FROM UGLY!               TO BEAUTIFULL AGAIN!

 

Everything you always wanted to know about Pool Acid Wash in Arizona, AZ.

 

We acid wash pools in Arizona, az, cities, namely, Chandler, Mesa, Apache Junction, Tempe, Queen Creek, Maricopa, Ahwatukee, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Gold Canyon, Higley, Glendale, Peoria, Cave  Creek, East Valley as well as West Valley.

Helping our customers is part of our business!  To educate you a little bit about acid washing and how the process works, we have included the following answers to commonly asked questions by our customers.     Please do feel free to call us if you have any other questions/concerns that are not covered here.    Thanks again for choosing Cool Times!  We do appreciate your business and support!

 

What is the process of Acid Washing My Inground Pool? 
     First the pool equipment has to be turned off so it doesn't come on automatically. Also the automatic water leveler must be shut off so it doesn't fill the pool up while you are trying to drain it.  Then a submersible pump is used with a long hose to run it out to the sewer clean out line.  The house cleanout line should be the place where you empty the pool at. When draining the pool care should be taken so that it doesn't overflow the system and back up into the house. Homeowner should check on this occasionally. Pump should be plugged in the late afternoon so that it can be empty by morning.. The pump has an auto shut off that will shut the pump of when it finishes draining. If for some reason  the pump doesn't shut off on it's own, just unplug it from the wall and leave it alone. If the pool hasn't emptied all the way then you need to call us ASAP so that we can bring out another pump. Once drained we come out the next morning to do the work. Generally it will take just morning to complete an acid wash.

Do I need to drain my in-ground swimming pool?
     Yes, if your calcium hardness, or Total Dissolved Solids is high then you need to drain the pool. Generally you should anyways drain your pool once every 2 to 3 years for good measure. It will save you money actually in the long run if you maintain good water quality.  Look at it this way, if you had a cup of water sitting outside in the sun, and as it evaporated, you add more water, it evaporates more and then you add more water, etc etc.   You will notice an ugly calcium buildup everywhere within the cup, same happens with the pool. NOT only do you get a bad calcium ring around the pool, but also all the interior walls and floor are getting calcium buildup!!   You just can't see it! This is why it's important to take care of your plaster, and to do acid washes so that the accumulation doesn't get out of hand. Remember, once you get a heavy buildup, it takes a stronger concentration of acid to get the buildup and staining off, thus you are doing more damage then needed. When you acid wash a pool, you are actually etching the plaster slightly to get the layer of staining and calcium off  of everything. If you notice the pool equipment piping also accumulates callcium.

How often should I drain my swimming pool?
     Periodically every two to three years.

How and Where do I drain the pool?
     Sewer cleanout usually located in front of your house. If you don't know where it is you can call the city for help, or call your builder to help locate it. You are not suppose to drain a pool in the street unless you get permission from the city. Don't try to drain a pool using your pool equipment, chances are it will loose suction at some point in time and will not completely drain the pool. Chance of pool pump running dry.

Do I need a permit to drain my pool?
     Check with your city to see if you need a permit to drain your pool first. But generally most cities require you to drain it in the sewer cleanout. Draining the pool is your responsibility not ours, we provide with the pump and hose to do it.

How long does it take to empty a pool?
     Generally you start the pump late afternoon to insure the pool will be empty by morning. Depends on size of sump pump motor, can take anywhere from six to 12 hours to drain a pool.

How long does it take to fill the pool?
     Usually it will take a day to couple of days, depends on the size of your pool. Best way to fill the pool up is with the garden hose first, and then once it gets close to the level, turn on the automatic water leveler. It is a good idea to replace the automatic water leveler every 3 to five years in order to prevent it from faulting and creating a overflow situation. Usually debris, buildup as well as corrosion will keep it from operation like it should.

Will it cost a fortune to fill the pool back up?
     It doesn't cost a fortune to fill a pool up, check with your city, unless you live in an area where they have to truck in the water.

