Proper Method Of Chemical Addition To A Vinyl Liner
by Sapphira
Thanks for the question Sapphira Yes, you should take some extra precautions when adding some chemicals to a pool with a vinyl liner. Muriatic acid and chlorine are the main chemicals. Acid is heavier than water and will sink straight to the bottom. When adding acid, it's best to mix it first in a bucket with water. This dilutes it a bit. Always add acid to water, never water to acid. Sweep the bottom and sides of the pool to break up any hot spots. The same technique should be used for chlorine. Soda ash or sodium bicarb. can be directly put into the pool because it's not as caustic. But, you can make it a habit of using a bucket and making a slurry of the chemicals. The only exception is calcium chloride. You should add that directly into the pool and sweep the sides and steps. If you mix calcium and water, it may "steam" up and burn you. This happened to me at the YMCA. I had a pool route in Arizona where the hardness of the water can exceed 300ppm. There was never any need to add calcium. Here in Oregon the water is very soft, about 2ppm, so adding calcium to a plaster pool is necessary. I didn't know to not mix calcium with water, so I did, and learned that doing so gave me 1st and 2nd degree burns on my hands. Tough way to learn, but I never did that again. If you add acid or chlorine straight into the pool it might stain or burn the liner. Using the above techniques will help keep your liner looking good for years to come. To post a reply, or if you have a similar question, you can see your post on the Q&A page in the "Pool Liner" category. Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Check back to this post for answers. Hope this helps and have a great Summer. Robert |
