Pool Cleaning Near Maprachan Lake

[Thailaw]

I just had my swimming pool retiled due to the gross negligence of the last pool cleaning service. I need a new pool cleaning company that will service a pool near Horseshoe Point. Can anyone recommend a pool clearing service that is responsible and provides good service (at hopefully a reasonable price)? Contact information would be very much appreciated. Thanks for any help/recommendations/suggestions. TL

[jacko45k]

'Home and Pool' have taken care of mine and neighbours for many years.... office is on 3rd Rd on right a bit before Nua.

https://goo.gl/maps/gqoyeJEuhQHQtXG86

[Woof999]

I do mine myself. Been through at least 5 "companies" and they were all useless, lazy, incompetent and several other things.

 

it's good exercise too.

 

Pretty much every company I've seen here keeps the acidity WAY too high (low PH) so save on chemicals, ignoring the fact this eats the glaze from the tiles, ruins metal steps (stainless ones that aren't really stainless) and weakens the pipework.

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Woof999 said:

Pretty much every company I've seen here keeps the acidity WAY too high (low PH) so save on chemicals, ignoring the fact this eats the glaze from the tiles, ruins metal steps (stainless ones that aren't really stainless) and weakens the pipework.

Yeah, I do my own dosing now.... the guy was a bit too generous with the chlorine that I had to buy, so a conflict of interests! I was turning green too!

[Saanim]

20 hours ago, Thailaw said:

I just had my swimming pool retiled due to the gross negligence of the last pool cleaning service.

How exactly the tiles were affected by the cleaning negligence? When negligence, i.e., not much chemicals, then the pH gets higher, not acidic, higher pH does not affect tiles, grouting and other materials.

 

If re-tiling, then the tiling was not really good. 

 

17 hours ago, Woof999 said:

Pretty much every company I've seen here keeps the acidity WAY too high (low PH) so save on chemicals,

 If company keeps the acidity low, then they have to spend regularly a lot of pH Minus, that's not really cheap, (unless they use acid HCL). they do not save on chemicals, in contrary,

 

 

 

[Woof999]

12 minutes ago, Saanim said:

How exactly the tiles were affected by the cleaning negligence? When negligence, i.e., not much chemicals, then the pH gets higher, not acidic, higher pH does not affect tiles, grouting and other materials.

 

If re-tiling, then the tiling was not really good. 

 

 If company keeps the acidity low, then they have to spend regularly a lot of pH Minus, that's not really cheap, (unless they use acid HCL). they do not save on chemicals, in contrary,

 

 

 

I don't believe this is correct. The rain here is mostly acidic. The water supply here is often (certainly where I've lived for the past several years) acidic.

 

Regardless, both high acidity and high alkalinity are corrosive. Alkalinity tends to increase scaling, which can protect against corrosion, but the scaling itself is still not good for the tiles. PH out of whack will also significantly impact chlorine effectiveness. Chlorine itself also lowers PH.

 

The house I've lived in for the past 2 years had pool water PH < 6. The tile glaze has been totally removed and they have become porous.

 

Poor pool maintenance is a sure way of destroying your tiles and pretty much everything else in / connected to the pool.

 

Notice that I also wrote high acidity (ie LOW ph). PH minus is the exact opposite of what you want to use when you have high acidity.

Edited March 6, 2022 by Woof999

[Dave Aarons]

I too live near Mabprachan Lake and have a similar situation.

Around 4yrs ago my pool was re-grouted with what I was told was top quality grout, but after only 4yrs, the water had completely destroyed 100% of the grout and began eating away at the tile adhesive, resulting in tiles lifting all over the pool.

 

I decided to re-grout the pool again, but this time I did the job myself using Weber grout and replaced or re-laid the tiles.

This done, the pool was re-filled with crystal clear government water delivered by tanker.

 

As the pump was also leaking, I attempted to carry out repairs to it, but couldn't get the correct spare parts and as a result, the pump needed to be replaced as it wouldn't even self prime any more.

 

A complete pump and sand filter were ordered, together with Zelbrite media but this took 12 days to arrive, by which time my pool had become a lovely shade of dark green.

 

Since then, (2 weeks ago) the new system has been running for 18hrs p/day and although not green any more, the water is still cloudy and despite chemicals being added every few days by my pool guy, it is not improving.

 

Standard test kit shows PH way too low and Chlorine does not even register on the scale.

 

Having done some research, it would appear that you need a more comprehensive test kit and a good knowledge of the myriad of chemicals that may be required to correctly balance the water.

 

If anyone knows of a competent company in my area that could carry out this exercise, please let me know.