How do I fill the pool back up?
     Best way to fill it is with the garden hose first, then once it gets up close to the level like within a foot or so, then turn the pool automatic pool water leveler on.  

Do I need an Acid Wash?
     If you haven't emptied your pool water for more then 3 years, then it should be drained and a delicate acid wash done. This way you prevent  the need for a heavier and more harsh acid wash in the future. It's kinda like keeping your bath tub clean!  U don't wait until you really have to clean it, because by then you might need a new bath tub! Notice how the bath tub doors and everything else gets calcified and grimy full of buildup, prevention is to clean it often. Exactly same with the pool, we must clean the buildup off sooner than later so that the buildup doesn't get so much worse, cause then it takes more effort, more chemicals, more harsher handling to achieve the result we are looking for, often times it's too much accummulation.

How often should my pool be Acid Washed?
     Well, every time you empty the pool, say every 2 to 3 years should be the ideal time to do an acid wash. Keeping as much of  the stain and calcification off the plaster. The person acid washing the pool should do either a light acid wash if it's not so bad, or may need to do a heavier acid wash of the pool in order to achieve the result.

How many times can my pool be Acid Washed?
     If you keep good pool chemistry and do preventative maintenance with acid washing and tile cleaning, then your plaster can take many acid washes.  If you do a harsh acid wash because it is needed, then you will not be able to do as many for the life of the plaster. Plaster can last as long as you take care of it. You can further consult your pool builder for more info on your specific finish.

How clean will my pool be after an Acid Washing?
     Based on the age of the plaster, how well it has been taken care of, how well the pool chemistry has been kept up, prior acid washes,  How much stuff from the pool stores u might have dumped in the pool, in example algecides and other stuff. etc. etc.  Not all staining will come off, but generally speaking, the pool will look 100% better. Depending on the pool staining and how heavy it is, anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of it should come off.

Will Acid Washing also remove the white ring around the pool?
     No, acid washing will not clean the calcium ring around the pool, for this you need a tile cleaning done, where the calcium is bombarded with fine polished beads that crumble the calcium off. After a tile clean job, sealer is applied on the tile to help protect the tile.

What is the best way to remove the white calcium line around my pool, do I need a tile clean?
     Best way to get rid of the ugly calcium line is by doing a bead blast tile cleaning method. Once the tile is cleaned it should be sealed.

When do I need to re-plaster my pool?
     When you can't stand looking at it anymore because of too much staining, chipping, cracking, calcium buildup etc. Just because you have a crack in the plaster, doesn't mean you are going to loose water from the pool. The gunite structure of the pool, if you will the shell is what keeps the water in not the plaster. If your plaster is in bad shape, try getting an acid wash, and maybe some patches before considering re-plastering. Generally an acid wash will clean up the plaster pretty good.

Will Acid Washing hurt my swimming pool?
     Not if it's done properly just like anything else. Hire the company you can trust, don't hire just anybody, especially if they are new to the pool buisness. Best thing is to ask questions and see how they answer them and compare results. Try to find out a little bit more about the guy who is going to be doing the actual work would be helpful.

What happens to the plaster after an Acid Wash is performed?
     The process of acid washing is basically a process of etching the plaster to remove buildup. Thus, it can, and in most instances will make the plaster a little bit more rougher. Again depends on how bad of staining you have and how strong of an acid wash is necessary to achieve the result, or try to get it as clean as possible. Maybe not all staining will come off, because it's hard to tell what kinds of garbage and chemicals are stuck on that plaster. But in most instances it can come clean. Generally an acid wash makes the plaster more porous, the downfall to this is that the dirt has a tendency to better hide and stick in the plaster. This is why fiberglass pools are much better, the surface is not porous and hence the dirt can't stick around, it gets brushed off much easier. But then again, if you have a good automatic pool cleaner, it should suck it all out of the system, that is if you have a properly working pool filter system.  Best advice is don't let the pool go, keep on it! Pool maintenance is very easy, it's just doing it consistently is the problem, thus is why you should hire Cool Times to take care of your pool. When homes change ownership, sometimes they get neglected, and this is when a pool can suffer the most!

