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I have installed and inspected hundred of pools with Quartzscapes plaster over the years, and one thing stands out: if you get a blue base color, you run a high chance of the color molting and looking aged very quickly. To help provide some context, Quartzscapes plaster and even pebble material, is a mix of concrete, dye (if needed) and quartz or pebble material. These items are all mixed together following a batch card and then installed by the plaster team in your pool. The material you select (Quartzscapes, PebbleSheen, etc) as well as the color you choose all determine the batch mix to create that color. As a company, we no longer install Quartzscapes material if it has a dark blue base color (dye) because we have found this material starts showing signs of molting and blotchy appearance quickly (within a year or two) where it almost looks like clouds on the bottom of your pool. This is simply calcium that is either being pulled from or being deposited on the plaster by the pool water. Since the Quartzscapes has a dark blue base color, you more easily see the white calcium deposits show up faster than light colored base material. If you want a blue base or darker base color, we recommend going with a pebble material like PebbleSheen or Stonescaoes or even Microfision. If you have any questions, please reach out to 911 Pool Care and we will be happy to guide you through the options.

911 Pool Care is a Certified Pool Inspection company Swimming pools are an expensive investment, and without proper installation or proper care, that investment can become damaged and lead to costly repairs over time. At 911 Pool Care, we offer swimming pool inspections depending on what the need is (new home purchase pool inspection, general pool inspection or 3rd party new construction pool inspection to pass Austin city requirements). We also offer pool inspections for customers that are getting a new pool built and want a 3rd party to inspect the pool builders work. Our pool inspections focus on the following 7 main areas: Pool plumbing We look for any signs of leaks or damage in the pool plumbing. We also check to make sure the plumbing is properly sized for the pool, prior repairs that were made and that you have good flow when the system is running. Pool electrical / pool equipment We check to make sure that everything is bonded properly, that there are working GFCI breakers supporting the equipment, no exposed wires, and that each piece of equipment is working properly and without excess noise and that all lights are working. Pool shell We visually check the shell of the pool for any signs of prior repairs, cracks, heaving. Pool masonry We check the tiles in the pool and the stone work around the pool looking for cracks, missing grout, stone that is failing or coming off. Pool plaster We look for signs of aging, delamination where the plaster is coming off, cracking, discoloration and general wear that could indicate the plaster may need to be replaced. Pool safety This critical check focuses on pool and access safety. We check equipment bonding, GFCI breakers that are working properly, handrails that are secure and bonded, access in / out of the deep end, drain covers that are SOFA compliant as well as any additional entrapment risks. We also look at the access points to the pool to ensure gates are auto-closing and have latches that are at least 54" above grade. Site around pool We take a look at the surrounding area around the pool and look at the patio for proper drainage, lifting or cracking of the patio, overall patio condition and any general issues with drainage or lifting that could be a potential issue. As part of our inspection, if we see signs of cracking in the pool that look like ASR (pool cancer), we will note that in our report, but we are not able to determine if a pool has ASR. That requires core testing and lab analysis which can be done by other companies such as MLAW ( https://mlaw-eng.com/inspections/ ) and other teams in the area. If you would like to schedule your pool inspection, please fill out the contact form for 911 Pool Care ( https://www.911poolcare.com/book-now ) and we will send over a quote and get your scheduled right away.

Iridescent glass pool tile cleaning before and after Pool tile cleaning in Austin and surrounding areas is something that is needed regularly due to our hard water and high calcium in the ground. Pools build up a calcium ring on the waterline tile and stone anywhere you have a spillover from a waterfall or spa. The areas that are hardest hit are spa spillovers and infinity edges where the water flows over tile in a series of wet / dry which allows the calcium to dry and then the cycle repeats. There are a few things you can do to try to remove the calcium before it gets built up, but once it gets heavy, it is time to call in 911 Pool Care to make your tile look beautiful again. The method that we use to clean pool tile and pool stone is vapor blasting. Although that is a cool name, all it means is that we use a combination of compressed air, water and micro glass beads to remove the staining and calcification from the pool tile. The process that we use is gentle on the tile and acts almost like exfoliation does on the skin, gently removing the calcium from the pool tile. Here is a 1 minute video that shows the general setup as we get ready to start a pool tile cleaning job in Austin. Pool tile cleaning equipment setup Once we have everything set up and ready to go, we jump in the pool and start vapor blasting the calcium off the tiles and stone. The process that we use is a little slower than other processes, but it is gentle on the tile and does not remove the shine from the tile, especially when we are cleaning glass pool tile or iridescent tile. Here is a before / after shot of the pool shown in the video above so you can see the difference. Glass pool tile before and after cleaning the tile with our vapor blasting system If you are in Leander, Cedar Park, Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Liberty Hill or surrounding areas, let 911 Pool Care help you bring your pool tile back to life.

