Pool Owners: Question About Diamond Brite

[Cat]

Can someone tell me how you know when the Diamond Brite coating needs to be redone? We're getting some spots on the bottom of the pool, and don't know the cause. We suspect that it might be at the end of its useful life. Anyone know?

 

[Wonka]

Good question. But, some spots seem to be common. Our diamond brite pool has some different discolorations after less than 3 years. I think the warranty is 10 years, but I'm not sure. I think redoing a pool with a new diamond brite finish is pretty expensive, so it might depend on how long you plan on staying in a home before making the investment.

 

[Floridaski]

As far as the spots are concerned, first question - how old is the finish on the pool?

If it is under 10 years, I would start with the pool water. We get spots (dark brown, black, green etc..) if our pool chemicals are out of balance. If you have a pool service - you might want to check up on what they are putting in your pool.

If you do your own pool chemicals - take the water sample to a local pool store. I am sure they will be more then happy to test your water and sell you some expensive chemicals. This may take care of your spots - but if the finish is getting to the 10 year mark - the spots could be due to age.

I would check the pool water first and then move on to other possible causes.

 

[fnewman]

Spot in a pool may be caused by algae, etc. as implied above but can also result from the (not good) practice of just tossing concentrated chemicals into the pool, such as granular chlorine or chlorine tablets.

 

[Cat]

As far as the spots are concerned, first question - how old is the finish on the pool?

If it is under 10 years, I would start with the pool water. We get spots (dark brown, black, green etc..) if our pool chemicals are out of balance. If you have a pool service - you might want to check up on what they are putting in your pool.

If you do your own pool chemicals - take the water sample to a local pool store. I am sure they will be more then happy to test your water and sell you some expensive chemicals. This may take care of your spots - but if the finish is getting to the 10 year mark - the spots could be due to age.

I would check the pool water first and then move on to other possible causes.

Floridaski, no idea how old it is. That's why I suspected age first. We moved in last year, and the seller never said how long the Diamond Brite job was, and we didn't think to ask.

I will have the water checked. I know that we were short on conditioner/stabilizer recently, but I did correct that problem. The pH is fine, as is the hardness and total alkalinity. Those are the only things my strips test for. Could it be something else? We haven't had this problem in more than a year, so that's pretty weird.

Assuming that the issue is the chemical balance, and we correct it, will the spots disappear eventually?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Cat]

Frank, we don't toss much of anything in. We don't use granular chlorine, only tabs in a floater and liquid. Anything granular gets pre-dissolved before addition to pool water. But thanks for the help!

 

[Don]

Diamond Brite does need to be redone approx. every 12-14 years. If you plan to stay there forever, you might look into Pebbletek with its lifetime guarentee.

How large is your pool? If it is big enough to be hard surfaced, it should have a chlorine dispenser, unless its a salt water pool with a chlorine separator. I'm just wondering why you are using a floater.

 

[Cat]

The pool is a custom job, but roughly 15'X30' with some cut-outs and jut-outs. I'm not familiar with a chlorine dispenser. I thought that was what a floater is. There were parts missing on the pool when we moved in, such as the weir and filter basket. Where does a chlorine dispenser belong?

This is our first experience with an inground pool, so I appreciate the answers.

 

[Wonka]

Most chlorine pools have an automatic chlorine dispenser attached next to the filter/pump. It's about 18" tall usually white with a cap and dial on it. You add 3-1/2' chlorine tablets to it after turning off the pump and removing the top. Frankly, I shock our pool with a combined shock product I purchase at Walmart about once a week and it seems to look pretty good. I don't test it with the regularity that I should. They should be tested weekly. There are products that can remove pool stains, just take a sample to Pinch a Penny, Leslies, or somewhere else. They do a much more extensive test than strips and will recommend a treatment plan and the chemicals to use.
The chemicals can get costly if the pool is way out of wack, but they do have stain removal stuff. I spilled a little paint in mine (or splattered) when I re-painted our pool deck. A special chemical from Pinch a Penny and it took the paint out right away as an example. Some pools don't use chlorine, they have a system that converts salt pellets to chlorine. Actually, that's what's in the home we're purchasing in Sarasota. I don't know much about that process...kinda like chlorine. Our usage of chemicals here has been very minimal.

 

[Cat]

John, that's all news to me. No, we have nothing like that dispenser in our pool. There was nothing in the skimmer (including, as I mentioned earlier, a basket or weir.) Is that better than using a floater? Does it administer the chlorine more efficiently?

I have heard of the systems that sanitize the pool using salt. I checked, and they're not cheap to install.

 

[Wonka]

John, that's all news to me. No, we have nothing like that dispenser in our pool. There was nothing in the skimmer (including, as I mentioned earlier, a basket or weir.) Is that better than using a floater? Does it administer the chlorine more efficiently?

I have heard of the systems that sanitize the pool using salt. I checked, and they're not cheap to install.

An automatic chlorinator isn't an expensive device. It would be next to your pump and filter by the house. I'm sure Randy could easily nstall one himself very easily. Pinch a Penny and Leslie's have them and can provide installation instructions.

I've only used a floater in our spa, I suppose they would dispense the chlorine gradually enough. Depending on the size of your pool in gallons, most places recommend shocking your pool weekly. Of course, some stores will try to sell you other, more expensive non-chlorine products. There should always be a basket in the skimmer to catch large debri so it doesn't clog your pool filter, or pump. They can also be purchased at any pool store, just measure the size of the skimmer and buy a basket that will fit. All it does is catch leaves or other large pieces of floating material before it can cause pump or filter problems. You should also clean your filter regularly. I'm not sure what type you have. We have a huge filter that uses a paper filter. Disassembly and cleaning is easy, but a little time consuming.

 

[maddaug]

Cat, try posting on this website: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/index.php
We once used algaecide that copper in it. Bad mistake. Our hair turned green and when we dropped it out it left dark brown spots that did eventually fade.
We have a chlorinator but always shock with cheap plain old bleach. Cost is less although the price has jumped 50 cents since last year.

Hope you find your answer and great info there too.

 

[Cat]

Thank you for the link, maddaug. Someone had mentioned the copper as a possible cause. We used to have a vinyl liner pool, and it was never this complicated!