Weston Pool Service Experts on Stain Removal Treatment vs. Acid Wash

Why you should choose stain removal treatment over acid washing

If your pool is starting to show stains you will want to consider this advice from Weston pool maintenance pros Pipeline Pools on how to proceed. Stains are going to happen in a pool. You can't mix so many different organic, metallic and chemical elements with water without having dome form of stain appearing.

Stains are unsightly and if left untreated over a period of time can affect the entire pool. One way to get rid of stains that we don’t recommend is an acid wash. Essentially an acid wash strips off a thin layer of pool plaster. Acid washes are typically done every 5 to 7 years.

An Alternative to Acid Wash for Weston Pool Owners

A better, safer approach to acid wash is to address each type of stain individually and use a method designed to clean a specific stain type. Stains are caused by a number of factors and they often result in distinctive colors. Here is a short list of those stains:

• Greenish-brown stains. These are usually caused by something organic like leaves, lawn debris, worms and insects. Organic stains can generally be removed by shocking the pool and giving it a good scrubbing. Pouring a little chlorine shock right over a stain normally removes it instantly. Scrubbing is the key and there are a number of specialized brushes that can make the job easier.
• Reddish-brown stains are the hallmark of metals in the pool water. Not surprisingly, iron causes the rust colored stains while copper may result in blue or black stains. The first step in dealing with metal stains is to get the amount of metal in your water under control. There are several products that can remove metal from your water. The stains themselves can be treated with ascorbic acid. That's right; vitamin C cuts through and dissolves metal stains.
• Red stains are typically from berries. If you have berries growing nearby this won't come as a surprise. Berries can find their way into your pool via wind and animals. Even if you don't have them growing in the yard, birds can make deposits as they fly over. Berry stains can be treated the same as organic stains with good results.

As mentioned, acid washes should be avoided. If you have stains you are having trouble cleaning with conventional methods, give us a call and we will take a look and offer our advice.

There are plenty of products and tools available to both prevent and clean pool stains. Call us today and we will be happy to share our thoughts with you.