Amazing Cleaning of Calcium from Pool Tiles with a $30 Tool from Harbor Freight (4K UHD)

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This video demonstrates that don't need a lot of sophisticated equipment and tools to clean your pool tiles with glass bead media. Don't waste your time with pumice stones or 220 grit sandpaper. Heavy calcium build-up comes off easily with glass bead blasting. This video demonstrates the use of a $30 abrasive blaster from Harbor Freight for glass bead blasting to remove heavy buildup of calcium from pool tiles. The portable siphon abrasive blaster can be purchased from other tool supply stores also along with the glass bead media. If you don't have an air compressor you can buy one or rent one. I would recommend that you buy one. This video also provides the steps I used and the results I obtained. The glass bead media and the tools and the media can be re-used. The results were amazing and so were the savings. I have a fairly large pool that took me about 7 hours to complete. The next time, I could probably do it in about 4 hours. A smaller pool will obviously take less time.
There are many bead blasting videos on RU-vid but most are commercial companies advertising their services. I used those services in the past but, their prices are going up and up. This video demonstrates that this is a fairly easy DIY project if you are handy around the home. Just be careful with the equipment and wear face protection. The beads and can be nasty when fired out of the nozzle. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

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24 мар 2019

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Комментарии : 268

@EricCollins-cr4mw Год назад

I can't thank you enough for this video. I've tried a few methods to remove the calcium build-up on my own and realized that I would have to hire a company to do the bead blasting but then I thought...what if I did it myself. You provided EXCELLENT step-by-step instruction. Thanks again!

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

Thanks for watching

@TheRaulr151 4 года назад

Thanks! One of the better reviews of this blaster.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

thanks for watching

@craigdobyns9698 3 года назад

Thanks for the straightforward DIY, you didnt even try to sell us anything! I am going to try this on my pool tile

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

I saved so much money with this project I didn't need to sell anything. Thanks for watching and remember to keep the nozzle in motion when blasting the tile like in the video to avoid taking the color off the tile.

@DJSilverSoundon1 3 года назад

Great video, i am subscribing because you answered every question, that i read, very rare for people to take the time, thank you for doing that cuz i had the same question about the draining and sweeping up until i read the comments. thanks again.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

Thanks.

@howmuchdidthatcost 2 года назад

VERY INFORMATIVE!! Thank you, this helps me out a lot :)

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Thanks for watching

@EagleKeeper86 5 лет назад

I feel for ya having to use that pancake compressor for sand blasting, I know for a fact you had to take many, many breaks for the compressor to catch up. I look forward to using this guy to etch some glass with my 80 gallon air compressor. Thanks for the video! Looks like it works like a charm!

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

The compressor was not that much of a problem. The motor ran more frequently, than a larger volume compressr. The hopper was more of an issue when the media dropped below 50%, it tended to draw media from the corner with the hose connection and eventulally it just drew a lot of air. I fixed it by keeping it over 50% full and tilted it up with the hose side down.

@poolrehab6937 Год назад

Looks like he went through $400 of material and clean up had to be a nightmare

@reid1boys 4 года назад

thank you so much for the video. Was in process of draining pool water anyways and definitely have calcium build up. Being a teacher, IM out of school and have some time. Much prefer to do jobs like this myself and save money. Heading to harbor freight to get the tools you have listed. Thanks again.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Thanks for watching. Don't leave your pool empty for more than 48 hours.

@maryannmartinez5199 4 года назад

What tools do you buy at Harbor Freight

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

@@maryannmartinez5199 For this video or in general?

@Later2u 9 месяцев назад

Pool line was driving my wife nuts, it wasn't driving me nuts though. But now my wife is driving me nuts about this. Glad I found your video on how to do this. I just tried pumice stone along with a scraper. It was going to be a huge time sink using those. I knew paying someone to do it was going to cost, but $2200 is a bit much, so now I'm a proud new owner of a portable compressor and the other items you mentioned. I am going to use ARM & HAMMER50 lb. Armex® Soda Medium Grade Media from Harbor Freight for it being more eco friendly. My filters are old and I'll just vacuum it up and toss the filters and replace them. Thanks for the video and information.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 9 месяцев назад

ARMEX does not work well for heavy build-up. ARMEX dissolves in water but will raise TA levels. So there is nothing to vacuum.

@Later2u 9 месяцев назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Thanks for the feedback. Fall back will be the glass bead.

@migdi242424 2 года назад

Awesome! Thank you.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Thanks for watching.

@santaclaritadrone2844 5 месяцев назад

crazy on those quotes. Just had this done by a pool guy last week for $500. In SoCal, where everything is expensive.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 месяцев назад

It depends on the size of the pool. The one in the video is 40'x20'

@santaclaritadrone2844 5 месяцев назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Yep, about the size of mine.

@richardparker471 2 месяца назад

Yes i charge 600 here in the central valley but this pool would definitely be 1200+ because of the large amount of tile and spa.

