Acid wash

[NettieBee]

I just had a company come do an acid wash on my swimming pool. They just poured the acid mixture on and hosed it off without brushing at all. The guy said that anyone who uses a brush when acid washing doesn't know what they are doing. It is an older pool, and I wasn't expecting perfection, but it is still pretty discolored. Every site I've looked at regarding acid washes says to pour, brush, rinse. did I get ripped off?

[TSH Tech]

Well, I have no information about your pool and the company that performed the work and I wasn't there. Having that in mind, this is what I will say given the nature of the acid pool wash and my experience.

Acid washes are the most abrasive method of trying to whiten the look your pool from copper stains and other types of stains. There are three general methods of performing a pool acid wash; no drain, drain with strictly acid pour/wash and drain with acid pour brush & scrub. The brush action itself pertains mostly to the removal of calcium buildup on the plaster. Most plaster stains can be whitened on acid chemical alone, no brushing. Keep in mind, acid washes are not a cure-all for every pool scenario, there are certain types of stains and aging factors that will not come out with an acid wash and every pool company should give their customers a certain level of expectation prior to performing the acid wash. You or anyone who is a pool owner should evaluate their feedback as to whether or not an acid wash is sufficient enough to fix the problem.

Were you ripped off? An acid wash was indeed performed on your pool, but they either did or did not give you a level of expectation of the scope of work, which is why you have posted this question. You say your pool is an older type, in which I was answer, they more than likely did their best work given the type of pool they had to work with.

[cpo2go]

Unfortunately, acid washes are too often thought of as miracle working. They can improve the look of the pool surface but that comes at a steep cost; the are very abrasive and damaging to the surface being washed.
I never recommend them and will only do them for people who insist and will sign a waiver stating thet they understand that the results are just what they are. I can only control the process, not the finished product. A good company should explain that to you before beginning the job.

[preeti22]

acid wash strips the top layer of plaster to reveal fresh plaster beneath, so don't do it often. add acid in same amount of water and not pour it directly. after 30 seconds of leaving on surface, you should be scrubbing the wall with a brush to maximum cleaning. after rinsed completely, or it will continue to etch the plaster. acid-washing technique should never be used on a vinyl-lined pool.