Pool lights and spa lights are just like light bulbs in your house and can go out over time. Older pool lights have an actual bulb in them that can be replaced, but those lights are 120 volt and can be troublesome. Most pool lights are designed so that the light and the cord are all one piece so if your light goes out, you have to replace the entire light, but before you purchase a new light and post someone to install it for you, try these steps: make sure that the power is on and that any GFCI outlet connected to the light or the pool equipment is working and not tripped. This also goes for breakers that may not look like they are tripped but are. If the light is getting power, and it is still not working, you may need to replace the light, but the great thing is that most pool lights are designed to be replaced without draining the pool. First step to replace a light…make sure the power is off and test it using a multimeter to be 100% sure you are not working in live wires. If you are dealing with a light that is 120 volts, you should have a certified professional replace the light to make sure it is done properly. On that note, please make sure you are getting the proper voltage light (there are 120 volt lights and 12 volt lights. Hooking a 12 volt light up to 120 volt power will immediately break the light and you will have wasted hundreds of dollars. Once you know the proper voltage, and have the correct light, and the power is off, now you can get to the replacement steps. You will need a Phillips screwdriver if the light is 6” or larger in size to remove the single screw the holds the light into the shell of the pool. You will also need tools to expose where the pool light wire comes into the power source at the pool equipment, electrical tape, pull string, wire cutters, wire lube and wire strippers and possibly gloves. When replacing lights, it is always best if you have two people doing the work. One person at the pool equipment side and one person at the pool side. Disconnect the light from inside the pool and also disconnect where the light connects to power near the pool equipment. Connect the pull wire to the end of the light wire near the pool equipment and make sure that you have a good connection and it is taped up really well. Once you have the pull wire connected to the old light wire, have the person at the pool start pulling out the old light while the person at the pool equipment feeds the pull wire to make sure it does not get tangled. Once the old light wire has been pulled out and you have about 6 feet of the pull wire coming out of the light niche, you can cut the pull wire right where you connected it to the old light wire. Now, you will need to unroll the new light wire. This will help to minimize the wire from getting linked or twisted causing more friction when trying to pull the new light in. Once the new light wire is unrolled, go ahead and measure how long the old light wire was so you can make sure you have enough wire on the new light to reach. The simple trick that we use is to measure how many are lengths the old light wire is, and then measure the new light wire and add 1 extra arm length just to make sure we have enough. Now that you know the length that’s needed for the new light wire, measure that distance starting at the new light and going down the cord and then cut the cord 1 extra arm length past where you need to just to be sure. Now, connect the end of the new light wire to the pull wire that you pulled through earlier at the pool side. Lube up the wire with wire lube (wax based is best) and then have one person start pulling the pull line back through from the pool equipment side while the person at the pool side is feeding the light wire at the same time. This makes the process go much easier. Pull the light wire all the way until there is only enough slack to allow the pool light (if it is 6” or bigger), to sit in the edge of the pool without being tight, if the pool light is the smaller 1.5” lights, these you usually have to pull all the slack out and make sure the light is seated all the way into the light niche without any slack. Once you have the light pulled in, reattach the light to the shell of the pool like it was before and then rewire the light at the pool equipment like it was before. The nice you have everything wired in, test to make sure the new light is working before closing everything back up. If you need any help with pool light replacement, please give 911 Pool Care a call and we would love to come out and help.