@1dluep 2 года назад

Good Job, lots of info, and your way you do not have to get into the pool to shoot onto the tile

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Thanks for watching

@buuddyh58 4 года назад

This looks great. Two questions. 1. Can you do a salt blaster with these same tools (I have a salt water pool). 2. with beads or salt do I have to drain pool to clean up? I know salt will dissolve but the beads probably will go to the bottom of pool. Is that a problem or will pool sweep get it. I have polaris type (Lesley) pool sweep.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

I have a salt water pool also but you can't use salt with this blaster. If you don't want to empty the pool, you can sweep up the glass beads to the shallow end of the pool and pick it up with a pan and place it on a tarp to dry up. What you don't want to do is vacuum the glass beads into your filter.

@war47war 2 года назад

Thanks

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

No problem

@quadsrus1430 Год назад

Thanks for the video. Did the Hopper gun ever get plugged or jammed with the media? If so does it unclogged very easy?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

It never got clogged. The only way I can see that happening is if you have moisture in the canister where you fill with glass beads.

@mikehughes8886 Год назад

I really appreciated your video. I've purchased everything you recommended and put it all together today. I started to use it and have discovered that the 80 grit and 75 lbs of pressure is removing the finish off of the tile. I have tried to keep the blaster nozzle away from the tile but I have not found any technique that takes off the calcium but leaves the surface of the tile undamaged. For those who might care, the tile I have came with my California Pool, and it is Noble NSHC-681 Crystal Lake. I have a note into the Nobel as well as California Pools to see what they might recommend. Do you have any recommendations for me? THANKS AGAIN for doing your video.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

Lower the pressure to 50 PSI and keep the tip in motion about 2" from the tile. Glass beads are very abrasive so you want to keep the tip moving so that the calcium is worn down gradually.

@gregfogg4426 2 года назад

Great video....and the before and after pics sure make this effort worthwhile. Any idea how long this cleaning effort will last before it has to be done again?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

It really depends on how hard your water is (i.e calcium hardness level) and your pool chemistry. It's 2022 and my pool is clear of calcium deposits. I normally do it every 7-8 years when it's time to change the water in the pool.

@MrMrjohnson85 4 года назад

I admire you for taking the time to do it yourself. I am in the pool industry and glassbeads are not fun. Thankfully our equipment allows us to do and entire pool from pull up to drive away in usually 2 hrs or less.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

This type of work is not for everyone just like a large number of home and pool owners are not DYI'ers. A small number of people will try. Many just don't do it at all and let their pool get worse and worse.

@mweldon7257 4 года назад

paying $850-$1350 to have the hard water stains removed is Ridiculous, if you have ANY mechanical skill at all and a little ambition you can keep most of your hard earned money in your pocket thanks to these types of Videos...

@thepoolmedic 3 года назад

There is nothing ridiculous about offering a service that most homeowners can’t do on their own. Our machines cost 20+ X what is used in this video, we also have the experience to not burn the color off the tile. And, our insurance will cover a pool “pop out”, does you HO ins cover that? Plus, we have to feed our families too.

@nannattack 3 года назад

What machine do you use that it takes 2 hours?

@samaiyasterling6271 2 года назад

Great video......Is this an adequate grit for a tile pool? (Ground Glass 40/70 Grit Abrasive Media). I do not want to damage the tile but want it to be effective.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Thanks for watching. 80 grit media is best as it will give you better coverage than larger 40 grit media. If you do use 40 grit media you should lower the pressure to 40-50 PSI. In either case, you should keep the nozzle in motion so you don't damage the surface of the tile as shown in the video.

@dennisbass1680 11 месяцев назад

This is a great video. Thanks very much. Just to be clear you needed 3 boxes (150lbs) of the media to do the job?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 11 месяцев назад

It depends on the size of your pool. Mine is 18x36 with a lot of edges. Thanks for watching.

@BobMimsIV 4 года назад

Is this safe to use on the Paver Coping Grout? I have charcoal colored grout with charcoal / black paver coping.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

The material removes calcium deposits from smooth surfaces such as tiles and will wear down tile grout. I have used it to remove deposits off my coping around the pool without any issues. I would test it from about 4" in a small area first.

@Oakydokes 2 месяца назад

Thanks for the video. As expensive as water is where I live I may only be able to keep it the 2" below to $ave. Exactly what type of external vac would vacuum up the media? As an alternative would it be possible to use rolled plastic, that painters use, tape it to the sides, float it on the water and have it catch the media instead of having to vacuum?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

You will need a pond/pool vacuum like this one: pondsplusstl.com/products/pond-o-vac-4 It costs about $40 per day to rent. You only need it for a few hours. The rolled plastic that painters use will likely collapse. The glass media is heavy. I just did my pool again last week after six years since posting the video. I used the same media recovered from last time. I emptied my pool again as I wanted to change the water and also perform some maintenance on the plaster which is easy to perform when the pool is empty. My pool is now 18 years old and still with the original tiles and plaster.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

Now that N95 Masks are widely available again, wear them for this time of work along with face protection.

@Crystal-bs1zq 3 года назад

Hello, what you did here is impressive. I am looking into having my pool tiles professionally bead blasted and it isn’t a cheap makeover by any means. I see that you fully drained out the pool to clean up the glass beads. Is it possible to do this job with the pool water still inside? If possible, what are the steps to ensure my filtration system is not damaged in the process? Thank you so much.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

I did the job when it was time to replace my water so it made my decision easy. The media falls to the bottom of the pool so the best way to remove it is to use an external vacuum with its own filter bag to trap the media. Alternatively you can sweep the media with a pool brush to a corner of the shallow end of the pool and scoop the media up with a plastic pan.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

It is possible. You need an external vacuum to pick up the glass media. You still need to drain the pool at least 2 inches below the tile stain line. You can't use you pool vacuum to suck up the media. You will clog up your media filter if you do.