[Saanim]

2 hours ago, Woof999 said:

Regardless, both high acidity and high alkalinity are corrosive. Alkalinity tends to increase scaling, which can protect against corrosion, but the scaling itself is still not good for the tiles. 

 

---

 

Notice that I also wrote high acidity (ie LOW ph). PH minus is the exact opposite of what you want to use when you have high acidity.

You wrote: "Pretty much every company I've seen here keeps the acidity WAY too high (low PH) so save on chemicals".

 

I am repeating: Usually, pH Minus (acid HCL or H2SO4) will lower the pH, making the water more acidic. That's what most of the pool owner usually get a headache of when having to lower the pH in order to optimise the efficacy of chlorine against algae growth. There is a chemical explanation why the pH is steadily rising by a natural cause.  And the pH lowering is mostly the major part of the maintenance cost.

 

If your water is really acidic, that's a rare exception - I do not think that's by the rain only - OK, then it needs to be maintained by pH Plus or any other means, that's however much cheaper than pH lowering.

 

Whether the high alkalinity is also corrosive?  I do not think that increased scaling on the tiles can be called "corrosive". Yes, it protects the tiles and the grouting, hence protects against corrosion. It does not affect the lifetime of the tiles or the grouting, in contrary. And when carefully applying a dissolved pH Minus (acid HCL or H2SO4) by a foam brush (Scotch brite), the scaling (mostly at the water line only) goes off very easily. And by this cleaning the pool water is profiting by lowering the pH a bit.  

 

There is no harm for people - the drinking water is allowed up to pH 9.5. Sea-water has pH over 8, also the thermal spa, how the pools there look like?

 

Re-tiling:

That's the problem of the pH nearing and under 7, and also of the chlorine effect, seeing it often after 5 - 7 years.  And that happens mostly at small tiles and mosaic tiles making such attractive show impression.  However, any small leak into the grouting represents a large portion of the small tile, hence, the tile will lose it's adhesion completely. Unlike at large tiles when a small leak at the edge of the tile is nothing against the whole area adhesion, no such problem of losing a tile.

 

 

 

  

[Woof999]

5 minutes ago, Saanim said:

If your water is really acidic, that's a rare exception - I do not think that's by the rain only - OK, then it needs to be maintained by pH Plus or any other means, that's however much cheaper than pH lowering.

Google "thailand acid rain" and  you'll see what I mean.

 

Here's one document: http://archive.lib.cmu.ac.th/full/T/2005/ensc0305ks_ch1.pdf

 

that states: "In Thailand a large portion of the Bangkok regional area has precipitation of pH values between 4.7-5.8". The pool cleaners here don't need to add anything to the water to make it acidic.

 

What I see in Chon Buri isn't all that different. I go through quite a lot of soda ash to maintain the pool at about 7.6pH (slightly alkaline). None of the pool companies that my previous landlords employed even regularly checked the pH, let alone any of the other important chemical levels. I never once saw them use soda ash or equivalent. They seem to like to keep the water levels on the acidic side as it requires less cleaning but totally ignores the damage caused to tiles and grout.

 

I use AquaChek 7 strips a few times a week both in the pool itself and in rainwater traps. The well water in my area is also on the acidic side and most of the pools I've rented / owned have auto replenished from the well water. Left unchecked it will absolutely be acidic and can absolutely kill tiles / grout.

 

Maybe you see different conditions where you live. I can only go by what I see with my own eyes and my own test equipment.

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Saanim said:

When negligence, i.e., not much chemicals, then the pH gets higher, not acidic, higher pH does not affect tiles, grouting and other materials.

It might if the pool is relatively new or recently grouted.... but I find my pool very occasionally needs a bit of soda ash to lift the ph.... always presumed a bit of rain added acidity. 

[Saanim]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

but I find my pool very occasionally needs a bit of soda ash to lift the ph.... always presumed a bit of rain added acidity. 

Yes, that's a usual experience and praxis of many pools - the sparse need of soda ash - unless there is a case of very high acidic water source as described above. 

 

However, I do not understand the logic in your other statement. If presumed an acidic rain then the soda ash is really needed, isn't it?    

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Saanim said:

Yes, that's a usual experience and praxis of many pools - the sparse need of soda ash - unless there is a case of very high acidic water source as described above. 

 

However, I do not understand the logic in your other statement. If presumed an acidic rain then the soda ash is really needed, isn't it?    

As stated, it appears my pool has a tendency towards acidity, hence the very occasional need to add soda ash. I was presuming that tendency was caused by rain.... I once tested rainwater and confirmed slight acidity.