Pools are considered a closed environment. This means, that the water goes from the pool, to the pump, and then back into the pool. There may be an additional water source that helps keep the water level in the pool at the right balance, but, the pool itself is a closed system. The three ways for a pool leak to happen are: Pool plumbing and pool equipment - the pool pipes / plumbing or pool equipment can have a leak. This is where we see most of the leaks form in the pools. Pool penetration points - if you look at the inside of your pool, anywhere you see an item that goes through the shell of the pool (main drain, eyeball jet, spa jet, bubbler, umbrella sleeve, light, etc.) is considered a penetration point and where that item meets the shell of the pool, can potentially be a location for a leak. Pool shell leaks - a pool shell leak is similar to the penetration leak, but this is more related to areas in the shell of the pool where the plaster in the pool is either cracked (which may mean the shell beneath the plaster is cracked), or is not properly sealed in an area which allows water to slowly seep or flow through the shell of the pool and out. Now that we have talked about the three main ways a pool can leak, lets talk about the common causes: As pools get older, the plumbing can become brittle with age, UV expose or expose to chemicals inside the pipes and equipment. As water moves through the pipes it can cause vibration, which overtime, can break joints where pipes are connected, crack pipe elbows where the turn 90 degrees or 45 degrees, or loosen connection points. This is where we seen many of the leaks in pools that we find. Pressure on pipes in the shell or underground can also add stress over time to a fitting where pipes connect, and given enough pressure overtime, and movement of water through pipes, this can cause the fitting to come loose or break the glue joint. Movement of the pool shell, patio or soil around the pool can put stress on the pipes and fittings and cause breaks. Age is another major factor in pool leaks. As the pool, pool equipment or plumbing gets older, the plastic parts, rubber O-rings, grout joints and plaster starts to break down, causing the connection point of these parts to become potential leak points where water can find its path through the shell of the pool and cause a leak. Water is the most destructive force in the world, and even a small item like missing grout, can cause a big leak over time. Check out our next blog post here about steps to identify if you have a leak, and how you can identify the possible source yourself if you want to se3lf-diagnose the issue. Crack in a pool shell that is allowing water to penetrate the shell of the pool and is a bis issue for a pool leak. Freeze damage can cause a rapid loss of water in your pool, especially if your pool equipment is below pool level, it can possibly drain the entire pool in a matter of hours. This straight pipe was installed on a curved wall, and over time, the pipe being curved caused stress on the fitting and it eventually broke.

As winter weather comes to Texas, pools start to run into problems, especially pool leaks. The fluctuations between sunny and warm to really cold can play a major factor in pools losing water either naturally or through other issues with the pipe and equipment. Normally for pool leak detections, we dive into the pool to test lights, main drains as well as review the shell of the pool and perform underwater dye testing. When the weather drops, we have to be cautious about entering cold water or coming out of the water into cold temperatures to maintain the safety of our team, even though we use wet suits. If the water temperature is 60 degrees or below, we will not dive into the pool to test for leaks or perform inspections. We are still able to perform a number of leak detection activities, but diving into the pool is not done once the water temperature hits 60 degrees or below. This is simply a safety issues as many times we will be under the water for 30 minutes or more at a time, and in the water overall for a couple of hours.

If you are wondering if your pool is losing water, please check out our blog post on how to perform a bucket test. Almost 95% of pool leaks are located with 3’ of the shell of the pool, but that leaves a lot of possible items to test. Now that you have confirmed you have a leak, let’s talk about next steps. If you can’t visibly see possible area of leaks in your pool (leaks at the equipment pad, missing grout, cracks in the skimmers, etc., it is time to bring in a leak detection professional that specializes in pools like 911 Pool Care. A professional will use tools to test your pool system and listen for leaks, or even look into the pipes as they are leaking to identify not just what is leaking, but where it is leaking by using microphones and pressure testing, cameras in the pipes as well as dye tests and a few other methods. Once the leak location has been identified, you can then get quotes and the repair and get back to enjoying your pool instead of worrying about it. If you have a leak in your pool, or you suspect you have a leak, let us know and we can help you swim more and worry less.