@1dluep 2 года назад

good man, you are one of the few pool owners who will actually drain and replace the water. I have been in the pool service biz for 27 years now and it's like pulling teeth to get a customer to do that.

@vincearroyo1757 Год назад

So it’s recommend to empty the pool to remove the glass beads? also is sand as affective?

@bobarredondo9495 3 года назад

After using the glass media from harbor freight that you have on your video, does it require me to pump the material out of the pool or is it water soluble? Do I have to worry about the media plugging up the pool filters? Thanks for your response.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

It is not water soluble. You have to remove the media from the pool. Don't use the pool vacuum as it will plug up your filter. If you are not emptying the water in the pool, use your pool brush to sweep the medium to the shallow end of the pool and scoop it out with a plastic tray. Alternatively you can use an external pool vacuum to remove the glass media.

@bruceskousen5451 2 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 actually, you CAN use your pool filter, but you will have to clean it after doing the job. I have a DE filter. I backwashed the filter and hosed of each filter to remove all dirt/debris/DE before bead blasting the pool. I reassembled the filter, but did not put any DE in. I then used a pool vac to suck up the glass beads. I then opened up the filter and hosed down each filter. I turned the filter to backwash and attached a backwash hose to the pipe. After cleaning out all of the glass bead, I reattached the filter lid and ran the backwash again for a bit to ensure all of it was off the filters. I then added DE.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

@@bruceskousen5451 I have a cartridge media filter and the glass beads would damage my system as there is not enough capacity to vacuum all the glass beads. I normally change my water every 7 years so I just to the bead blasting, empty the pool, collect the beads, acid wash, and then refill the pool.

@laurenallen-ey4ze 4 года назад

Would glass bead media blasting work on stone around the pool?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

Yes it would

@sumguy9687 4 года назад

I was wondering if you had to wait for the pool to dry a bit before sweeping up the glass beads?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

It drys up pretty fast. You can also lay down a tarp on your pool deck and scoop up the glass beads with a plastic dust pan (like the one shown in the video) and throw it on the tarp to dry. You shouldn't leave your pool empty for too long. You should start refilling your pool within 24 hours after emptying it. That gives you enough time to scoop/sweep up the beads and do any acid washing if it needs it or minor repairs while it's empty.

@markbirmes2225 2 года назад

Was draining the pool done just to recover the beads? Can the pool filter the beads out or is there anyway to prevent them from falling into the pool? Thx man. Great video.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

We change our water every 5 years and we did the cleaning at the same time. It's easier to recover the beads, if you empty the pool. There is no way to prevent the beads from falling into the pool. If you don't want to empty the pool, you have to use an external pool vacuum that catches the beads and returns the water into the pool.

@axi0n386 Год назад

Great result.. this is just what I need. Did you just use 1 50lb of abrasive?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

I used 3 boxes for my pool. I recovered most of it to re-use again.

@ThePsychoKillers Год назад

if you don't want to reuse the beads, will your pool vac just pick it up and then you clean your filter? Will the glass beads ruin your filters? Thanks.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

It will block up you media filter. I would use an external vacuum.

@rociomendoza1044 2 года назад

I love to know what you used after clean the calcium of the tile to remove all the dust and make the tile look like new... I hope you can help me with that issue

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Vinegar and water to clean then I used a tile sealer to seal it. You can buy tile sealer at Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon.

@rociomendoza1044 2 года назад

Thanks.. I will try it

@winnieliu3817 2 года назад

I somehow find the jet spray head gets clogged all the time w the beads after it gets wet. Is there a way to prevent it? Or maybe we didn't lower the water enough? Any external vacuum that you recommend can pick up the beads afterwards from bottom of the pool? Thanks.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

You need to lower the water level at least 2 inches below the stain (water line). You can't spray into the water or you will clog the head.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Check with you local pool store for an external vacuum for rent. I do my cleaning when it's time to change the water (5-7 years).

@ebonello 4 года назад

Great video. Thank you for sharing. I do have a question for you. Can the glass bead media be cleaned up just as easily if you keep the water in the pool (minus the couple of inches below the calcium deposit line) ?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Thanks for watching. The glass bead media is heavy and sinks to the bottom of the pool. You can try sweeping the media into a corner of the shallow end using a pool brush and then scooping it up with a pan. Alternatively you can use an external vacuum. I would not use your main pool vacuum as you will block up your filter. The glass bead media can be re-used.

@ebonello 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Great. Thank you so much for replying.

@buuddyh58 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Just asked the same question. I am assuming you can see the beads to clean them up. How do I tell calcium from other scum on walls. My calcium readings are using what pentair recommends for a pool with a salt generator. About 50 ppm I believe

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

@@buuddyh58 Other scum on the on walls can be removed with a pressure washer or diluted muriatic acid and a brush, followed by a rinse with water.

