Acid Wash Pool Service Serving Martin and St. Lucie County
For plaster that has stained or gone green and will not brush clean. We drain the pool and strip the surface back.
Plaster stains. Given enough Florida sun, hard water, and one algae bloom that got away from you, the surface goes dull, streaky, or green in patches that brushing will not touch. At that point you are not looking at a cleaning problem. You are looking at the top layer of the plaster itself.
An acid wash strips that layer off and takes the surface back to clean.
What an acid wash actually is
We drain the pool completely, then work a diluted muriatic acid solution across the plaster and scrub it down. It removes the thin outer skin of the surface, and the stains go with it.
It is not routine maintenance. A pool usually needs this once every several years at most, and a well-kept pool may never need it. If someone is recommending one every season, get a second opinion.
It is also not a repair. If your plaster is cracked, hollow, or failing, an acid wash will not fix that, and we will tell you so rather than take the job.
What it costs, and how long you are without a pool
Acid wash starts at $1,000 and goes up with pool size and how much surface damage there is. We give you a firm number after we see the pool. The estimate is free.
Plan on about four days start to finish:
- The wash: usually 2 days. Drain, strip the surface, rinse, neutralize.
- The refill: about 2 days, sometimes longer. This one is not up to us. Fill time depends entirely on your water pressure, and anyone who promises you an exact hour is guessing.
- On well water? Add carbon filtration. We run the fill through carbon filter tanks so iron, sulfur, and whatever else is in your well does not go straight onto fresh plaster and stain it on day one. Tell us up front that you are on a well.
- Then we balance it. Once the pool is full we build the chemistry back from zero and add salt if you run a salt system. You get the pool back ready to swim in, not full of raw water and a handshake.
Why this is not a weekend project
Muriatic acid is genuinely dangerous to handle, and that is the smaller risk. The bigger one is the plaster.
Acid washing removes surface material permanently. Leave the solution on too long, work it unevenly, or wash a pool that was already thin, and you do not get a clean pool. You get a pool that needs resurfacing, which costs many times what the acid wash did.
There is a right amount to take off, and knowing where that line is comes from having done it repeatedly. That is what you are paying for.
Reba has worked on Treasure Coast pools since 2004 and does this work herself. Same person who quotes it, same person who does it.
Call 772-361-6889 for a free estimate, or send the form and we will get back to you within one business day.
Common questions
How much does an acid wash cost?
It starts at $1,000 and goes up depending on the size of the pool and how much staining there is. We quote a firm price after seeing it, and the estimate is free.
How long will my pool be out of use?
About four days in most cases. Two days for the wash itself, then roughly two more to refill. Fill time depends on your water pressure and can run longer, so we would rather tell you that up front than promise a time we cannot control.
I am on well water. Does that change anything?
Yes, and it matters. We filter the fill through carbon tanks so the minerals in well water do not stain the fresh surface immediately. Mention the well when you call.
Do you balance the water afterward, or is that on me?
We do it. After the fill we balance the chemistry from scratch and add salt if the pool has a salt system.
How often does a pool need an acid wash?
Rarely. Once every several years at the most, and only when staining will not brush out. A pool on consistent weekly service may never need one.
Can I acid wash my own pool?
We would not recommend it. Acid washing permanently removes surface material, and taking off too much turns a $1,000 job into a resurfacing bill. The acid is hazardous too, but the plaster is the real risk.