Seahunt Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Every year when I remove my cover there are large "drips" of tile grout effluence. It happens slowly over the summer as well. Last year, I set the calcium hardness at 250. This year the opening numbers were: CH - 170 PH - 7.8 TA - 70 CYA - 50 FC - 5 I raised the CH to 250 after opening. I am using liquid chlorine. It is an inground plaster pool. Anything else I should do to try to keep the effluence from happening? I'm afraid the tile will eventually fall off. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 I think you meant effervescence. While your numbers look OK, I would target a slightly lower pH of 7.4/7.5 and bump the alk up another 10 ppm. If you use borates, this may be harder to do. Some grouts bleed more than others. Normally, this stops after a couple years and keeping your CSI slightly on the negative side. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFiremanFirst Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Wow! solid advice from pool guy! SI is affected by temperature! If you're not watching your SI year round, then your pool will fall out of balance! (Saturation Index) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Maybe effluence is an appropriate word. I have heard people say in the past,"What is this cr#p?" Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Ok, I did as suggested and bumped up the TA and got the PH right. Current readings are: FC - 5 CYA - 50 TA - 80 CH - 250 PH - 7.5 I can see the tile grout is still "bleeding." The pool is 10 years old. Is there anything else I can or should do? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Your Alk level needs to come up some. I generally raise the alk level target 1/2 the CYA level. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFiremanFirst Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 is your grout white? Is it possible that your "bleeding" is ground water seeping through and bringing calcium with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted July 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 is your grout white? Is it possible that your "bleeding" is ground water seeping through and bringing calcium with it? Thanks. Yes, the grout is white. I am starting to think the same thing. A few years ago I did add "backing rod" and caulk to the area between the coping and the pool deck. It's not water tight. Could it be coming in there an out through the tile? If so, should the area between the coping and pool deck be water tight? Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 If water can get to the mortar holding the coping, it can wick the water to the grout too. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFiremanFirst Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 this kind of "scale" calcium deposits, is most commonly seen in a pool that is built into a hill side, where one side of the pool is below grade and a wall is holding back the soil. It can also be seen where it's not as obviously built into a "hill" but where the ground level on the otherside of the pool grades up away from the pool. It is a poor construction design that unfortunately is all too common! Normally a "retaining" wall, between to pieces of property for example, has weep holes at the bottom so the ground water that builds up behind the wall is alleviated by the weep holes. In a pool however, this would not be pleasing to the eye, nor would the water in the pool be desireable. So they eliminate the necessary holes. The ground water then puts tremendous pressure on the wall and pushes water through the grout/morter bringing with it lots of mineral depostis that often times build up. Try a pressure washer on the deposits, I've heard of bead blasting them off, but that can be costly. You'll often need a 5,000 psi pressure washer to remove them, you're local home depot should rent them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted July 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Wow! Great information. The pool does have a very small hill on one side and yes, that is where the grout "leaks" can be seen. I have been taking it off with muriatic acid and boy is that stuff nasty. At least maybe I can stop driving myself (and you guys) crazy trying to balance the water, etc. It's just hard to stand by and watch the grout dissapear and eventually the tile to fall off. Thanks again for all the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 With a slope rising up from the pool, a drain should be installed to carry run off away from the pool. A trench with a couple inches of gravel, some perforated pipe for capturing, covered with landscape fabric to keep the rocks out, and another piece of pipe leading down hill and away from the pool, will do wonders for alleviating water source causing the problem. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 With a slope rising up from the pool, a drain should be installed to carry run off away from the pool. A trench with a couple inches of gravel, some perforated pipe for capturing, covered with landscape fabric to keep the rocks out, and another piece of pipe leading down hill and away from the pool, will do wonders for alleviating water source causing the problem. Scott Awesome! Thanks again Scott! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted August 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 With a slope rising up from the pool, a drain should be installed to carry run off away from the pool. A trench with a couple inches of gravel, some perforated pipe for capturing, covered with landscape fabric to keep the rocks out, and another piece of pipe leading down hill and away from the pool, will do wonders for alleviating water source causing the problem. Scott What depth would the trench need to be to be effective? Also, the trench would need to run on top of the pool plumbing in one area. Do you think this could increase any risk associated with freezing? I live in Annapolis Maryland. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoolGuyNJ Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 A 6" perforated pipe would need to be about 10 to 15 inches, slightly pitched. The length needed will determine if the high point is on an end or in the middle and if one or two leaders are needed to carry away the collected water. A pitch of 1 inch per 5 feet would give you an effective maximum length of 50 feet. A 1" per 6 foot run would give you 60 feet. Beyond that, it's tough to get the water to flow to the leader that carries the collected water away in any kind of volume. Vent the leader near where it meets the drainage pipe. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahunt Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 A 6" perforated pipe would need to be about 10 to 15 inches, slightly pitched. The length needed will determine if the high point is on an end or in the middle and if one or two leaders are needed to carry away the collected water. A pitch of 1 inch per 5 feet would give you an effective maximum length of 50 feet. A 1" per 6 foot run would give you 60 feet. Beyond that, it's tough to get the water to flow to the leader that carries the collected water away in any kind of volume. Vent the leader near where it meets the drainage pipe. Scott Well id did it and boy am I sore. I sure hope when I take the cover off next spring there is no grout dripping down the tile anymore. Thanks again for the help! I'll report results in the spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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