@ryancarter86 11 месяцев назад

is it possible to do this without draining the pool? Could I just vacuum up the remains after with my normal pool vacuum?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 11 месяцев назад

You will plug up your filter. You will have to use and external vacuum.

@jaminvargas2937 5 лет назад

I wonder if you can tarp the pool with the water level half empty to prevent draining pool completely?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

For me that was not an option due to the size of the pool and the shape of it. Plus the media is heavy. The professional cleaners use an external vacuum to collect the media for re-use. You should consider renting one, if you don't want to empty your pool. If you have a heavy scaling like I did, it's a good idea to change your water.

@bruceha1615 4 года назад

Hi, I got a question regarding a pool with glass tiles. I've recently wanted to get an estimate of glass beading service of my client's pool tile. There's a heavy calcium buildup on these glass tiles. The tile cleaning guy was telling me that he doesn't clean glass tiles because it will damage the shyness of the glass tiles. Is this true? If so, what do you recommend when it comes to cleaning glass tiles.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You can try soda blasting for glass tiles. The blaster is more expensive, the media is less expensive, but it will pay for itself on the first use. The clean-up is easier as the media dissolves in the water but you will have to adjust your pool water chemistry after the job.

@1dluep 2 года назад

what kind of blaster?

@RafaelLima-vs9fc 2 года назад

What about glass tiles ? Same media ?

@kcclinkscales9254 2 года назад

Does the pool have to be drained? We did ours and the glass sanding stuff is sitting at the bottom of the pool and on the steps etc. will it hurt our pool pumps and filters

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

You can drain the pool and sweep up the beads and refill it right away. Alternatively you can brush the media to the shallow end of the pool and scoop it up or use an external vacuum to pick up the media. You should not use your suction vacuum to sweep the media into your filter. It will block up the filter.

@Paula-go3tl 4 года назад

Question , if you leave the water in the pool and miss vacuuming all the glass media , will the media hurt any part of your pool system if it end up being sucked up by its system .?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You should sweep the glass media to the shallow end of the pool (with your pool brush) and scoop it up with either an external vacuum or with a pan and let it dry up on a tarp on your pool deck. It can then be recovered. The glass media is heavy and will sink to the bottom. You should not vacuum all the glass media with your pool suction vacuum as it will damage your filtration system.

@TheOddsBreakers 5 месяцев назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 I can't imagine getting all of the media out and none goes into the pool filters. Is it ok if a little goes into the pool filters? Maybe wash the filters afterwards?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 месяцев назад

A small amount will not matter.@@TheOddsBreakers

@michaelcraig1388 Год назад

Would the glass bead media remove algae, rust stains, and scale from pebble sheen??

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

I would us a wire brush to remove algae. Rust stains can be removed with other products. Glass beads are abrasive and although it will remove algae and other stains, there are other less abrasive methods.

@josephwatts9815 2 года назад

Will this remove calcium deposits on the floor and sides of a Gunite pool without damaging the concrete? Want to avoid harsh chemicals

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

I used it to remove calcium from the coping and bricks around the pool. But inside the pool I never had issues with calcium deposit on the pool plaster (sides or floor).

@jimo2865 Год назад

I tried it on one small tile with the 80 grit. 70 psi. Heavy buildup. Removed the calcium but appears to have etched the glazing. Tile is not shiny anymore and does not feel smooth. Can I polish the glazing back to smooth and shiny?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

you can use a sealer that leaves a glossy finish.

@ajducey1868 2 года назад

how would I get the media out of my pool while it has water in it? Also, that I have a salt pool, could I use salt as the media?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

You need an external vacuum to remove the media. You cannot use salt as a media. I have tried that and it just wont work. I am experimenting with baking soda with a gravity feed blaster gun. With regular baking soda I had limited success. I am going to try it with Armex and will post a video if it works well. With baking soda, the media dissolves in the pool but will affect your alkalinity levels.

@TheJJCRUE 27 дней назад

how do you recover the beads/debris if you only drain the pool down a few inches. It would be nice not to have to drain the pool.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 26 дней назад

you have to use and external vacuum if you don't want to drain your pool.

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

Well I tried it today on a couple of scrap pieces of tile someone left over from getting a remodel and it took the shine off of the tile Any recommendations

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Lower the pressure and move the nozzle further away from the tile and keep in motion like in the video.

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

Will do👍

@triniyouth29 4 года назад

Can that glass beads be replaced with sodium bicarbonate so we don’t have to drain pool

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You have to use a soda blaster if you do that. This blaster will not work.

@benlara941 8 месяцев назад

Did you know if you can vacuum up the glass if you didn't want to reuse it into the filter system

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 7 месяцев назад

You should use and external vacuum.

@CarlosAndrade-yv9lf 4 месяца назад

I sandblasted a blue tile, but when it dried, it turned white and wet it looks normal blue. Do you have any advice to add so that it always looks normal blue? Thank you

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 месяца назад

Use a tile sealer and polish combo.

@goose6947 2 месяца назад

Could you clean the media without draining the whole pool? Possibly with a separate vacuum unit?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

Yes you would need an external vacuum to clean out the media. The media is heavy and settles on the bottom.

