3 Helpful Ways to Remove Plaster Duster from Pool (and How to Avoid)
Many builders, plasters, and service personnel struggle to keep plastering dust away and some argue that its occurrence is unavoidable and thus acceptable.
Plastering dust occurs when calcium in the pool walls dissolves in water. Poor plastering, filling water aggressively, and filling the pool too soon afterward contributes to plastering dust.
However, you can remove or entirely avoid plastering dust with the proper care practices. Continue reading to identify practices you can implement to remove or avoid plastering dust.
1 – Using a Pump and a Filter
Typically, most pools at home and in commercial facilities have circulation pumps. A pump and a filter can help trap and remove dirt, including plastering dust. While the pump’s main purpose is to circulate the water to ensure it remains healthy and uniform in composition, a filter traps dirt.
Usually, a filter traps sand, leaves, food particles, zeolite, and fine particles such as chlorine odors. When getting a filter, ensure it meets the requirements for trapping and filtering out plastering dust.
For new pools or after plastering, it would be best to run the pump and filter once daily for 14 days to remove most of the plastering dust. When maintaining an older pool, you can circulate the water twice or thrice a week to remove plastering dust in small quantities.
However, the pump and filter method is less effective when removing plastering dust that sits on the floor of the pool.
2 – Vacuum the Pool
Today, there are automatic cleaners that remove plastering dust effortlessly. However, this equipment could be expensive for your backyard pool.
Fortunately, regular vacuuming is enough to remove plastering dust. Vacuuming is an easy exercise that you can learn within a short while.
Moreover, you will need to vacuum the pool once a week to remove the plastering dust rather than letting it accumulate in large amounts. Also, vacuuming removes debris and algae.
For manual vacuuming, you will need the following equipment;
- Flexible pool vacuum head
- Telescopic pool pole
- Flexible pool hose
- Pool skimmer net
Steps to Vacuum a Pool
1. Skim the surface to remove most of the dirt floating on the pool surface. It will be easier to remove plastering dust after you have skimmed out the later debris.
2. Turn on the pool pump and ensure the water flows properly through the filter. Ensure the filter is clean before beginning the vacuuming exercise.
3. Assemble the vacuum by attaching the telescopic pool pole to the vacuum head. Ensure that the pole is long enough to reach the pool’s center. Moreover, attach the pool vacuum hose to the vacuum head.
4. Lower the vacuum head into the pool and ensure it rests on the floor. While the pump and the filer are running, place the loose end of the hose next to the return jet to remove all the air bubbles in the hose. Ensure the hose stays fully submerged.
5. Insert the loose end of the hose into the skimmer plate. Attach the plate to the pool wall skimmer, usually over the suction vent.
6. Starting with the shallow end, move the vacuum head along the pool floor and ensure you sweep through without missing any sections. It would be best to work slowly to avoid turning the water cloudy.
7. When you are satisfied that the pool has no plastering dust, disconnect the skimmer plate and the hose. You can return the pump and the filter to their normal working settings. Proceed to disconnect the hose from the vacuum, and backwash the filters.
3 – Use Automatic Cleaner
There are automatic cleaners that effectively remove plastering dust. A variety of automatic cleaners work differently, and the latest models are robotic and self-contained.
Usually, the automatic cleaners remove plastering dust and deposit it at the filter. Some can filter fresh water and pump it back into the pool. However, while robotic cleaners are effective, they are expensive.
While removing plastering dust, it is crucial to take necessary measures to ensure the cleaning process is effective. You should scrub the pool walls often to remove any loose plastering dust. The vacuum cleaners will easily wipe plastering dust on the pool floor.
How to Avoid Plastering Dust
With exemplary plastering practices, you can have a pool with solid walls. Using a low water/cement ratio can get a stronger plaster.
After plastering, the walls need adequate time to harden. The hardening time may vary depending on the building materials and the ambient temperatures. Most pools need at least six hours, although it takes longer when the ambient temperatures are below 50 degrees.
Water should have a pH of 7, although this is not the case because of mineral salts in tap water. Use water with a pH of 8.2 or below. With a pH of 8.2, the water is slightly alkaline and will not react with most chemical compounds that constitute the building materials.
First, you should avoid aggressive sources. Aggressive water has a high chemical composition and is not suitable for pools. You should always prefer freshwater sources. Second, consider treating the water before filling the pool in case of aggressive water sources.
If untreated, aggressive water will react with the plastering material and pull off the plaster.
Summary
Plastering dust is a common challenge in pools. While some people have accepted the problem as unavoidable, it can be prevented or eradicated using the right practices.
A pump and filter system can remove plastering dust floating in pool water. You can manually vacuum clean a pool to remove plastering dust.
Moreover, you can use robotic cleaners to remove plastering dust. However, these automatic cleaners are expensive.
Finally, you can implement preventive measures such as treating aggressive water and applying the recommended plastering techniques.