Pool bucket test - pool leak detection If you suspect your pool is losing water faster than normal, the fist step is to find out how much water you are losing. Pools can lose water through a number of ways (evaporation, wind, ambient temperature variances, splashing caused by water features, etc.). Due to normal water loss, we need to find out how much water loss is normal, and how much is a leak. This is where a bucket test can be very helpful and easy to perform. The bucket test is simply a way to measure the water loss in a pool compared to water loss in an enclosed capsule (a bucket in this case) that is exposed to the same environmental conditions listed above. The difference between the water loss in the pool and the water loss in the bucket is the amount of your water loss due to a leak in general. Lets go over the steps for how to complete a 24-hour bucket test (we will perform two of these): Find a day where rain is not expected to arrive within the next 48 hours or so. If it does rain, this can change the results of your test. Shut off your pool equipment and make sure that it does not come back on for the next 24 hours. Get a 3 gallon or 5 gallon bucket that does not have any leaks in it, some duct tape or a marker and a rock or something heave that does not absorb water. Put the rock, or the heavy item into the bucket to keep it from floating or moving. Fill up the bucket about 3/4 of the way with water from the pool and place it on a step or location in the pool where the water that is in the bucket, is near the level of the water in the pool. Let the water settle in the bucket and the pool and then mark the level of the water inside the bucket as well as the water level on the outside of the bucket (see photo above for an example).. This is your baseline measurement. You may want to take photos so you can reference them later. Wait 24 hours and come back and measure the different between where the water was on the outside of the bucket (pool level) and where the water is on the inside of the bucket compared to your mark there (this is our normal water loss level). The difference between the water drop inside the bucket from the start and 24 hours later is considered normal water loss. The amount of water loss on the outside of the bucket is your pool water loss. The difference between these two numbers is the amount of water your pool is losing each day under static (non running) conditions. Example: if the inside of your bucket lost 1/4" over 24 hours and your pool level lost 1" over 24 hours, then your pool leak under non running conditions is 3/4" of an inch above normal water loss. Now, do the same test again, but do it with the system running for 24 hours and check your measurements again. If the pool leak loss during the running test is GREATER than the water loss during the static test, you most likely have a pipe leak or a leak on the return side of your system or spillovers. Check out our blog post about next steps after you identify you have a leak where we talk about next steps.

Pool tile cleaning before and after on glass tile As the weather gets warmer and you start getting ready to enjoy your swimming pool again, you may notice a white line has formed around the tile and stone in your pool near where the normal waterline like is at. This is the dreaded calcium line that forms on pool tile and pool stone, kind of like a ring in your bathtub. You might thing this line is easy to get rid of, but you might be in for a big surprise. Calcium lines on pool tile and pool stone start to form where the area gets wet then dry, and when the area dries, a little bit of calcium and other minerals are left behind and stick to your pool tile or pool stone. Over time, this line will continue to build up and form a hard calcium layer that can be extremely difficult to remove. There are a few options you can try yourself before calling in a professional tile cleaning service like 911 Pool Care. The best method to dealing with calcium and other minerals on pool tile is preventative maintenance by making sure your pool water is properly balanced, and than you stay up on the maintenance of cleaning your pool tile regularly. Once the calcium sets in and starts hardening, you may be in for on uphill battle. You can scrape the tile with a razor blade (be careful with this) to remove the stubborn pieces of calcium off of the tile. This is not so easy with the grout unfortunately. You can use tile cleaning solutions, but we have found that those many times do not produce very positive results. You can also use a 50 / 50 mix of muriatic acid and water (you need to be very carful when using any acids and take the necessary precautions). This can have positive results on the tile, but the acid can also start to eat away at your grout and other stones causing a bigger headache down the road. If the above steps have not produced the results you are looking for, or you simply want your tile cleaned without having to hassle with it, give 911 Pool Care a call and we can take care of your pool tile cleaning needs for you. We use a new vapor blasting solution that uses both compressed air and water vapor to propel micro glass beads onto your pool tile, gently removing calcium and other stuck on debris to gently yet effectively clean your pool tile, pool grout and pool stone and make it look new again. An adde3d benefit from the process we use, is that it is near dustless so that once we are complete, we simply wash down the patio, vacuum out the glass media out of the pool and you are ready to enjoy your beautiful pool once again.

Pool cracks can happen for a number of reasons. The ground around the pool can shift, the pool can shift, there could be a structural issue, your pool could have an issue called ASR (alkali silica reaction) or numerous other reasons. Some cracks can be hairline cracks and not cause an issue, while other cracks can be larger and cause water leakage in your pool. There are numerous ways to repair cracks in your pool, but the first step is to determine what caused the crack and to make sure that issue is resolved first. IF we don't identify and resolve the issue that caused the crack, then any repair work will only be a temporary fix. Once the root cause is identified and resolved, we can then focus on the crack repair. The first main type of crack repair is an underwater repair.. This means that we can repair cracks while the pool is filled up using underwater two-part epoxy, but this is reserved for minor cracks less than 1/8" of an inch wide and the epoxy is just to cover up the crack and seal it up, not provide any structural strength at all. This is good for sealing up cracks to help stop water loss. The second type of crack repair is above water. This is where we can use different methods to repair a crack in your pool depending on the location and severity of the crack. We can use epoxy for minor cracks, carbon fiber stitches and metal staples for larger cracks that need structural support as well as other methods. Give us a call today or send us a request if your pool has a crack in it so we can help you determine what is causing the cracks, fix that issue and then repair the cracks in your pool so you can continue to enjoy your pool for years to come.