@erikluna1294 2 месяца назад

Does pool have to be completely drain to clean artificial rock on pool sides?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

The water line has to be about 2" below the area you are cleaning.

@SUBZEROUKS Год назад

Did you use a air dryer for moisture removal?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

The tank has a bleed valve for removing water. The filter removes both fine particles and also moisture.

@giancarlopalma1748 4 месяца назад

Did you have to clear seal after sandblasting?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 месяца назад

I sealed the tiles after bead blasting.

@WWPlaysHoldem Год назад

How many times did you reuse the beads on this job?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

I reused the beads once for this job and then again for other bead blasting jobs around the house. I try to recover as much as possible.

@peterjohnson7381 5 лет назад

Many Thanks for sharing this calcium cleaning method for swimming pools. A quick question, if you just take the water down a few inches below the calcium line per your suggestion without emptying the pool, how do you recover or remove the glass beads from the bottom of the pool? Would they block up or possibly damage the filter/pump or in ground cleaning system?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

In the video I suggested lowering the pool water level a few inches from the tile line or emptying the pool completely. I didn't want to wait for the pool to empty completely before starting since it takes some time with our fairly large pool and I had a 2 day window before the next rain storm. So I recommended what level you need lower the water before you can start without having water splashing on your face while cleaning the calcium. I ran the submersible pump while I did the job, and was able to sweep up the beads after the pool was empty (as shown in the video). I would NOT use the pool vacuum to sweep up the all the beads. You will clog up your filter and also lose most of the media. I wanted to demonstrate that bead blasting does not need a lot of sophisticated equipment. The most difficult part of this job was keeping the blasting hood visor from fogging up and limiting visibility. The actual removal of the calcium was pretty easy with the portable blaster and media.

@michaelshadler292 5 лет назад

I really don’t want to have to drain pool. I don’t mind losing the glass beads. I also don’t mind cleaning the filter a few times if I vacuum the beads up. I don’t see how it can ruin anything in the system if I just vacuum them and not drain. Am I missing something. Video was great and thank you.

@P1983sche 5 лет назад

You can use a product called “Maxxstrip” it’s a water soluble media that I use to remove calcium from my pools on my route. It does not affect hardness or PH. After you’re done, you bring the water level back up, run the skimmer on full suction. Most of the media will dissolve. Most of it won’t even be seen in the filters either after circulating the system.

@eblanco8210 4 года назад

NES 83’ will the blaster on this video work with the Maxxstrip?

@Paula-go3tl 4 года назад

@@P1983sche thsnk you this seems to be the way to go

@r3jk8 Месяц назад

did you notice any etching in the tile? it looks like you have some on the tile as it seems a little hazy where you blasted.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Месяц назад

The tile will lose it's sheen in areas with heavy build-up. I used a tile re-sealer after the bead blasting.

@r3jk8 Месяц назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 that sounds good. Didn’t think about the tile reseal or great idea

@abramruelas5176 4 года назад

Amazing super cool.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

thanks

@ac_alex1993 4 года назад

Hey, I've a question ++ can I do it without draining the pool??

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You can but you need to sweep/brush the glass media to the shallow end of the pool and then scoop it up out of the water. You can also use an external vacuum.

@ac_alex1993 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 thank you! 🙏

@reid1boys 4 года назад

There is no way I would attempt to do this job with that compressor. I got a 6 gallon version of that and took it back to get a 20 gallon 2.5 hp compressor. Using that tiny thing it would have taken me a week to finish. We used the glass bead media a 3rd time and you could clearly see it was losing its effectiveness. Video helped a lot. Good job.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

I had no issues with this compressor. You don't need that much pressure. Keeping the hopper full of glass media was a bigger issue. It took me about 7 hours to complete with a fairly large pool. It also depends on how much build-up you have. I already had this compressor which I used with a floor nailer to install 3/4" solid wood floors in our house. The idea was to save some money doing this project yourself which I hope you did. Don't forget to re-fill the pool right away.

@reid1boys 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 I saved lots...thanks. pool is filling right now. Will be going over night. Thanks for the video.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

@@reid1boys thanks for watching

@sukiestagno 4 года назад

How much glass beads did you use?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

I bought 3 boxes and used two. You can re-use the beads

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

I just want to know did you have to take breaks because of the Size of the compressor

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

Excellent video

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

I took breaks to re-fill and move the hopper. The compressor was fine.

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Thank you so much for your video and your response I'm getting exactly everything you used and let you know how it goes thanks for your help

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

@@ricardoberti892 No problem... Good luck with the project. Make sure you wear face and eye protection and wear gloves.

@1dluep 2 года назад

how many pounds of media did it take? thanks

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

Two 40 lbs boxes or 80lbs.

@tiemenstaal 5 месяцев назад

Well, I already have the compressor so I might as well try this. Nothing else has worked on my pool tile and $1200 seems steep for a one day cleaning job.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 месяцев назад

This will work. Wear a N95 respirator and eye protection. The same media as your $1200 job is used.

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

Do you use a dryer with your compressor

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Not for bead blasting. The moisture accumulates in the tank which I purge after each use.

