Stain or plaster corroded through?

Stains on the pool surfaces, pool equipment
or on the swimmers, or off-color swimming pool
water. Discolored but clear pool water.
berlinbai
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Joined: Sat 02 Mar, 2019 20:34
My Pool: 10X20, don’t know what type, plaster, Hayward Ecostar VS, Triton II sand filter.

Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby berlinbai » Sat 02 Mar, 2019 23:15

Hi guys,
I’m still new to pool maintenance.
Over the winter the pool bottom turned in to this. Trying to find out what is it, and how to get rid of it.

Thanks

https://ibb.co/nszg89G
https://ibb.co/B66GdwZ
https://ibb.co/zfvDDQ4
https://ibb.co/8Nf8JZv
https://ibb.co/Hq516b9
https://ibb.co/JqC8Msx


Teapot
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My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby Teapot » Sun 03 Mar, 2019 13:40

That is black algae, only it's not really an algae it's a cyanobacteria. Chlorine won't touch it as it has a tough exterior that requires scrubbing to damage the surface so it can be killed. Best treatment is chlorine dioxide as that's lipid soluble so can get through the outer cell wall.
TheChieftain
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My Pool: Free form pool, inground, Gunnite, PebbleTec, blue surface, 35000 gallons, Pentair equipment, raised spa, waterfeatures, airblower, DE filter, multiport valve, Backwash, negative edge, heater, booster pump, Polaris 280, Easytouch Automation system, ScreenLogic.

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby TheChieftain » Sun 10 Mar, 2019 08:17

It looks a lot like Black Algae.
It is way out of control. The best thing I recommend for your case is to drain the pool, pressure wash it, and fill it back up, all in the same day if you can.

I’ve done this before with some pools that looked similar to yours.
You have to be careful not to get the pressure washer to close to the plaster but just enough to blast off the algae. You’ll be fine. It’s not difficult.
You’ll need to keep your sump pump running in the deep end while your pressure washing.

You will need to clean the filter cartridges or DE grids with muriatic acid or it may be time to replace them.

After you fill the pool you will need to shock the pool to raise the chlorine up to 30ppm and add some Black Magic algicide from Proteam. Leave the filter pump running nonstop for 48hrs.

After the 48 hrs you You can allow the chlorine to drop back to 3 - 5 ppm.

Stay vigilant for black algae blooms in the future and add a maintenance dose of algicide every month, keep chlorine in the pool, you should be fine now.

Cheers!
Teapot
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Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby Teapot » Sun 10 Mar, 2019 10:59

1. It's a sand filter
2. Chlorine won't touch it.
3. Black magic algaecide is just sodium bromide used for mustard algae not tough shelled cyanobacteria (black algae)
4. use a pressure washer at your peril, removing that much plaster will give you more problems.
5. Don't use algaecide every month, it just uses up more chlorine burning it out of the pool, it's not strong enough to stop algae unless it's copper based and I wouldn't use copper based products in a plaster pool.
TheChieftain
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Joined: Wed 27 Feb, 2019 12:56
My Pool: Free form pool, inground, Gunnite, PebbleTec, blue surface, 35000 gallons, Pentair equipment, raised spa, waterfeatures, airblower, DE filter, multiport valve, Backwash, negative edge, heater, booster pump, Polaris 280, Easytouch Automation system, ScreenLogic.

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby TheChieftain » Sun 10 Mar, 2019 12:38

I’m just speaking from experience from what has worked in the past. I’ve done it on many neglected pools with black algae.
Teapot
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Posts: 1337
Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby Teapot » Sun 10 Mar, 2019 16:27

I understand, I am also speaking from experience having been trained by the industry but now I know much better! I have the better knowledge these days from marine biologists and industrial chemists, verified via scientific papers so I keep right on the pulse of what's happening. Sadly the pool industry has the pool industry at it's heart and sales are more important than real knowledge.
TheChieftain
I'm new here
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Posts: 5
Joined: Wed 27 Feb, 2019 12:56
My Pool: Free form pool, inground, Gunnite, PebbleTec, blue surface, 35000 gallons, Pentair equipment, raised spa, waterfeatures, airblower, DE filter, multiport valve, Backwash, negative edge, heater, booster pump, Polaris 280, Easytouch Automation system, ScreenLogic.

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby TheChieftain » Tue 12 Mar, 2019 08:35

Youre the only person I know of that uses chlorine dioxide to treat that large amount of black algae. A popular way of treating black algae is with Granular 90 which is basically crushed up chlorine tabs but I’m not recommending him this approach because he is still new to the industry and could damage the plaster way worse than he could with a pressure washer. I don’t know of any pool store that even sells chlorine dioxide, I just know that it’s used for sanitizing water to drinking quality. But hey if it’s working for you and your still profitable using it, then more power to you bud. I’m going to look into it my self and see if it’s worth using.
Teapot
Pool Industry Leader
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Posts: 1337
Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Stain or plaster corroded through?

Postby Teapot » Wed 13 Mar, 2019 08:11

You can over here buy it in dry versions often for properly sanitising spas/hot tubs.
That makes it easy to carry.
I wouldn't expect the pool stores average or otherwise to stock it for a while after all it actually works and that would hurt sales if algaecide and granule 90 and any other voodoo they might sell. Being a pro I have to keep one step ahead of the competition lol.

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