As you open your pools this spring, if you encounter scale on a pool, take action to help yourself and the industry by being part of a major research project to solve these problems once and for all.

A special taskforce that includes NESPA, PHTA and NPC needs you to send in samples of the scale so that it can be analyzed to figure out what is happening with some plaster pools. You will need special equipment for this project, most of which you already have on hand including: razor blade/scrapper; rectangular snap-top lid sample jars of any variety or sealable plastic bag; alcohol prep wipes; pen/marker with waterproof ink (Sharpie); camera; notepad; measuring tape; and electrical tape’

Next steps? Click here for info on how to collect & submit samples

Rob Romano, David Cooke Plasterers, South Windsor, Connecticut, who is working on the industry taskforce said that it is extremely important to get many samples from the field. “There is a phenomenon in some newly plastered pools after they have been winterized in which crystals grow on the pools. Some of the crystals are more difficult than others to remove. Our Taskforce is trying to get a lot of information on pools that have this problem in northern climates. We need to find out why this issue is occurring and then find ways to prevent it. It is critical that we get many samples from the field. So, if you have this issue when you open a plaster pool this spring, we need you to contribute to this important work.”