@ricardoberti892 4 года назад

Thank you for all your help you're awesome

@legacychurchfellowship9066 5 лет назад

Why did you not clean the calsified tiles on the step surfaces?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

There was none on the step surfaces. What you see in the video is the glass bead media that was not swept up completely when the video was recorded. In retrospect I should have recorded the steps I did to do the clean-up and any plaster repairs and the salt water pool start-up and water balancing as part of another DIY video.

@legacychurchfellowship9066 5 лет назад

Thx

@eblanco8210 4 месяца назад

So you need to empty the pool either way to get the glass beads out, right?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 месяца назад

You can use an external vacuum. I'm going to test one soon and post a new video on how to use and external vacuum. Normally it's a good idea to change the pool water every 5-7 years so I change the water and do the bead blasting.

@Nerdtronic Месяц назад

I get that the glass beads are dangerous when they're blasting. But how harsh are they otherwise? What if I leave my pool with water, drain it 6 inches down, do this, clean up the beads best I can, shove the rest down the filter.. if any are left behind how dangerous are they? Would they cut up your feet if you stepped on them in the water? Go in you like glass splinters?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Месяц назад

They won't cut your feet. It's like sand and sinks to the bottom. A small amount can go to the filter. The media can be re-used. I just did my pool again this year using the media I recovered 6 years ago when I posted the video. All it cost me was time.

@Nerdtronic Месяц назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 sweet thanks for the info.

@michaelshadler292 5 лет назад

Do you think the aftermarket leaf trap canister that you have in the pool would stop the beads from going directing to the pool filter or are they to fine. The canister has a net bag in it. Thanks

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

No. The glass media is too small. It's like fine sand. If you look at the video, I used a flower sifter to fliter debris from the media to re-use it. Also the leaf canister is too small for the amount of media.

@michaelshadler2155 5 лет назад

Thanks for the input. I can see I must drain pool to do the calcium removal. Off to harbor freight .

@rekon50 3 года назад

Interesting video. I am about to buy the glass beads to start this project. I do have a question: On the video, you recommend going 2 inches below the tile level when blasting the tiles with the glass beads; however, towards the end of the video you are sweeping an empty pool. So do I have to empty my pool before starting the basting? At the end of the video, you are sweeping the glass beads off the bottom of the pool. Can this be done without emptying the pool? Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

If you don't lower the water to at least 2 inches below the tile line, the bead blaster will splash up too much of the water and it will be difficult to work. I chose to empty the pool because I was needed to change the water which had been in my pool for over 5 years. If you don't want to do that you can sweep up the glass media to the shallow end of the pool into one corner and scoop up the glass media with a pan onto a tarp on your pool deck where you can let the media dry up and then recover it for re-use.

@rekon50 3 года назад

So what I take from your advice is that these glass beads will not go to the bottom of the pool, right? I can sweep them to one corner of the pool pick them up and let them dry. I am about to start this project within the next week or so.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

@@rekon50 The glass beads will sink to the bottom. They are heavier than water. It's just like sand that sinks to the bottom. Make sure you wear good eye protection and a mask.

@MrPalmeroj 3 года назад

You mention “sweeping the glass beads to the shallow end”. I would expect the beads to be nearly invisible under water and probably next to impossible to bring up from the deep end. Unless they are buoyant, which I don’t think.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

No the glass beads are pretty visible after they sink to the bottom of the pool. The calcium that you blast off the tiles floats and creates a film on the water that you can remove with a skimmer. The beads I bought from Harbor Freight were bright white and stand out from the plaster when there is water in the pool.

@joewirth7331 2 года назад

How do u get the glass out of a pool with water in it?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

With water in the pool, you have to use an external pool vacuum.

@kennonwerner8192 10 месяцев назад

What about using Muriatic acid and just spraying it lightly with a sprayer?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 10 месяцев назад

It will not remove heavy buildup and it will eat away at the tile grout. I tried that before bead blasting.

@kennonwerner8192 10 месяцев назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 well pumice stone it is then since I can’t get the blasting done where I’m at.

@garretbenito632 9 месяцев назад

What is the name of your machine. I’m in Hawaii and thinking about buying one

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 9 месяцев назад

Central Pneumatic Abrasive Blaster

@gonja619 Год назад

Thanks for the video, I’m planning on doing this on my spa tile. And if it goes good I’ll do it on my pool later on but the spa tile needs it the most (mainly the tiles that you sit on when your feet is in the spa). I can drain the spa when I do this and try and have the glass media go in there to help with cleaning it up but I imagine a lot of it will go into my pool. Is that a problem? Any special cleanup required or should I just give my pool guy a heads up that I’ll be doing this and to vacuum extra good after? Thank you so much for the advice

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

If you drain you spa and just do the tiles inside the glass media can be removed from inside your spa. If you get some in the pool, just sweep it into a pile and remove it with a plastic dust pan while in the water in the pool.

@randifolwell 9 месяцев назад

Can you do this without draining your pool completely. If so how do you get the glass bead out?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 9 месяцев назад

You need an external vacuum

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 8 месяцев назад

:Only if you use and external vacuum.

@Crawfordsonthego 3 года назад

Great video. Is there a way to do this without draining pool after?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

Thanks for watching. If you don't want to drain the pool, you can sweep the glass beads to the shallow end of the pool in one corner and scoop it up.

