Can I acid wash the surface of my pool?

If you don’t already know what an acid wash is, it’s when you drain the pool and use a solution of acid to run over the surface to make the pool pops with color again. This is not something that is suggested on old surfaces, but it’s something that can be lightly done with a lower solution such as a 20% to 30%, depending on the discretion of the person doing the job. If you were to do something like this, make sure that whoever does the job has something called pop-up insurance and request to see it prior to going through with any of the work. This is something that can be done to make a pool that was once a blue surface that turned into a tan surface to make that blue color pop back.

A no drain acid wash is simply lowering the pH to a 4ph-5ph or lower and brushing the surface of the pool to get off any metal stains or organic stains that seemed to be an eyesore. These are a success for the most part but when you bring the pH back up, it is best to use what is called soda ash instead of sodium bicarbonate to raise the pH prior to raising the alkalinity. Soda ash is exclusively for pH where bicarb is going to raise the pH and the alkalinity and in some cases can cause the water to cloud up if too much is added at once.

Whatever you choose to do, if you choose not to resurface your pool, make sure that you talk to the individual about everything thoroughly to make sure that they are capable of doing the job and if they do an acid wash and drain the pool that they have pop-up insurance, so that if there was an issue with the shell of the pool moving or shifting or popping up out of the ground that they’re liable. A resurface is always the best option, but never the more cost-effective option.