Draining and Acid Washing the Pool 101
During the course of pool ownership, the pool will have to be drained every few years. Aquaman Pools’ professional experts dive into the topic of draining the pool including how often it should be done (and why) and how it should be done.
The pool should be drained about every five to seven years or when a major repair needs to be done. Another indicator that it’s time to have the pool drained is the water is becoming increasingly difficult to chemically balance. When the total dissolved solids (TDS) reaches beyond 2500ppm, pool owners will have to add more chemicals to achieve balance in the water.
When the pool is drained, it’s an ideal time to acid wash the pool. An acid wash goes beyond the typical brushing and vacuuming of the pool’s interior surface. It is the process of restoring the pool’s interior finish. Using muriatic acid, the process involves coating the interior finish, then brushing the walls and floors and finally rinsing the interior. The muriatic acid words to strip away a thin top layer of plaster, thus removing dirt, mold, discoloration and stains. This process will leave the interior of the pool looking fresh, clean and brand new. Acid washing can also fully eliminate any algae spores that may be lingering and just waiting for the opportunity to produce new blooms.
If the pool is being drained for a repair, it’s a good idea to have the acid wash done prior to the repair to ensure mold and algae spores are eliminated. This can reduce the risk of spores mixing with the new finish and getting into the pool. Though there is a no-drain acid wash process that can be done, acid washing while the pool is drained is highly effective.
Though it can be “DIY’ed,” acid washing should be done by a pool service professional and draining a pool should always be done by a professional due to the dangers of hydrostatic pressure, which refers to the pressure of the groundwater surrounding the pool pushing against the pool. If not drained properly, the concrete pools can crack and vinyl or fiberglass pools can actually get lifted up from the hydrostatic pressure causing damage to the pool’s floor and walls.
For pool owners that are having a hard time maintaining the chemical balance of their pools, are having to add more and more chemicals to maintain that balance or have stains and mold spots on the interior surface it may be time to drain and acid wash the pool. Call the professionals at Aquaman and let them help assess whether it’s time for a drain and acid wash — and let them do the dirty work, too!