@nunyabitnezz2802 Месяц назад

So you do need to empty the whole pool, or else it’ll be full of glass beads, right?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Месяц назад

the glass beads will settle at the bottom of the pool. You can empty the pool and sweeps up or use an external vacuum.

@burningholyfire 3 месяца назад

I wonder if we could just use baking soda? its very abrasive and would just dissolve into the pool water

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 месяца назад

Regular baking soda will not work and I tried it. I used Armex and it did not work that well.

@burningholyfire 3 месяца назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 ah ok so don’t get the soda blaster just do the glass beads? Was just going to vacuum to waste using the multiport valve after i was done

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

@@burningholyfire Don't bother with soda blasting. It cost $60 for a bag or Armex. Soda is one of the least abrasive media so you have to have a lot of patience. I'm going try to clean my BBQ with Armex as the media loses its form over time.

@michaelshadler292 5 лет назад

Really want to do the job without draining the pool. Big water shortage here in California

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

I'm in Southern California also but the water situation is much better now. We waited a few extra years to do this job, due to the drought a few years ago, which made the calcium build-up worse. If you don't want to drain the pool, you will need an extenal pool vacuum to sweep up the beads. You could probably rent one. Plus if you look at my yard, everthing is on drip irrigation and we have no grass any longer. So our overall water consumption is extremely low.

@CensoredToks 4 года назад

Use bi-carb. Safe for water.

@TheAshMan01 2 месяца назад

Would it be "bad" to not drain the pool dry?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 месяца назад

You would be putting 80-120 lbs media into the filter if you didn't remove it with an external filter.

@TheAshMan01 2 месяца назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 thank you! 🙏🏽

@briang2566 4 года назад

So you used the Glass Bead 80 Grit media for this pool tile cleaning?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Yes I did. This is the only glass bead product I found at Harbor Freight.

@joelthompson4801 4 года назад

If you’re going to vacuum the media from the pool without draining, would you recommend attaching some type of canister so that most doesn’t go to the filter?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You need to use a vacuum that has an external canister. Don't vacuum into your filter. You will block it. The media is heavy and will sink to the bottom of the pool near the walls where you blasted. It's almost like sand but heavier. Use your pool brush to sweep the media to the shallow end of the pool into one corner. Use a plastic dust pan to scoop up the media onto a tarp or plastic sheet on your pool deck where it can dry up. After it's dry, store the media in a container for reuse.

@joelthompson4801 4 года назад

DIY Home Maintenance Channel Thanks for the tip!

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

@@joelthompson4801 no problem

@darylgoulet4966 4 года назад

Joel Thompson 0

@pmag3200 5 лет назад

After you cleaned it I hoped you sealed it and polished it ...to last a little bit longer

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

Yes after cleaning, I repaired the grout all around and sealed and polished it with a tile sealer. It still looks great.

@pmag3200 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 yep if you do the hard work cleaning and repairing might as well go the extra step and do on the sealing and the Polish just slow down the process of having to do it all over again which you just said you did great job great video

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

@@pmag3200 Thanks... Another step to avoid the buildup is to keep the water balanced at the proper PH based on the Calcium Hardness and Total Alkalinity of your pool.

@allencain8008 4 года назад

What product do you use to seal and polish the tile?

@MrGm0814 3 года назад

It actually works, thanks save 100s of dollars. Thanks to you and harbor freight, and I think my gun had a small air leak

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

Thanks for watching and I'm glad the video provided some useful information. I would return the tool to Harbor Freight for an exchange. You can use it again and keep saving money.

@myfurrykid 5 лет назад

Would it be possible to drain the pool to do the powder blasting, please

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

Yes you can drain the pool and do the abrasive blasting. Either way works - drain first or drain during/after

@myfurrykid 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 I truly appreciate your time to answer and we'll update here 🤞 the success of our pool proyect, TSVM

@myfurrykid 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 I was reading some comments, we're also in Southern California, Riverside city, and the water is terribly expensive and very hard, it save us to have a solid custom cover, however the 35,000 Gallons will be a big expense, the city has to approve the draining and I think they'll charge extra for as much as they can

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

You should change your water every 4-5 years as especially if your water calcium hardness levels excessively high. Draining a pool is easy with a $30 submersible pump that you can buy on Ebay with free shipping. If your don't want to drain your pool, you will have to sweep up the media from the water with an external pool vacuum. I'm not aware of any city requiring permission to drain their pools. I see my neighbors do it every few years. We have a 38,000 gallon pool so which is about 50 CCF which cost us an extra $100 to refill the pool. It was well worth it as the water is well balanced and crystal clear.

@myfurrykid 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Yes since we came to Riverside 24 years ago we had to get a permit from the city, we have the pump for the rain on the pool cover and a submersible for the pool and pond, will take your advice, TSVM

@stevewhite9327 5 лет назад

Did you state that you needed 4 boxes of glass beads? That would be 200 pounds? How large is your pool? Really good video and I want to try this.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

My pool is 38'x19'. I bought 3 boxes but could have done it with 2 boxes by emptying the pool first and sweeping up and re-using the media. I recovered about 90% of the glass media for next time. For a smaller pools, you can do it easily with 2 boxes and recover the media for you next cleaning.

