Pool Acid Washing: Everything You Need to Know
Everyone loves the swamp creature, but not so much when it looks like he’s dropped anchor in your swimming pool. Whether your pool is brimming with algae or you just want to take precautions, opting for an acid wash is a smart move. Not sure what acid washing is? Well, you’re in the right place.
What Is Acid Washing?
Acid washing is a process that combines chemicals like hydrochloric acid with water. The mixture is sprayed onto your pool’s surface to remove all traces of grime and build-up. This chemical wash gets rid of those green algae stains that have been clinging to your pool’s surface for a while.
How to Acid Wash Pool
While anyone with some pool cleaning experience can acid wash their pool, we have to warn you: it’s a big task. And it can be dangerous. If you don’t feel like draining your pool, mixing chemicals, and strapping on protective gear from head to toe, give us a call. If you do? This section is for you.
1. Drain the Pool
Turn your pool pump off, and open the backwash valve. As you’re draining, clean up any debris you find floating or sticking around the surface. All water must be drained before you can start the acid-washing process.
2. Change Into Protective Gear
Now it’s time to change into your protective garb. This means whole-body coverage. Wear clothing like coveralls, goggles, masks, gloves, and non-slip boots.
3. Mix the Chemical Solution
Chemistry class is finally coming in handy. Mix one gallon of acid with one gallon of water in a watering can. You must add acid to the water first.
4. Hose Down the Pool Walls
Grab your hose, and wet down your pool walls. If there’s a nozzle on the hose, remove it. Water should run at all times when acid washing.
5. Pour Acid Mixture
Take your acid mixture, and pour it from the top of your pool walls to the bottom. Pour the mixture into sections, and let it sit for about 30 seconds.
6. Rinse Thoroughly
Thoroughly rinse the section you just acid-washed. Acid can start eating away at your plaster if you don’t rinse all of it off. Make sure you rinse the mixture off of one section completely before moving to the next.
7. Neutralize the Pool
Get rid of the excess acid wash at the bottom of your pool by applying soda ash. Scrub the soda ash with a pool brush, and pump the mixture into a bowl using a submersible pump. Dump it out, and rinse any leftover residue.
If this process sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. H2O Pool Service employs professional acid washers who utilize specialized tools that average pool owners typically don’t use. Keep yourself (and your pool) safe by calling Arizona’s expert swimming pool acid washers.
Acid Washing Basics & Safety Concerns
Acid washing is a unique cleaning process that should only be done every five to seven years—or if your pool is really, really grimy. We urge pool owners to call us instead of acid-washing their pools themselves. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up with chemical burns or lung damage.
It pays off to pay a professional to perform your pool’s acid wash. Reach out to our team, and we’ll get you on the books.
What’s the Best Acid Washing Procedure? Call H2O Today
Lounging around a green pool doesn’t sound too appealing. If your pool is overdue for an acid wash, don’t do it yourself. Save yourself the headache by hiring the professionals at H2O Pool Service. We’re Arizona’s top-rated residential and commercial pool cleaning and repair company servicing the areas of Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tempe, and more. Get your free estimate today.