Acid Wash-Chemicals

There are two commonly used acid washes , no drain and drain the pool. The no-drain acid wash is where the water remains in the pool and is prepared by adding acid to the water, about 12 gallons. The water becomes very caustic which loosens the stain on the plaster. By brushing the pool every day with the system off, the loose plaster comes off and settles to the bottom. Brushing the pool is necessary for good results. Use a stiff bristled brush over the entire pool. After a week or when the appearance of the pool is better, the adding of soda ash to the water is used to raise the ph to about 7.4, several pounds are necessary. The system can now be turned on and the residue vacuumed out, preferably by a porta-vac. This process works well where the draining of pools is mandated by the city and where time is not a factor. The draining acid wash is where the water is drained and the plaster is washed with an acid solution with about 50% water, also a little tile soap can be added to help it stay on the walls. Using an acid wash brush, the plaster is scrubbed until the desired appearance is achieved. A pump is used during the process to keep the pool empty of water and the acid solution. This technique takes a couple of days and the end results are better. The pool can now be filled with fresh water and conditioned. After the chemical balance is adjusted in the water, the clean pool can now be used. A clean looking pool is a welcome environment for the avid swimmer.

Algae in Swimming Pools

There are two common kinds of algae in pools, the black algae and the yellow algae. The black is a stubborn growth that grows in spots on the plaster. To get rid of this growth, one would have to brush it with a steel brush or sprinkle pure chlorine powder on the affected area. Be careful not to allow the wind to blow the powder on your body for it is very irritable to the skin. There is a devise that will hold a chlorine tab that attaches to the pole, and the tab is rubbed directly on the spot. There are commercial products in liquid form that contain silver and copper that works with time. The yellow algae grows all over the pool and can be brushed off easily. Ammonia is the best solution for this growth. One gallon of ammonia with two gallons of chlorine works well, but this method does not allow swimmers to use the pool for several days. Ammonia sulfate (the fertilizer) in dry form with chlorine (two lbs of ammonia and two gallons chlorine) works and does not restrict the use of the pool. Yellow Out is a commercial product with ammonia sulfate in it, but the expense is more than the fertilizer. The task of keeping a pool algae free, is part of the servicing contract, along with a sparkling clean pool to swim in.

Porta-vac; Equipment

What is that contraption on the back of a pool cleaners truck? It is a Porta-vac, a complete filtering and pumping rig on a wheeled carrier. The Pool Cleaner can wheel this to the side of a pool and plug it in and have a good vacuuming system. Many pools have poor suction for vacuuming, but with this rig the suction is great. Also the dirt is kept in the Port-vac filter, not the built in system. The Pool Cleaner can clean out the filter on his own time, leaving the systems filter clean, less back washing. The Porta-vac was introduced in the 80s and became a must for the business. With the added suction, a larger vac head could be used and the pool cleaned much faster. Time is a factor when many pools are taken care of. Most Port-vacs are assembled by the person of the business, allowing them to choose the filter and pump. There are complete rigs available, but one saves by doing the labor themselves.

Salt Water Pools, Chlorine Generator; Equipment

Chlorine is derived from salt by subjecting salt to electricity, electrolysis. Salt water pools are not chlorine free but develop the chlorine from the salt in the water. There is no addition of the liquid bleach and makes it much safer from the harmful and powerful qualities of chlorine. The electrolysis system is installed in the plumbing of the filtering system, and has a panel for control. The only thing you add to the pool water is salt(3000 to 6000 ppm). You still have to maintain the acid level but it is much easier than usual. The water is much softer and delightful to swim in, one feels more buoyant and refreshed in this environment.

Pool Filters, Equipment

Mother nature has provided the best filter aid, sand and gravel. The older filters of this kind were huge and placed in an underground pit or in a equipment building. They were obtrusive and ugly, but they worked well. To keep a filter clean, back washing was necessary. One would simply reverse the flow of the water through the filter and deposit the dirt in a dry well, a cesspool like unit buried in the ground. The diatomaceous earth filter was introduced, it was much smaller in size, but still needed backwashing. The filter grids inside were coated with D.E. and the dirt would adhere to these grids and filter the water well. Every year, the filter had to be taken apart and the grids were cleaned separately by a hose with good water pressure and a brush. The filter tanks were stainless steal but later fiber glass was used. Then came the cartridge filter. With the cartridge filter there was no need for a dry well, thus cutting down on the cost of pool construction. One would simply disassemble the filter and hose off the cartridges. There are still sand and gravel filters and D.E. filters, but the cartridge filter took over the industry. They filter the water well and every couple of years the cartridges were replaced. The filter is a necessary product for a clean and sparkling pool. I found the D.E. filter was the best, but it is your choice.

Vacuum Heads and Hoses; tools

Vacuuming a pool is necessary to have a sparkling clean pool. In the old days, a pool was rectangular in shape with straight walls and a sloping bottom from shallow to deep. The vacuums were aluminum and not flexible. They were heavy and cumbersome, but with the introduction of a curved bottom pool, the vac heads were made to flex. With new plaster one had to use a brush vac so no wheel marks were left in the soft and curing plaster. After a month of using the brush vac, the plaster was hard and ready for the wheel vac. The flexs vac had 8 wheels on it for the standard size, 14 in. The silicone wheels were much better, they lasted longer. To vacuum a pool, the sides and the steps are brushed. The vacuum is put in the shallow end and one works toward the deep end, let gravity work with you. The vac hose comes in several lengths, depending on the size of the pool. A 30 ft. hose was ample for most pools. For larger pools the hose can be connected with shorter sections to suit the size required. Before inserting the hose to the suction line, all the air must be removed from the hose. If it is not you may loose the prime in the pump. With above ground systems it is time consuming and sometimes difficult to prime. With pool service a vacuum a week was mandatory.

Pool Tile, Tile Brush and Soap

While swimming in a pool, the tile is at eye level. If the tile is kept clean, the swimmer is much more at ease and comfortable. Back in the 60s, we used to mix muriatic acid in the tile soap to loosen the hard particles that would accumulate on the tile. The down side of this was the acid solution would stain the pool deck. Ajax powder would clean the tile well but you had to put it on the brush several times for the entire pool. A thicker liquid soap was good for the entire pool. The new soaps have an agent for dissolving the hard deposits and cleaning the oils and scum. With the residential accounts, the owner is aware of the hazards of oil and is careful not to use it. Not only does it leave dirty tile but it is not good for the filter. Commercial accounts are a pain in the back because of the use of sun tan oil. Even though there are signs prohibiting its use, people are not supervised and use it anyway. After years, alkali forms on the tile and pumice is one way to eliminate the hard particles, but it is very strenuous. There are new methods for cleaning the tile, blasting the tile with glass beads or diatomaceous earth. There are people who do this job with special equipment for a nominal fee. Clean tile is a rewarding experience for the user and regular brushing helps keep things nice.