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How To Clean Calcium From Pool Tile

Maybe you've recently used your puddle and noticed some of your pool tiles turning white almost the waterline, and and then you're wondering how to articulate that calcium that'due south been deposited in that location. In this commodity, I'll exist showing y'all the causes of calcium buildup, as well every bit all the methods y'all can apply to remove it.

If you accept calcium carbonate deposits, you can add together either a stain remover, a mild acid, or muriatic acid to the area and scrub information technology off. If you accept calcium silicate instead, the merely two viable options are to scrub using a pumice rock or to call a professional.

Before we move on to removing the calcium deposits, let's beginning take a await at what they are in item so that the removal processes we'll discuss afterward on make sense.

Inground fiberglass pool with white calcium scale around waterline.
Inground fiberglass pool with white calcium calibration around the waterline.

What is Calcium Scaling?

Calcium scaling is where the calcium is built up and deposited onto your pool floor and tiles (near the waterline).

It's a ho-hum accumulation and it'southward found in areas that have lots of wet and dry out cycles. Similar the waterline, or the spillway of a spa or h2o feature.

 There are two types of calcium that can crusade this: calcium carbonate and calcium silicate (the latter otherwise known as hard calcium). To tell the difference between the two, add a driblet of muriatic acid to it; if it foams, y'all have calcium carbonate, otherwise, information technology's calcium silicate.

What is Calcium Carbonate?

Calcium carbonate is the more mutual culprit of calcium scaling on pool tiles. It's besides the easier of the 2 to remove. Well-nigh of the pool tile calcium removal options we'll tackle in this article are relevant to calcium carbonate.

What is Calcium Silicate?

Calcium silicate is the less common but more than troublesome of the two types of calcium found on pool tiles. Calcium silicate takes longer to build up, but once it's there, it tin be extremely difficult to remove and can enter your puddle'due south filtration arrangement equally well.

What Causes Calcium Scaling on Puddle Tiles

The principal causes of calcium scaling in pools include:

  • High alkalinity
  • High pH
  • High water temperatures
  • High calcium levels (either due to hard h2o or calculation besides much calcium to the puddle)

You tin tell how susceptible your pool is to calcium scaling past looking at its material, where the more porous it is, the more than susceptible it is to scale. Thus, something similar a physical pool would exist more vulnerable than a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool.

Related Reading: How to Lower Alkalinity | Puddle Alkalinity High

Closeup of heavy calcium scale on the pool walls of a fiberglass pool.
Closeup of heavy calcium scale on the pool walls of a puddle.

Scale Removal Process for Pool Tiles

Here's a summary of the method to remove calcium scale (white buildup) from puddle tiles and pool surfaces.

  1. Lower pool water level beneath the buildup
  2. Use abrasives, scraping tools, or scrubbers to remove calcium
  3. Spray with calcium-dissolving chemical
  4. Employ abrasives and scrub over again
  5. Repeat until the calcium has been fully cleaned off the tiles

The to a higher place is the basic method, at present here are the specific tools and chemicals that will help you clean your pool tiles.

Tools to Remove Calcium from Pool Tiles

Usually, it'south all-time to start by scrapping off as much calcium as you can with an abrasive tool. You want to be careful that yous don't scratch your pool tiles or puddle surface though. Some products tin also take the polish off tiles.

Make certain you test a modest area first and wait for the tile to dry before using abrasive tools.

Hither is a general listing of the tools that can be used to remove calcium deposits:

Wet & Dry Sand Newspaper: if you're looking for a natural, chemical-complimentary way to remove calcium from puddle tiles, fine grit sandpaper, like 3000 grit, will remove calcium buildup. It can be very slow-going and hard work, though. It may too take the shine off some tiles. So exam a small area beginning.

You may find that some of the other scrubbing methods and calcium-dissolving chemicals are much faster to apply.

Pumice Stone: Used to scrub the deposits abroad. Brand certain to moisture both the rock and the surface earlier usage, as the rough surfaces of the stone can easily scratch or otherwise damage the pool surface. Pumice stones should be used on tile and concrete surfaces only and not on soft pool surfaces (like vinyl) as they volition easily tear the textile

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Nylon Castor Cups: You tin can employ a cordless drill and a nylon bristle castor cup/wheel to similarly scrub the deposits away. Make sure to avert steel cups or wheels as this can atomic number 82 to rust on the bottom and tiles of the puddle

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Scraper: Using a scraping tool can assistance to remove calcium from puddle tiles. Exist careful with a tool similar this equally it tin can scratch some softer tiles. Test a small section first.

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Pressure level Washer: This can be used as a final-ditch endeavour to remove the hardest calcium deposits (including calcium silicate). A pressure washer blasts water up to 2500 PSI at the deposits to quickly remove all but the hardest deposits. Yous'll have to be careful though as the pressure of the water can weaken or damage the pool tiles if information technology's turned upward too loftier

Related Reading: How to Replace Loose, Croaky, or Broken Pool Tiles

Chemicals to Remove Calcium

There are many products and chemicals available to assistance remove calcium scaling. Using a chemic alone will probably not be enough to remove a bad case of scale. Some manual scrubbing will besides be required. Proverb that chemicals will make scale and calcium removal much easier.

Here are some of the most commonly used chemicals to remove calcium deposits.

1. Using Hydrochloric acid to Dissolve the Deposits

Muriatic acid is a strong acrid that is typically used to chop-chop lower the pH of water, only it can also react with and dissolve hard calcium.

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Muriatic acid will pause down the calcium to the point where y'all can scrub it away easily with a scouring pad. Its major downside is that it's a highly acidic chemical that can cause serious injury if not handled properly.

Yous also need to be careful not to spill likewise much in the water, or you will lower the pH.

