swimming pool...above ground....got questions

Hey everyone. Hoping someone can help me out b/c I've run out of local resources. So as many of you know I bought a house...it also came with an above ground pool. 21 feet diameter, 4.5 feet deep. Well after the owner's not using it or really caring for it last year, I've finally gotten the water level up and sucked up the 1/2 inch think layer of algae from the entire bottom.

Now it appears as though there is a whitish crust on the bottom, very similar to calcium/lime deposits from hard water or a really bad ring around the bathtub...the entire bottom. I've tried brushing from above water to no avail. I dive down and with vigorous brushing I clean about 1 square inch everytime I dive while holding my breath. IT doesn't feel slimy, but rather more like a natural swimming pool bottom if it was a concrete in-ground pool. My concern is that when people come over, nobody will want to swim in it

The local pool suppliers all have no ideas...Anybody got any tips, advice, etc?? Thanks!

Here are some pictures:


the blue parts are the normal exposed smooth part of the liner....


same, different part of the pool....the straight line is from where the pool ladder sits

I am a pool noob. I still have yet to figure out my pool chem balance after 2 years. I ready to throw the Pool Frog out the fucking window of a speeding car.

My concern is that the deposits will make the liner 'brittle' and lead to a hole.

Have you tried to troll around on a pool forum? If your local guys dont know then find someone nationally who has seen more pools on a forum. I did not know they had pools in Canada...

Try this
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/archive/index.php/t-1377.html

And this
http://www.askalanaquestion.com/calcium_hardness_pool_problems.htm

Good luck

I just thought canadian pools were the hockey rinks that thawed out for those few months of not-winter every year...

hoffyguns wrote:

I just thought canadian pools were the hockey rinks that thawed out for those few months of not-winter every year...

Says the guy from minesota

I thought i would have an answer to help u nes as i have some exp with maintaing pools. But i was at a loss hopeully winnys links help

As someone that has absolutely zero experience with backyard pools, is it a pain to remove the water and check it out dry? I kind of laughed at the picts because, well, it looks like a lot of blue. Not really sure what I'm supposed to be looking at. lol

If you can scrape a bit off, and put it in a glass with vinegar overnight, you would be able to tell whether it's calcium carbonate based. It will dissolve overnight if it is

I did a quick search and found this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_7412141_tell-buildup-above-ground-pool.html

It sure seems to be a build up of calcium based on what you've said and this article.

Thanks everyone for the advice...very funny hoffy. And Wini, those links were awesome...found an answer I think I'm going to try. +1 to you.

make sure the advice is for a above ground pool and not an in-ground pool. I am sure Tile pools are treated VERY differantly than a pool with a liner.

Oh yeah, in case you missed it Fuck Pool Frog.

Most likely it from the previous used/owner running too high of a PH level.

Check your chemical levels with a test kit. If PH is over 7.0-7.2, get a bunch of PH- and load the pool up with it.

DO NOT SWIM in that water. Let the PH- run its course for 2-3 days, then recheck chemical levels.

At some point, the calcium buildup will start to loosen from the bottom of the liner. It may take a few treatments, so if you want to use your pool in the next week or two, you may be out of luck.

The most surefire way to fix it would be installing a new liner.

You can do it yourself, with a few friends, not really difficult.

PM me if you have any questions.

Yep, I did read that page and checked for above ground pools. The most helpful post said to get my ph around 6.0 but didn't specify for how long. I'll probably need to add something to bring the pH back up quicker though through the normal course of things it should come up right?

Winicott1001 wrote:

Oh yeah, in case you missed it Fuck Pool Frog.

Um... what is pool frog? And why is Wini so angry about him? lol

walldoggy wrote:

Winicott1001 wrote:

Oh yeah, in case you missed it Fuck Pool Frog.

Um... what is pool frog? And why is Wini so angry about him? lol

Automatic Chlorination. I have spent 2 seasons trying to get the levels right and I can't get it. I am ready to throw the thing into the street in front of a truck.

