Pool Cleaning?

[Paul]

Got a call to clean a pool the other day that has some very light discoloration in it. It is a light orange tint that is apparently caused by the iron in the water. In the past they have drained it applied a very diluted muratic acid solution and power washed. (They said this took them 3 days on average). I've got a some low pH presoaks that I was curious if they might work with a good hot water wash. The pool has the white rubberized paint finish.
Has anyone ever dealt with this kind of cleaning?

They will not be draining it till late this month so I'm trying to get some feedback.

Unfortunately, it can only be down for a couple of days, so I'll have to have a few tricks up my sleeve prior to starting since I can't do a test spot.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Glenn]

Paul,
I understand what you're asking but have no idea what to tell you. I would think low pressure definately due to the rubberized coating and I would guess a mild acid, perhaps oxalic. Wish I could help you more but I have never dealt with this before. I know Bigboy has cleaned at least one Farmers pool, you should get him to tell you about that one.
Glenn

 

[Richard R.]

Paul,
Are your saying that the rubberized paint is on the pool liner or is it on the pool deck only?
Which one needs to be cleaned, inside the pool, deck only, or both?

It almost sounds like a ????DEK concrete sealant or coating or is it just paint?

There are a couple of methods you can use to clean it, but it pretty well depends on what the surface is coated with.
Try to find out by the owner or by a test spot, how the surface responds to muratic acid.
A pool maintanance expert once told me they rarely reccommend draining a pool before cleaning it. It's my understanding that they pour full strength muratic acid along side the pool as they then take a pool brush and brush the sides immediately after.
In my opinion, you would definitely need to be there during the draining of the pool or at least be there within a very short while thereafter. On some of the old pools, if you drain the pool first and let it dry, it is going to be an all day affair trying to clean it.
If the pool has a rubberized painted liner, I would contact the manufacturer of the liner and use their reccommended cleaner.
I would try the pool expert's method first and if the pool is already drained, I would try a test spot by cleaning it with a 50/50 muratic and water mixture.
I would have to believe that (IF) the deck and pool liner is the same, the deck would have the same stain on it. This would give you an opportunity to test the deck first.
I had a pool deck this year that was stained with iron from a lawn treatment. I used a product called Inviro Terra which is an acid replacement. Prior to using it, I told the owner I did not believe it would work. After applying it, I couldn't believe it. It actually worked. The surface also had a rubberized coating on it, but I don't believe it was paint. I think it was a special sealant or special coating put on by a specific Company that does Creative Concrete Coatings.

Let me know what you decide to do and if your method works. I clean a few pools from time to time and I can sure use all of the stories and ideas I can get.

Richard R.

 

[rvagnoni]

Paul,

Try oxalic or phospheric acid.