Austin, TX Feb, 2025 In Central Texas, we can experience some difficult weather changes from blazing hot to brutally cold. These extremes in weather can take a real toll on your pool and especially you pool equipment, but none more severe as freezing tempertures. To prepare your pool for a freeze and add pool freeze protection, it all begins with preparation ahead of time. follow the general steps below to help protect your pool as tempertures drop to help ensure your pool stays operational and you aren't stuck with a pool that is losing water and a costly repair bill. If you want someone to come out and inspect your system prior to freezing weather, or experience issues with freeze damage, please contact 911 Pool Care right away so we can schedule time to come out and review or repair your system. Prep ahead of the freeze Before freezing weather hits, get to know your pool equipment, where all of the drain plugs are at (usually at the bottom of all equipment except UV sanitizers), find where your breakers are at that provide power to the pool equipment and keep a large set of adjustable pliers ready to be able to get to work quickly if things stop working (more on that below). If you have automation on your pool, make sure that all items that push water through the pipes (pool mode, spa mode, waterfalls, etc.) are set up on freeze protection. If your pool has an autofill system that keeps the pool water filled up, we suggest turning that off at the water valve or RPZ device and draining the pipe as much as possible. Although this device is made of brass usually, it loves to crack and will then become a wide open water stream from your house water supply just like a broken hose bib or water faucet. Make sure that all electrical breakers are working properly and test the GFCI if possible to make sure they are tripping like they should. Steps to take during a freeze Once freezing weather happens, keep an eye on your pool. As the air temperature gets to around 36 degrees, your pool automation, if you have it, should automatically turn on all of the systems that you set up to run. If you have a pool / spa combo, and you activated both the pool and spa, the system will alternate between pool and spa mode every 15 to 30 minutes. While the temp outside is 36 degrees or below, check your pool to make sure that everything is running. You should see your waterfalls, bubblers, spa jets, jets in the pool, etc. running. If you don't see something running that should be running, you may have caught an issue that will require some action on your behalf. If you don't have automation on your system, set the schedule on your pump to run 24x7 during the time that freezing weather is expected. You don't have to run the pump(s) on high, but you do have to keep water moving through the pipes which is critical. It is always a good idea to cover your equipment prior to a freeze. This will help keep ice and snow off of your equipment to make it easier to work on the system if you have to and help to also keep it a little warmer. Every degree helps. What to do if you lose power of your system freezes If you lose power for an extended period of time, or you see that something is not running like it should, now you have to jump into action quickly to possible save your pipes and equipment. First, if you still have power, check all of the breakers to make sure they are not tripped. Sometimes breakers, when tripped, will not trip completely and will only be halfway tripped. Reset the breaker to restart the pump ONLY IF the pool has water in it and is not frozen. If you try to restart a pump that has frozen water it in, it will burn up the pump and be a costly repair. Check your system to see if ice has started to form inside the pump basket. We want to catch any ice before it starts to form and will eventually break the equipment as it expands. Check your system for any leaks or ice forming at the equipment and pipes. This can be a sure sign of a problem. If your pump is frozen and you cannot clear the ice using heating pads or warming blankets (do not use gas heaters or enclose the area completely which can be a fire hazard), you may have to take the next steps. IF YOUR POOL EQUIPMENT IS BELOW YOUR POOL, YOU HAVE TO CLOSE OFF THE VALVES TO YOUR POOL EEQUIPMENT FIRST BEFORE DOING THE STEPS BELOW OR ELSE YOU WILL DRAIN YOUR POOL COMPLETELY AND CAUSE OTHER DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF YOUR POOL. If all else has failed and you have to save your equipment, turn off the valves that lead to your pool if possible, remove all of the drain plugs from your equipment (pumps, heaters, filter, etc.), disassemble all pipe connections that have threads on them (usually the front and top of the pump, both pipes on the heater, both pipes at the filter, etc.), remove pump lids. Make sure to keep all the parts that you remove in a bag and safe so you don't lose them. Call us or contact 911 Pool Care immediately so we can get go over the issue with you and get your scheduled ASAP for a repair visit to get you back up and running again.