What is all this white stuff on my tile? And how do I get rid of it?
Where should I keep the pH in my pool?
Is a salt water pool better than traditional sanitation techniques? Is it more cost effective?

This section has been designed to give some insight into general pool maintenance and issues. Please understand that there are hundreds of factors that contribute to the overall health of you swimming pool. Almost nothing is cause by an isolated incident. If you need more information about any of the topics below, or something that isn't visit the contact page for your preferred contact method.

What is all this white stuff on my tile? And how do I get rid of it?

What you're most likely seeing is a buildup of calcium scale. Here in central Texas we generally have very hard water. You've most likely seen the effects of this hard water on the mirrors and fixtures in your kitchen and bathrooms.

There is no one answer for removing lime and calcium buildup from your pool/spa.

Before we get into that, a quick note on Calcium's characteristic. The characteristic that I find most interesting about Calcium is that it becomes less soluble the higher the temperature of the water. This is exact opposite of how salt and sugar react to liquid temperature (it is obviously easier to dissolve sugar in a hot cup of coffee than it is in a cold glass of iced tea). With this being true, most of the time you will see the scale buildup accelerate in the summertime as the water warms up, and decrease in the winter time.

As a responsible pool owner you should consult a pool professional before attempting any remedies. What we have found is that generally *excessive* calcium buildup is cause from pool water balance. Keeping tabs on not only the Chlorine and pH, but also the Total Alkalinity, Calcium hardness, and Cyanuric Acid levels can provide tremendous insight for preventing this buildup in the future.

Usually, using a combination of a gelatinous acid and a pumice stone on the tile will remove most scale build up. In some rare cases replacement of the tile is necessary as the chemicals previously mentioned could hard the tiles themselves.

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Where should I keep the pH in my pool?

I have a policy about the pH of the water in a swimming pool. Medical science tells us that the pH of the human eye is 7.5. This is the absolute ideal for the pH of your swimming pool. Many times I have heard of swimmers complaining that their eyes are burning because, "there is too much chlorine in the pool!" We have found that 100% of the time when someone says that, there is no correlation in terms of Free Chlorine. It is 95% of the time cause by the pH being either too high or too low. Keep the pH in your pool at 7.5 for the highest level of swimmer comfort.

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Is a salt water pool better than traditional sanitation techniques? Is it more cost effective?

I've never like the term "better" when it comes to swimming pools. A salt water pool is not necessarily better than traditional. Many of our customers prefer the feel of a salt water pool.

The beauty of using a salt water system is that it provides a consistent level of chlorine in the pool, instead of the peaks and valleys that are commonly associated with traditional sanitation methods.

The concentration of salt in a pool is less than that of a human tear. 98% of people cannot taste the salt in the pool. Even if they can, it isn't overpowering to the taste buds.

Cost effective...it all depends. If you look at a long term cost analysis of salt versus traditional you will see that over a 7-10 year period the expense/savings is a wash. The initial investment of the equipment to install a salt system on your pool can be pricy; however your day to day chemical consumption is dramatically reduced. With traditional sanitation systems the initial startup cost is almost $0 however the day to day to costs are higher than with a salt system.

Several words of caution: When considering a salt system, pay close attention to the following:

What type of coping is on the pool? Certain types of coping are more susceptible to corrosion than other when salt is involved. Always seal the coping and certain decking surfaces when a salt system is being considered.
What type of lawn furniture do you currently own, or, are considering purchasing? Salt water is extremely corrosive and could wreak havoc on iron lawn furniture, causing rust and corrosion.

Do you have or are you considering a colored plaster finish for you pool? Proper water balance is absolutely essential to maintain the beauty of a colored plaster when paired with a salt system. Contact our Pool Division Manager if you have concerns your current or future setup.

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