I enjoyed balancing my pool when I was in AZ. It gave me something to throw at my OCD/PTSD to keep me busy since I was just home from the sandbox. I just drew on my heavy home chemistry meth cooking experiences and voila crystal clear water with perfect pH, hardness, and PPM of chlorine every time.

BigDaddyN8 wrote:

I enjoyed balancing my pool when I was in AZ. It gave me something to throw at my OCD/PTSD to keep me busy since I was just home from the sandbox. I just drew on my heavy home chemistry meth cooking experiences and voila crystal clear water with perfect pH, hardness, and PPM of chlorine every time.

Great. You are hired.

Cool, do I get benefits too? I could use some kind of bonus system too.

BigDaddyN8 wrote:

Cool, do I get benefits too? I could use some kind of bonus system too.

You get to live at my house. That is a benefit and a bonus.

If you do a good job you can help finish the 27 projects my wife has planned.

But momma says the Devil lives in Michigan so that is working against this deal. Do I get to live in an apartment above the garage like Kirk Cameron in the last season of Growing Pains?

Since we are adults and would use acid carefully I will give you a tip on how to get the same buildup that also appears in your dishwasher out of the dishwasher.

It is muriatic acid and needs to be handled carefully. Dilute it and add it to the empty dishwasher. Let it fill and run.
Let it run a whole load time, and then run it once more with a bit of DW soap and no acid.


I did not believe it until I tried it. It was like magic.


Oh yeah, turn off the heating elements and do not add anything but water with the acid.

CanisMajor60 wrote:

Since we are adults and would use acid carefully

LOL
Surely you must be thinking of another group of people...

Muriatic Acid is the best thing for pH trouble. It will almost always be too high, not too low. Use sparingly and avoid the fumes. For an average above ground pool it shouldn't need much to get the pH back to an acceptable range. Just a cup or so. Add a little, then wait an hour to check before adding more. Keep the filter running of course. Bad pH will affect your pools ability to stabilize the Cl levels too, so get that in check first and you should be able to manage the Cl without too much trouble.

The pool stores sell pH down powder, but you need a lot of it and it is far more costly than a gallon of muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is also good for dissolving dead bodies and is a favorite disposal tool of serial kilers, FYI, so don't buy 50 gallons or you might end up on the FBI watch list...lol.

I recommend a weekly dose of shock especially in times of extreme sun and heavy use. Buy a case of the single use packs. Also a weekly algacide treatment is a sure way to keep the water clear all summer.

@OldSchool- They make brush attachments for the skimmer handle so you don't have to hold your breath BTW!

You ain't kidding about the muratic acid. We used it quite frequently when doing exposed aggregate concrete driveways and other commercial construction projects. Buying that by the 50 gallon drum gets you on the watch list. So does buying 100 gallons of bleach at a time also. (We used it to clean out the hulls of the fishing vessels after bringing in a catch to the refinery). Both chemicals can be used for bad things by someone who understands the chemistry and has a little training.

BigDaddyN8 wrote:

But momma says the Devil lives in Michigan so that is working against this deal. Do I get to live in an apartment above the garage like Kirk Cameron in the last season of Growing Pains?

No garage, but there is a nice tree fort I built last year that will serve as a shelter that will take you back to your days over seas, only with out the food that gives you explosive diarrhea for several months.

Sweet. Please advise the children that they have to know the challenge/password to approach the tree fort and that the code changes every 24 hours. I would hate to see one of them wander into a homemade snare/punjii pit/minefield/razorwire etc....


PS. do you have adequate fields of fire surrounding said tree fort or will I have to bring a canister of agent orange?

[quote="Winicott1001"]

BigDaddyN8 wrote:

But momma says the Devil lives in Michigan so that is working against this deal. Do I get to live in an apartment above the garage like Kirk Cameron in the last season of Growing Pains?

Only if your roommate is Boner