peas and a couple of Chops and have a nice nosh up next to your sparkling pool.

Poida

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by Poida

Oh Hoyt you are such a hoot.

Anyway on your way to the fruit and vegie shop, duck into the pool shop and grab a test kit. Then, by the time you have boiled your Red Cabbage you would have already tested your pool water.

But all is not lost, the boiled Red Cabbage can still be usefull. Add some Spuds, Green Peas and a couple of Chops and have a nice nosh up next to your sparkling pool.

Poida

Throw in a chili and liven it up.