Would you Acid Wash

Just bought a house with a 45 year old inground concrete pool. I don't know if/when it has ever been replastered. Based on info from the previous owner the plaster is in decent condition. However, the pool is green, with a dead rat floating....beauty. The pool pro tested the water (2000 for dissolved solids) he said it was boarder line for draining versus reconditioning. My wife took one look at the pool and said drain it. (I'm aware of the risks of draining the pool)

The question is would you acid wash the pool while its drained? I'm wondering if acid washing can do more harm than good to the condition of the plaster.

Any thoughts?

There's no way anyone can offer you good advice on this, without seeing the pool walls. Keep in mind that acid-washing works by corroding off the top layer of plaster, leaving it whiter, but also rougher and more susceptible to stains.

The dead rat is an aesthetic issue, but not a sanitary one. Once you clean up and chlorinate, there's no problem. (Keep in mind, that if you drink treated river water like most people in the US do, there've been much worse things then dead rats in that water!)

If you are going to drain, and you are on a hill or hillside, there's no problem. But if you are in a flat area with wet ground . . . it's another matter. Better think twice, in that case. If you're determined to go ahead, did a post hole 4' deep next to the pool, and let it stand. If it stays dry, you should be OK. If not, don't drain, no matter what your wife says.

I can promise you she REALLY won't like the concrete boat you'll have sitting up out of the ground all cattywampus.

Ben

Thanks PoolDoc, Any thoughts regarding the TDS reading 2000? Would that have you lean more towards drain versus recondition the existing water?

I'll let Ben give a definitive answer- but if your water balances, and maintains, don't try to fix what ain't broke...
increased TDS, if it doesn't cause any other problems, is actually a help to your eyes; I think your internal eye is like 9000 TDS, any movement toward that reduces osmosis through your eye which causes a lot of the irritation...
That's part of the reason salt in your pool helps, even if you don't have a SWCG!

Interesting.....Thanks Madwil