(Click Here to see the construction process)

Areas of Investigation:

  • Series 1 – Lowering Cyanuric Acid Without Draining the Pool
    • Complexing / Floccing with Aluminum Sulfate (Alum)
    • Complexing / Filtering with Melamine
    • Oxidation with Hyperchlorination
  • Series 2 – Colorfastness of Blue Plaster Pigments
    • Inorganic
    • Organic
    • Blends
  • Series 3 – Start-up Chemistry
    • Traditional Method
    • Acid (“Hot”) Start
    • onBalance Start-up (Sodium Bicarbonate or “Bicarb” Method)
    • Orenda Start-up (Calcium Method)

Over the course of the last several decades, onBalance has released research data showing the effects on swimming pool plaster from many variables. This data was generated from field observations, failure analysis, laboratory experiments and forensic petrographic analysis. Failures investigated have included a wide range of plaster defects and plaster deterioration, including but not limited to calcium nodules, delamination, mottling, spotting, drip lines, etching, leaching and scaling (calcite depositing), organic vs. inorganic pigments, filling a pool too soon after plastering, excess chloride, and more. Petrographers have been able to determine the cause(s) of failures using techniques ranging from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and stereo microscopy to chemical analysis of the plaster.

Research of cement/concrete industry literature has shown that the results of these petrographic analyses are corroborated by cement/concrete industry data, where similar materials, workmanship, and environmental variables have had similar effects in various types of mass concrete.

The findings have also been consistent with our wide-ranging field experience, each of the onBalance partners having three to four decades of hands-on experience in maintaining thousands of residential swimming pools.

In order to further support these findings, and to illustrate the relationships found by our experience and by the literature and petrographers in a demonstration pool setting, onBalance has built two demonstration pools in the Tucson, Arizona area.

The test facility is composed of two pools, each with a water area of 11 by 7 feet with a 3.5 foot constant water depth. Tile lines can be installed, dividing each section. These sections will run along the seven foot width of the pools. After plastering is complete, a PVC divider can be inserted across the 11 foot length of the pool, dividing each pool in half. This allows for each plaster section to be subjected to different water conditions on each side of the divider. Each demonstration pool has two filtration systems, one for each side of the divider.

Funding for this project is being provided by donations from various manufacturers, distributors, service companies and trade association groups. These include the IPSSA Region 7 Tabletop ($10,000 in matching funds), the Tucson IPSSA Chapter, Jim Meadows (Pool Plasterer), Mortex (Kool Deck), Universal Cement, Hayward, and various individual service companies, including Aqua Clear and Pool Chlor.

The results will be provided to the industry on a regular basis throughout the course of the demonstration, at no charge. If you are interested in participating in this project, by donation of materials, labor, funds, etc., please contact onBalance. We appreciate all of the industry support.

Lab and facility address: 3114 E Pennsylvania St., Tucson AZ 85714 – 520–573–6696