How to Utilise Hydrochloric acid to Remove Calcium Deposits from Pool Tiles

Here are the specific instructions for using muriatic acrid. Keep in mind that you should e'er follow the manufacturer's instructions if available.

The materials you lot'll need include:

  • Muriatic acid
  • Plastic bucket, measuring loving cup, stirring spoon, spray bottle
  • Scouring pad
  • Goggles
  • Safety gloves
  • Chemical apron
  • Respirator
  1. Showtime by using a scrapper or abrasive pad to remove as much calcium as possible. Some tiles are softer than others and scratch easily. So use the nearly appropriate tool for your tiles.
  2. Put on your protective gear and accept all the materials exterior
  3. Fill up your bucket with a gallon of water and measure out 8 oz of muriatic acid
  4. Add the hydrochloric acid to the water slowly to avoid splashing
  5. Gently stir using the plastic stirring spoon
  6. Advisedly pour the mixture into the spray bottle
  7. Spray some of it onto the calcium deposit(south) and expect a minute or ii for it to react
  8. Scrub the area with the scouring pad. You may need multiple applications to remove it
  9. Examination the water and make sure the pH is at normal levels before inbound the puddle

ii. Stain Removers/Stain Erasers/Calcium Removers

In that location are many stain removers (otherwise known equally stain erasers or calcium removers) on the market place that are designed to remove calcium carbonate.

Typically, these removers will require you to scrub or chip off the outermost layer of the deposit, and so add the remover and scrub each layer underneath until it'southward all gone. Sometimes several applications are required.

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3. Calcium Scaling Treatments that Can Dissolve Deposits

Pool stores ofttimes carry detail calcium scaling treatments that, different muriatic acid or stain removers, accept their time dissolving the calcium deposits over a period of several weeks.

Though elementary to use (all y'all accept to do is add them to the puddle water) and work for a variety of pools, they tin can take months to fully dissolve calcium silicate (aka hard calcium), making calcium scaling treatments, non the most viable option if you lot're in a rush.

Related Reading: What Is Muriatic acid for in a Pool?

acid washing pool
Acid washing pool.

Natural Ways to Remove Calcium from Puddle Tiles

Besides the chemicals nosotros've looked at previously, there are several natural ways to clear the calcium using materials you probably take at home. Go on in mind that these will usually just work for calcium carbonate deposits, as calcium silicate volition be likewise stubborn to be scrubbed off with common household items.

1. Using Vinegar to Make clean Pool Tiles

One of the most popular household items yous can use to deliquesce deposits is vinegar. Vinegar is a adept option because it's non-toxic, inexpensive, and can clean a variety of surfaces.

All that's required is for you to become a spray canteen and make full information technology with a mixture of vinegar and h2o. So, just take hold of a stiff abrasive brush or scrapper, and begin to spray and scrub at the deposits.

2. Using Vinegar and Baking Soda to Make clean Pool Tiles

A somewhat more constructive way of removing calcium deposits is through the combined use of vinegar (especially white vinegar) and baking soda. This combination will do a amend job of softening the calcium deposits than vinegar lonely. Here are the steps:

  1. Using a scrapper, abrasive pad, or stiff brush, start by scrubbing off equally much of the initial scum equally yous can
  2. Make a mixture of vinegar and baking soda in a two-to-one ratio
  3. Rub the mixture onto all surfaces affected by the calcium scaling
  4. Leave the mixture on for well-nigh 5 minutes to permit information technology to soften the deposits
  5. Wipe or scrub off the paste

3. Other Natural Means to Remove Calcium Deposits

There are several other natural methods of removing calcium deposits using mutual household items such as:

  • toothpaste
  • borax
  • difficult work

However, they may not be as effective as the methods described previously. The methodology is the same, where you apply the product onto the calcium deposits, wait a few minutes for whatever reactions to have place, then scrub the resulting mixture away using some type of castor, pumice rock, or wet/dry sandpaper.

Going the Professional Way

Using Magnesium Sulfate to Smash off the Deposits

Magnesium sulfate is a chemic compound that appears every bit pocket-sized, colorless crystals and is used for a variety of purposes, including equally an anticonvulsant. In our case, magnesium sulfate is commonly used past professional pool companies as a medium to smash off calcium deposits, a process known as bead blasting or force per unit area washing.

Though the name is identical, this method differs from the utilise of a typical pressure level washer (equally described higher up) in that, instead of blasting water, the professionals would use a specialized compressor to blast solid materials, such as magnesium sulfate, beads, or sand at the puddle tile. This allows the deposits, no matter how hard, to be scraped off easily and will save you tons of time from having to scrub at the tiles yourself.

The one downside to this method is the cost and the mess. Hiring a professional over and removing the deposits for you will exist costlier than for you to exercise it yourself. However, if yous find yourself in a dilemma involving calcium silicate, especially if information technology's already in the pipes and filtration system, this may exist your only choice.

Tips to Prevent Calcium Scaling

Now that nosotros've gone over all the methods of removing calcium deposits, here are some tips you should go on in mind to avoid calcium scaling from reoccurring.

  • Make sure the pH of your pool water is at its optimal level every bit high pH has a pregnant effect on calcium scaling
  • Utilize an automatic pool cover to reduce the chance of water evaporating as the water can leave behind calcium after it evaporates
  • Regularly test your puddle water to make certain the chemicals are at the right levels
  • Maintain a calcium hardness level of 200-400 ppm

Final Thoughts

Calcium deposits on pool tiles tin be an annoying sight to notice. Yet, there are many ways you can take to resolve the issue, every bit well as prevent it from reoccurring.

Source: https://www.myperfectpool.com.au/remove-calcium-deposits-pool-tiles.html

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