Should my pool be Sanded?
     Sanding is not a bad idea, but it can get costly. Takes a lot of work to sand the whole pool down. You can spend anywhere from $500 to a $1000 having a pool sanded. Sanding a pool helps smooth the plaster out again, hence less porosity, thus the plaster will help keep cleaner, dirt will not get attracted as easily. Generally an acid wash will suffices because of the cost of sanding a pool.

What if I have a salt Pool?
     Salt pool is not much different same applies. Just once the pool is filled back up, salt is necessary to enable the salt chlorinator to generate chlorine again. A salt pool is a chlorine pool still, the difference being how the chlorine is introduced to the water. Actually a salt pool is a bit more corrosive to the equipment, namely pool heaters and pool equipment, pool pumps, pool motors, pool booster motors, valves, backwash valves,

How do I start the pool up after an Acid Wash?
     Just fill the pool back up, and add startup chemicals. If you have a salt water generator, then you would need to add required amount of salt to the pool. Cool Times can do this for you to insure the proper amounts are added and that the system is started up properly.

When is the best time to do an Acid Wash of my pool?
     When the outside average temperatures is cooler, that is below 80's. Best time to do an acid wash is when you are ready to empty the pool.

What are the random brown spots on my plaster?
     Those are probably calcium nodules. These can be sanded off while the pool is empty. There would be an additional charge for sanding calcium nodules. The brown spots will go away upon sanding, but may come back.

How long should my pool be left empty?
     Generally it's ok to leave a pool empty for a few days. If the average temp is over 80 degress, then the pool should be filled as soon as the work is done and care should be taken to not let the pool sit for more than a day or two. Sometimes plaster will peel, crack and crumble, just depends how bad of condition it's in. Once we empty a pool no telling if this will happen or not. But we are not responsible for plaster that is popping, peeling, crumbling, as a result of draining the pool, or doing an acid wash.

What is the big rusty spot at the bottom of my pool?
     The nasty yellow to brown spot that just won't go away is rebar coming through the plaster. This must be cut into the spot and patched to get the spot looking white again.  There are no warranties on plaster patches, nor on acid washes.

Do you provide any kind of warranty on an acid wash?
     No, there is no warranty on an acid wash, tile clean, nor on a rebar patch job. Every plaster is different. We try to get the plaster looking as good as we can and that's all we can really do.

What do you use to do an Acid Wash?
     Acid, water, and some chemical agents are mixed together to form a solution that can be applied to the plaster.

What to do about the pool decking to tile line around the swimming pool that is cracked and has a gap?
     A bond sealing is necessary where the grout looks all cracked and has gaps. For this it's best when pool is empty, we go around the whole pool sealing between the tile and the pool decking.  We use the best materials for this because it has to endure a lot for example the pool decking shifting, weathering, corrosiveness from the pool chemicals tend to dry it out and cause it to break down.  Very important to seal under the pool deck so that no water gets under the slab of the pool decking, otherwise it could cause damage.

Can you acid wash a pebble tec pool?
     Pebble-tec pool stain just like plaster pools do also, they also accumulate calcium just as well. All surface types accumulate calcium layer on them, it's just a mater of keeping the water changed regularly and cleaning with acid as a preventative maintenance.

Can you acid wash a 3-M or similar type finish?
     Yes you can but care must be taken not to acid wash the plaster uneven.  These kinds of surfaces are a bit more tricky to acid wash.

 

 Professional Service, at an affordable Price; if you have a written estimate from another reputable company and you would like us to meet or exceed your expectations, then we are your Company of choice. We provide quality work at an affordable price and we warranty our work. 

Our Upgraded Acid Wash techniques insure a good result, take advantage of our years of experience.

"Total Customer Satisfaction is part of our business, Saving you money is our Commitment!"

 

Call us for an estimate! 480-818-8971