@stevewhite9327 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Thanks for getting back to me. My pool is a 15' x 30' rectangle with 1 row of tile. I read that the glass bead will also work on Pebble-Tec pools and I wondered if I could use the process for a couple of stains.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

@@stevewhite9327 - I don't have Pebble-Tec but I would try with a diluted solution of muriatic acid first. If that doesn't work, try absorbic acid (vitamin c) before resorting to abrasive blasting.

@rboconnor8440 Год назад

lol your boy looked just like mine doing that ...better things to do that dad putting him on cameras....

@tenagutierrez2848 5 лет назад

Do you have to drain the pool when finished?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

If you don't have an external vacuum to collect the glass bead media, you should drain your pool and sweep up the media like I did in the video. It's a good idea to do your tile cleaning when it's time to change the water in your pool.

@SteveMullinsHoustonTXRealtor 5 лет назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Better off purchasing a water pump and rig the system with your pool vacuum hose to vacuum the beads up. You will end up using about 1/3 of the water in the pool which includes draining to access tiles for blasting. The cost of the pump was ~$200 at Harbor Freight.

@josephlamadrid1799 5 лет назад

Do you have to drain the pool to get the grit out or is it better to let it go through the skimmer?

@josephlamadrid1799 5 лет назад

DIY Home Maintenance Channel will a wet/dry vacuum work?

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 5 лет назад

@@josephlamadrid1799 The glass beads will sink to the bottom. The calcium that was removed will float and can be skimmed. I drained the pool and swept up glass bead media

@joezep3896 4 года назад

I just tried it on a few tiles and it seems to have taken the color our of the tile.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

You either have the pressure too high or you are holding the tip too close to the tile for too long. You should use sweeping motion like in the video about 2 inches from the tile. Don't hold the tip in one place.

@joezep3896 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 OK I'll give it a try

@evangelizacionvirtual2020 4 года назад

What’s the name of the sand? Or material

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

glass bead media

@gman2376 3 месяца назад

Almost 70 bucks for the 80 grit media 2024.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 месяца назад

The price of bead blasting is also higher. Tractor Supply also sells glass bead media

@louismorejohn586 4 года назад

If you lower the water below the tile, or drain the water completely, you risk total destruction of the plaster.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 4 года назад

Only if you leave it empty for an extended period of time. The pool company that installed the pool recommended changing the water every 4-5 years especially in areas with hard water.

@louismorejohn586 4 года назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 The proper and cautious way to empty a pool is by dilution in 3 stages: 1) empty 1/3, then refill, 2) empty 1/3, then refill and 3) empty 1/3, then refill. This minimizes surface area of plaster that's exposed to air.

@stevo189a.3 3 года назад

Could have used baking soda too.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

You need the soda blaster which costs about $130 at Harbor Freight and the soda media which is also sold there.

@shaunpoovala5976 2 года назад

What is the difference between using the glass bead vs soda blasting approach from a work involved and an output standpoint?

@gregbennett4254 23 дня назад

This will destroy tile glaze and make a big mess

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 22 дня назад

No it won't. You can re-seal the tiles after you remove the calcium.

@harrybond007 6 месяцев назад

Why do you have so much calcium build up at the water line?, that's not normal in a pool

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 6 месяцев назад

It's common in our area. The water is hard with high calcium content.

@georgeforall 3 месяца назад

Plus if you use chlorine tablets, they release a lot of calcium.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 месяца назад

@@georgeforall It's a salt water pool with a chlorinator.

@georgeforall 3 месяца назад

Cool. But some people use those floating chlorine tablets and they also add to the calcium.@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753

@SDPoolTileCleaning 2 года назад

Please don't try to do this yourself. Glass beads will strip the glaze off your tile, and there are a lot of different medias, the right pressures to use with each surface and media, tip size to use, and a lot of other factors and variables. Most likely you would be much better off to spend the $ with a professional. DIY will more than likely damage your tile, and the damage can't be fixed. Don't do it! Don't say I didn't warn you.

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 2 года назад

I didn't damage my tile. This video is for DYI people that are a small segment of the population who actually enjoy doing their own repairs and maintenance. Do you tell people not to change their lightbulbs because they may break the bulb while turning it?

@1dluep Год назад

that hopper is twice the price now in 2023,

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

For whatever reason, they are selling many of these. But even at $60, the project is still viable for big savings.

@1dluep Год назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 yes I agree, just shows how much inflation has driven up prices

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Год назад

@@1dluep They are now charging $2200 for the service in our area for a pool the size of ours.

@1dluep 11 месяцев назад

@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 how much are they charging per foot or how did the cost break down? thanks

@deannajimenez7084 9 месяцев назад

Watched this video months ago now it’s our turn pool is drained did my chlorine bath now for tile thanks so much for video we can’t afford a professional so this will really help us

@pdurand63 3 года назад

You most certainly cannot drain all pools some pools will come out of the ground and crack and destroy your entire pool take heed when draining your pool ask everyone before draining your pool!!!!!!!!!!!!

@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 3 года назад

The warranty on my pools states specifically that the pool cannot be left empty for more than one week. I refilled mine after 24 hours. Our pool builder also recommends changing the water every 5 years.