We all love spending time in the pool, especially in the hot summer weather. However, over time, the interior of your pool may accumulate a lot of dirt that may not only make it look ugly but could also be a hazard to the health of people swimming in it.
Sometimes, the pool accumulates calcium scale, moss, and algae – which can make the water stinky and slimy. However, there are easy ways to ensure that your pool tiles remain clean all the time. One of those ways is using a pressure washer.
How To Use A Pressure Washer To Clean Pool Tiles
Where and how to get a pressure washer is not the problem. The real problem is how to use it to properly wash your pool tiles. Pool tiles are made from either ceramic or porcelain, which makes them vulnerable to damage when using a pressure washer.
Pressure washers release water at very high pressures, which is why you have to be careful when using them to wash your pool tiles. The following guide provides some tips that you can follow to ensure that you clean your tiles properly without damaging or breaking any of them.
One of the reasons why pressure washers are a good option to eliminate all the stubborn stains and moss on the pool tiles is the pressure they deliver the water with. When washing your pool tiles, you have to ensure that pressure is not too high or too low.
A powerful pressure washer may chip off the grout, making your tiles vulnerable to falling off and breaking. Little pressure, on the other hand, is not enough to remove the dirt off the tiles. The right amount of water pressure for your pool tiles is around 2,000 PSI.
You also have to understand how strong your pool tiles are. To ensure that the pressure is enough, you should first test it on a spot that is not easily visible. If you notice that the pressure damages the tiles or does not clean them properly, adjust it to the desired level.
One of the ways you can adjust the pressure of your pressure is using a pressure adjustment knob. However, if your pressure washer does not have a pressure adjustment knob, change the nozzle until you acquire the right pressure.
Using the wrong nozzle could produce too much pressure, breaking your pool tiles or produce too little and leave your tiles unclean. Nozzles adjust the angle of the water stream, which determines the pressure level of the water stream.
All of them are color-coded to help you choose the right one;
- Red has the least angle of 0 degrees and has the most pressure.
- Yellow has a 15-degree angle.
- Green produces a 25-degree angle water stream.
- White produces a 40-degree angle water stream.
- Black produces a 65-degree angle water stream.
The bigger the angle, the lower the pressure. Therefore, change the nozzles until you achieve the desired pressure. If you do not understand how to change the nozzle or what nozzle is the best, ask for advice from an expert or someone who has used a pressure washer before.
You can also adjust the pressure of the water reaching your tiles by maintaining a good distance. The further away the nozzle is from the tiles, the lower the impact of the water jet once it reaches the tile surface. The best distance at which you should stand is around 3 feet away from the tiles.
Sometimes even when using the right pressure, you might damage our tiles. You can avoid that by keeping away from areas with caulk joints because those are the most vulnerable to damage caused by the pressure washer.
Also, do not clean one spot for too long. 20-30 seconds on every tile are enough to get it clean, but you can add a few seconds on tiles with stubborn dirt. Exposing one spot of the tiles to continuous pressure, even though it’s low, could cause damage.
Before you start cleaning the pools, ensure you remove any leaves, branches, or any other form of floating dirt from the water.
When cleaning your pool tiles, work in sections. Although it sounds like it may take a long time, it ensures that you cover all the spots and clean them thoroughly. That eliminates the need for you to come back to the same section.
Start with the spots that are the dirtiest. When testing the water pressure, use the lowest pressure setting and the least powerful nozzle.
Also, you do not have to drain all the water. Drain just enough for you to access the dirty tiles. After cleaning off all the top dirty layers, use low pressure to rinse any particles that may be left behind.
Do not use chemicals when using your pressure washer because they damage your pressure washer’s interior. If you want to use any chemicals or cleaners, apply them to the pool tiles, allow to sit for some time, and then use the pressure washer.
You can also use a heated pressure washer to help remove the stubborn grime and stains. Just like the pressure, ensure that you have the heat at the right temperature to avoid damaging your tiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a pressure washer remove calcium from the pool tile?
Calcium deposits in your pool may be caused by hard water or the chemicals you use to disinfect the water. They could also be a result of too much heat that causes the water in your pool to evaporate, leaving behind the chemicals in the water as calcium deposits.
The deposits may appear as scales or crystals, which make your pool ugly. Calcium deposits cause skin and eye irritation, plaster damage, and clogged filters. Pressure washers are the best way to remove all the calcium deposits because of their high pressure.
For better results, use a pressure washer that heats the water. If you do not have one, ensure you use the correct blasting media with your pressure washer.
An alternative method to pressure washers is to utilize bead blasting to remove calcium scales from your pool tiles. For this, you’ll usually need to hire a professional. The different blasting media are:
- Salt blasting.
- Glass bead blasting.
- Sod blasting.
Each of those blasting media work differently depending on the type of your tiles and the type and amount of calcium scaling on the pool tiles. Using the wrong media could result in damage to the tiles, or it may not remove all the calcium deposits.
What is the best way to clean pool tiles?
The best way to clean your pool tiles is by using a pressure washer. That is because it is the fastest, cheapest, and most effective. All you need is your washer and a source of water. Most of the time, you do not even have to use a cleaning agent.
Pressure washers also remove all kinds of dirt from your pool, including calcium buildups, algae, moss, grime, mud, and even chewing gum.
How do you clean pool tiles without draining them?
Acid washing is the best way to clean your pool without draining it. You can use Sulfuric Acid, Muriatic Acid, or Sodium Bisulfate, which is a dry acid. Using acid to wash your pool corrodes a small layer of the old plaster, exposing a new and cleaner layer.
To clean:
- Turn off your pool’s filtration system and remove time switch trippers to avoid the filters turning back on.
- Protect any metal parts of your swimming pool to keep them from getting corroded by the acid. You can do that by covering them or applying petroleum jelly on them.
- Add the acid in the right portion, depending on the pH and size of your pool. For example, if your pool has a pH of 7.6 and has a 15,000-gallon capacity, add 1¼ oz. of acid.
- Brush the surface of the pool from the waterline to the bottom, ensuring that you cover every spot.
- Leave it for a day and test the alkalinity of the pool. If you still see stains on your pool tiles, add more acid and keep brushing until your pool is clean.
- Rebalance the pH of your pool slowly until it gets to 7.2. To determine how much pH increaser you need, use a base demand test.
- • After the pool is at the right pH, uncover the metal parts and turn the filtration system back on.
Can you pressure wash tile grout?
After tiling your floor or bathroom walls, you might have trouble removing the grout. Pressure washers are one of the most effective ways to remove the grout. For the best results, use the nozzle with the highest pressure and also set the pressure washer at a high water pressure level.
Ensure that you are standing at a safe distance, about 3 feet away from the surface, and adjust the pressure accordingly to avoid removing the grout holding the tiles together.
You should also consider using a pressure washer that has a heater because hot water helps break down the adhesives easily.
For stubborn grout stains, apply a cleaning solution on the grout and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off with the pressure washer.