Swimming pool questions

Tony Shelton

Tony Shelton

BS Detector, Esquire
Our pool is old and was built in 1971. When we moved here we uncovered 8 different shades of paint when we were deciding whether we should repaint it or replaster it.

Replastering it was going to be $7k

Repainting (labor and all) was about $600. I subtracted 2003 from 1971 and determined that it was being repainted every 4 years. It be almost 50 years for the replastering to be cost effective so we decided to continue repainting every four years.

In 2007 we again hired some guys to scrape and we repainted.

Last year we got some black algae dots that would not go away. We tested them by putting a chlorine tablet directly on the dots and they went away under the tab for a while but then came back later.

We emptied the pool in the fall and will paint it again this month.

Our plan is to scrape it, powerwash it (what will happen if we use a turbo nozzle on it?), then etch it and paint.

My question is, will the black dots come back through the new (rubberized) paint? What can I do to kill it so it never comes back?

Thanks in advance to whoever knows the answer to these questions.
 
only 1 solution..............................Sandblast

Buy the really cool sandblast attachment for your pressure washer from russ j.


otherwise call a real sandblasting company 500-700 dollars. pure concrete and a great substrate.
 
7 grand to replaster? Get some more bids.I'm in florida and the cost is around 3500. Iv'e watched them prep older pools like yours with 8 or so "little guys" on 4" grinders getting down to raw concrete. The rougher the better.The newer finishes (Diamond Brite) holds up really well.Why fight it?get'er done right.
 
Did you try to acid wash it ?
 
We had our pool re plastered a couple years ago, for about 3 grand, including new Kool Decking.

Shop it around Tony, make sure they E Verify.

When we redid our pool, we switched over to a salt water system. I recommend it highly. No more chlorine, smooth skin, open your eyes underwater no problem. Instead of spending $100's a year in chlorine, I add 1 to 3 bags of salt to the pool, maybe $30.00.
 
I second the salt water system. My wife loves it and she maintains thepool.

Nowbefore you all think I dont treat my wife well, you need to understand that part of the family negotiation process before we bought a house with a poll was that I was not going to maintain it, but would hire a service. Shedecided about five years ago that she would rather spend that money somewhere else. So she cancelled the service and expected me to maintain it. I reminded her of our deal and so she has done about 90% ofthe maintenance ever since. Salt water did make her life a lot easier.
 
These black spots just showed up last fall, so I haven't tried acid washing on it yet, but I'll do that before we repaint.

I went through the bidding a few years ago. My wife had numerous pool companies for customers (all licensed, reputable, insured, etc) and the lowest bid came in at $6800 and the highest at $9k. I forgot that we were also including new tile in that.

We're having to lay out so much money for new filters this year with the new contracts we're getting I'm not going to be in the financial position to plop down even $4k in the next month to get this done and the kids are already complaining because it's not ready yet. I need a fast solution this time around.

I am interested in the salt water though. What will I have to change over. I've already got a 1 yr new pump and 2 yr old DE filter. Will that still work with it?
 
Scott, the Phantom does it all (well, except the dishes, laundry and cooking).

Wait, let me rephrase that, it does all the maintaining of the pool, with the exception of adding water and salt.
 
No need to change out anything for a salt system Tony. The eliminate is plumbed into your existing system. The electrodes convert the salt into chlorine, "flash" chlorinating to water as it circulates after the pump.

There are numerous choices in brands. I have the Pool Thing: http://www.poolthing.com/pages/everythingOperation.php

But I've been told there are better systems out there. I've had to change out the element once, upgraded to a 7 cell. The manufacture changed it out for $200.

When we had our pool done, they included the Pool Thing salt system at no additional cost. Completely jack hammered out the old plaster, re plastered, new tile and Armor Deck pool deck. All for $4000. Not a small pool either, forget the gallon size, but it's a diving pool.

Tony Shelton said:
These black spots just showed up last fall, so I haven't tried acid washing on it yet, but I'll do that before we repaint.

I went through the bidding a few years ago. My wife had numerous pool companies for customers (all licensed, reputable, insured, etc) and the lowest bid came in at $6800 and the highest at $9k. I forgot that we were also including new tile in that.

We're having to lay out so much money for new filters this year with the new contracts we're getting I'm not going to be in the financial position to plop down even $4k in the next month to get this done and the kids are already complaining because it's not ready yet. I need a fast solution this time around.

I am interested in the salt water though. What will I have to change over. I've already got a 1 yr new pump and 2 yr old DE filter. Will that still work with it?
Click to expand...
 
Hey Tony, I like the sounds of the sand blaster, except the piles and piles of sand that you will have to deal with.

However, you should be able to rent a dry ice blaster out there. Gets you the same fast results with no little mess left over afterward. This way you would get all of the way back down to fresh and clean concrete. Read about them online.
 
How is the salt water thing different than regular water?

I heard that on the cruise ships their water is salt water in the pools.

Is it just like a mild saline solution, very salty or give you the red eyes?

I don't own a pool, just wondering about this stuff.

Thanks.
 
Very, very mild salt. No red eyes, no chlorine, a little acid, for my system. It really is an exceptional system.
 
I run approximately 5000 ppm of salt, per the manufactures recommendation. The water tastes a bit salty, but unlike chlorine, it doesn't bother your eyes a bit, doesn't bleach out certain types of hair, and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth.

Not sure about using a turbo nozzle Tony, I really do not have any experience cleaning the plaster of an empty pool. You stated it's painted plaster, I believe. If so, my understanding is pool plaster hardens up maybe not as strong as concrete, but is awful strong. Maybe try a test area, starting a couple feet away with the turbo. See what happen (as my Vietnamese friend says)
 
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