Acid-washed Steps

Acid Washing

Removing Lime-scale with Acid

Acid-washed Steps - Before and After

If you have allowed the pH of the pool water to get too high, have left your pool to its’ own devices over winter (a very bad idea!) or have inherited a problem pool it is probable that you will have a build-up of lime-scale on the sides and bottom of the pool

Lime-scale is formed from minerals that are dissolved in the pool water and it unfortunately provides the perfect toe-hold for algae to grow and proliferate

Lime-scale feels rough to the touch because it is composed of millions of microscopic crystals with ‘pits’ (holes) on the surface.  These pits are circulation dead-spots and do not receive fresh supplies of chlorinated water

Algae spores that takes up residence in one of these pits are unaffected by normal levels of chlorine and can therefore proliferate, turning the lime-scale green

Superchlorination will probably, but not definitely, kill the algae and turn it brown.  Now you have unsightly, brown lime-scale on the pool surfaces

Scrubbing with a stiff brush does little to remove lime-scale once it has developed past a certain point and the only choice left is to drain and acid-wash the pool

This is a very unpleasant process and should not be undertaken lightly.  Our sincere advice is to get a professional in to do the job for you but if you really want to have a go yourself - this is what you do: -

Instructions for Acid Washing

  • Wear rubber boots and gloves, eye protection, long trousers and a shirt with sleeves (wear old clothes and footwear
  • Wear a respirator with the correct acid-fume-absorbing filters. THIS IS IMPORTANT to prevent damaging your lungs
  • Drain the pool to ‘Waste’, but leave about 200mm (8”) of water at the deep end (to throw yourself into if you splash yourself with acid)
  • Do not use the pool water to backwash a sand-filter whilst draining the pool, as there is a strong possibility that the filter will calcify as the water passes through it. Then you might need to replace the filter!
  • Have a hosepipe ready to rinse off each section of the pool as it is cleaned
  • Pour 5 litres of water in a rubber bucket and slowly add 5 litres of Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid, use all of the mixture before mixing more
  • Add the acid to the water; NEVER add the water to the acid
  • Using a long-handled soft broom, apply the mix to the top of the pool wall in a sweeping motion
  • AVOID BREATHING THE ACIDIC FUMES
  • Do not allow the acid to contact any stainless-steel fittings such as steps or handrails as they will become stained
  • Apply the acid with a soft broom at arms lengthApplying acid with a broom
  • Cover about 1 metre width of wall at a time from the top and allow the acid to drip down to the bottom
  • Sweep the acid across the tiles with the broom - it's the acid and not scrubbing with the broom that removes the lime-scale - and keep sweeping it upwards from where it has dripped to minimise the amount of acid required
  • The acid will hiss and froth as it dissolves the lime-scale (and the top surface of the grout/plaster) and it will be obvious where lime-scale is still present
  • Work quickly to minimise grout or plaster damage
  • As the acid removes the lime-scale from each section, rinse that section thoroughly
  • Pay particular attention to washing away the ‘run-off’ on a regular basis because it is very acidic and will dissolve the grout/plaster as it drains into the bottom of the pool
  • When all the walls of the pool have been washed and thoroughly rinsed, start on the steps and the bottom surface of the pool at the shallow end. Take extra care when entering or leaving the pool via the steps; once they have been acid-washed they may be very slippery
  • Continue cleaning until all visible lime-scale has been removed
  • Drain the remaining water to ‘Waste’ and remove any lime-scale that still remains
  • Rinse the entire pool surface thoroughly and check for remaining patches of lime-scale
  • Any patches that you missed will become more obvious as the surface dries
  • Check for any areas of eroded or missing grout or damaged plaster and repair as required

 

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website

All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers no guarantee of final price.

Note: - Please contact our recommended Pool Professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety SpainPool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Each of the above offers years of experience, free unbiased advice and excellent, Professional service.

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users, and help us to make every pool a safer place. By sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our FacebookFacebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

 

netting the pool

Cleaning the pool

- nothing looks less inviting than a dirty pool so they need to be cleaned regularly

Tools Required: -

  • Bag Net and Handle
  • Vacuum Head and Telescopic Handle
  • Floating Vacuuming Tube

General cleaning

  • Check the level and fill if required - the ideal level is 75mm or 3" above the entrance to the  skimmer inlets
  • Brush the wall at the waterline
  • Net the floating and bottom debris
  • Take out the skimmer baskets and remove all insects and plant materials
  • Check the return jets - ensure that the flow is pushing the surface water in the direction of the skimmers, but without making any noise
  • A pool can be manually cleaned by attaching a vacuuming tool to a suction inlet
  • Typically, there are 2 types of vacuuming inlet where you can attach the vacuuming tool; via the dedicated vacuum socket or via the skimmer socket

Alternatively, the pool can be cleaned using an Automatic Pool Cleaner

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety SpainPool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our FacebookFacebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

Test Kit

Testing Kits

The first step towards a balanced pool is to know what's happening in the pool right now

It is absolutely vital to test the water balance regularly to ensure, as an absolute minimum, the correct level of sanitizer and pH value

Total Alkalinity and Total Dissolved Solids should also be tested for on a monthly basis

Although there are automatic test-and-dispense equipments on the market most pool-owners test manually, using a variety of different test-kits: -

Other parameters can also be tested using an appropriate test-kit: -

  • Oxygen
  • Monopersulphate
  • Salt
  • Chlorine Neutralizer
  • Free Chlorine

If you want a thorough analysis of the water in your pool it's best to take a sample to your local pool shop who can do this for you, for a reasonable fee, and who can then make recommendations on the correct chemicals and procedures to correct any imbalances 

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety SpainPool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our FacebookFacebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

pool maintenance

Pool Maintenance

- what must you do?

Keeping a pool clean, healthy and sanitized is not difficult - just as long as you know what you have to do!

Pools are complicated systems and there is very little chance that a new pool-owner will be able to correctly guess what needs to be done; and then do all that is necessary, in the correct order, at the right time

However, if you follow the advice given below you shouldn't go far wrong in day-to-day maintenance

Daily

  • Check the chemicals with a test-kit and, if required, adjust the pH and the Chlorine levels
  • Run the pump and filter for 4 hours twice a day - set this up on the pump timer, which is just like the timer on your central heating system
  • Empty the skimmer baskets of leaves, insects and other floating debris
  • Remove leaves etc., from surface and bottom of the pool with a net
  • The sooner debris is removed the less Chlorine you will use
  • Tidy the pool area and remove anything that can be tripped over
  • Make a note of everything you do to your pool in your Pool Logbook

Weekly

In addition to the 'Daily' tasks above, each week (preferably on a Friday to prepare the pool for extra bather load over the weekend), carry out the following: -

  • Empty the pump strainer basket
  • Brush the pool walls and steps
  • Check and adjust the return jets

Bi-weekly

Make notes

Make a note of your test-results, what you did to correct any chemical imbalances, all your pool maintenance activitiesand everything else you do to
your pool in your Pool Logbook

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

All of Spain and Portugal  -  poolsafetyspain.compoolsafetyspain.com - for all aspects of Pool Safety

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety SpainPool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our FacebookFacebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©