ServicesAcid Washes
Pool Acid Washes in Higley
When brushing and chemicals won't lift the stains, an acid wash takes off a thin layer of plaster and the dirt locked in it. We drain the pool, wash it, neutralize the rinse and refill. You talk to one person the whole way.
What an Acid Wash Does and When It Makes Sense
An acid wash is a cleaning for plaster pools. With the water out, we pour diluted muriatic acid down the walls and floor and rinse it fast. It eats a very thin layer off the surface. Stains, scale and old algae marks go with it, and the plaster underneath is lighter and smoother.
It's the right call when the finish has gone gray, brown or blotchy and regular cleaning does nothing. It's not the right call every year. Each wash takes some plaster with it, so we only recommend one when the pool needs it. If your stains are mostly a white crust at the waterline, our calcium removal and tile cleaning may be all you need.
One person handles your job from the first look to the refill. That's the same person who answers your questions, schedules the drain and checks the water chemistry after.
What's Included in the Job
Stain check before we drain
We look at the stains and the plaster first. Metal stains, algae stains and scale each act a little different, and some won't come out with acid at all. We tell you that up front.
Draining the pool
We pump the pool down and send the water where it's allowed to go. Draining is covered the same way as our pool drain and refill service.
The acid wash itself
We work section by section with diluted acid and a hose, rinsing fast so it doesn't sit too long. Heavier stains may get a second pass. Pebble finishes get a lighter touch.
Neutralizing the rinse water
The acid water that collects in the deep end gets neutralized with soda ash before it's pumped out. That protects your yard and the drain line.
Refill and start-up chemistry
We refill with fresh water and balance it for new-looking plaster. We brush the walls in the first days so any loose dust doesn't settle back in.
Cleanup
Hoses, pumps and buckets leave with us. We rinse the deck where we worked.
Signs Your Pool Needs an Acid Wash
- Stains that won't brush off
- Brown, green or black patches stay put after brushing and shocking. They've soaked into the top of the plaster.
- The whole pool looks dull or gray
- Plaster that started out white now looks dingy even with clear water. That usually means years of buildup across the surface.
- Rough, scaly plaster
- The walls feel like sandpaper. In our hard water, scale builds over time and makes the surface rough on feet and hands.
- Leftover marks after a green pool
- A pool that sat green for a while can leave shadows behind even once the water is clear. A wash after a green to clean recovery often takes care of them.
- You already need to drain
- If the pool is coming down for a repair or fresh water anyway, it's a good time to ask if a wash makes sense.
How the Day Goes
- 1
Look and quote
We come out, look at the stains and the plaster, and give you a free quote. If a wash won't help, we say so.
- 2
Pick the right day
We schedule around the weather. Empty plaster doesn't do well sitting in full summer sun, so we plan the drain and wash to keep the pool empty as short a time as we can.
- 3
Drain, wash and neutralize
The pool drains, then we acid wash and rinse section by section. The rinse water gets neutralized before it's pumped out. Most of the work happens in one long day.
- 4
Refill and balance
We start the refill right away. Once it's full, we balance the chemistry and brush. You get a call from the same person who quoted the job to tell you how it went.
What Moves the Price
Every pool is a little different, so we price the job after we see it. Your quote spells out the drain, the wash, the neutralizing and the refill so you know what you're paying for. Here's what changes the number.
- Pool size and depth
- A bigger pool takes longer to drain, more acid to wash and more water to refill.
- How bad the stains are
- Light dullness may need one pass. Deep metal stains or heavy scale can take two, plus more time.
- Finish type
- Standard white plaster and pebble finishes are handled differently. Pebble takes a gentler wash and more care.
- Water and chemistry after
- Fresh fill water needs balancing before it's ready to swim in. Hard fill water can take more work to get right.
Acid Wash Questions
- Will an acid wash remove every stain?
- Not always. Most surface stains and scale come out. Stains that run deep into old plaster, or bare spots where plaster is gone, won't be fixed by a wash. We tell you what to expect before we drain.
- How often can a pool be acid washed?
- Not often. Each wash takes a thin layer of plaster off, so we treat it as an every-few-years job at most. Good weekly pool cleaning and steady chemistry help you go longer between washes.
- Is the acid safe around my home and yard?
- We dilute it, work carefully, and neutralize the rinse water with soda ash before pumping it out. We're a firefighter owned and operated company, so handling chemicals safely is something we take seriously. Keep kids and pets inside while we're working.
- Can my vinyl or fiberglass pool be acid washed?
- No. Acid washes are for plaster and similar cement-based finishes. Vinyl and fiberglass need other cleaning methods, and we can talk through those on the phone.
- When can we swim again?
- Once the pool is full and the chemistry is balanced, usually within a few days of the wash. We'll let you know when it's ready.
See What Your Plaster Looks Like Clean
Tell us what the stains look like and we'll come take a look. One person handles the quote, the wash and the refill.