Test results on new pool in Tucson

[Wilco]

My cya is 100-110, previous owners probably relied on tricolor pucks it would seem. Was going to see if it went down over winter. I have a pebble tec pool with multicolored tiles on rim. Horrible scaling build up. I have used pumice ( go through it way too fast), de scaler spray ( not a chance) paint scraper ( lots of forearm fAtigue) and recently a chisel and hammer ( use correct angle to avoid tile chipping). Really looks like hell. Any thoughts?

[SunnyOptimism]

My cya is 100-110, previous owners probably relied on tricolor pucks it would seem. Was going to see if it went down over winter. I have a pebble tec pool with multicolored tiles on rim. Horrible scaling build up. I have used pumice ( go through it way too fast), de scaler spray ( not a chance) paint scraper ( lots of forearm fAtigue) and recently a chisel and hammer ( use correct angle to avoid tile chipping). Really looks like hell. Any thoughts?

Your CYA is only going to "naturally" decrease VERY slowly, ~2-3ppm/month at best during the winter. My suggestion, if you want to reach a lower level faster, is to drain and refill. Taking you water level down by 25-30% would put you in a much more manageable range. Just my opinion, as others feel 100ppm is OK to run at since you'll just use more bleach that way.

As for scale, Arizona Bead Blasters (http://www.arizonabeadblasting.com/) used to service Tucson. I'm not sure if they do anymore. Salt blasting calcium deposits is the better way to go. If the process is tuned right, you blow away all the Ca scale without any damage to tile or PebbleTec. It costs money, but unless you have your own salt blasting equipment, it might be worth saving you arms the trouble. Pumice stone will definitely scratch your tile surface and won't help at all on the PebbleTec or rock surfaces. Diluted muriatic acid can help a bit but you'd better wear gloves and face gear to protect yourself.

[Wilco]

Looks like they will come to Tucson for $75 fee. Very nice guy contacted me back. Thanks, might tie it in with draining the pool a bit which they need to do anyway.

[Watermom]

Your CYA is only going to "naturally" decrease VERY slowly, ~2-3ppm/month at best during the winter.

This statement is not necessarily true. Some pools lose all of their CYA over the winter. We see it all the time. When this happens (CYA biodegrades), you are often left with ammonia in the water as a byproduct and a huge chlorine demand upon opening. No way to tell which pools this will happen to, unfortunately.

[SunnyOptimism]

Looks like they will come to Tucson for $75 fee. Very nice guy contacted me back. Thanks, might tie it in with draining the pool a bit which they need to do anyway.

Cool. Let me know how it goes, I was thinking about buying my own salt blasting equipment to do the job but if they do good work for you, that would be good to know. My scaling isn't too bad but I wanted to do the job over the winter.

This statement is not necessarily true. Some pools lose all of their CYA over the winter. We see it all the time. When this happens (CYA biodegrades), you are often left with ammonia in the water as a byproduct and a huge chlorine demand upon opening. No way to tell which pools this will happen to, unfortunately.

Thanks @Watermom! I was going to add that into my statement but did not want to get into the weeds about it. I think the CYA-Ammonia conversion only happens in pools that are "closed" over winter. In those pools, the low-level algae that forms (after all the chlorine and polyquat is gone) then converts the CYA into ammonia. I have not heard of that happening in a pool that is run all year round like we do here in the Southwest because, presumably, we hope to have no algae in our pools to do the conversion but I would be interested in hearing about cases where CYA was consumed by some other chemical mechanism. I guess if a pool was allowed to turn into a green swamp, then the algae would consume all the CYA and produce ammonia, but that would be the extreme case of someone just neglecting their pool.....Hey! Maybe that's the solution to excessive CYA!?!?! Let your pool turn into a swamp for a while until your CYA levels go to normal

joking!!

[Wilco]

Guy quoted me $300 to do the salt blasting. He's coming Saturday, will let you know how it goes.

[SunnyOptimism]

Guy quoted me $300 to do the salt blasting. He's coming Saturday, will let you know how it goes.

AWESOME!!

So $375 with the travel fee. Not bad. I priced out a 100lb sand blasting tank and 130psi/6gal air compressor at a little over $400. Add in 100 lbs of the kieserite material they use (basically hydrated magnesium sulfate salt) and you easily go over $500 for a DIY setup. Not to mention you need a modified shopvac or pressure-side cleaner with a fine mesh bag to vacuum up all the calcium scale and spent salt at the bottom of your pool...you'd have to do two or three DIY jobs before the equipment starting paying for itself.

If you can, please post before and after photos (especially of the worst areas) so we can all see the results. Ca scaling is a huge problem out here in the Southwest with our plaster pools and hard water, so I'm pretty sure others will be interested. Probably a good idea to start a new post so others will see it.

In case you're interested in reading about the soda blasting process, this site has good technical info -- http://www.universalminerals.com/maxxclean.shtml

[Wilco]

Definitely will post pics. Maybe the guy will cut me a deal for the advertising!