DIY Home Maintenance Channel
DIY Home Maintenance Channel
This channel features videos for do it yourself home owners who want to save money on common home maintenance and repairs. We have been maintaining the three homes that we own over the past 30 years and saved a considerable amount of money by performing electrical, plumbing, masonry, pool, HVAC, and appliance repairs on our own. We have learned a lot from other people who have posted tips on KZread and we plan to share our knowledge.
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This will destroy tile glaze and make a big mess
No it won't. You can re-seal the tiles after you remove the calcium.
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.
you have to use and external vacuum if you don't want to drain your pool.
So you do need to empty the whole pool, or else it’ll be full of glass beads, right?
the glass beads will settle at the bottom of the pool. You can empty the pool and sweeps up or use an external vacuum.
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?
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.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 sweet thanks for the info.
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.
The tile will lose it's sheen in areas with heavy build-up. I used a tile re-sealer after the bead blasting.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 that sounds good. Didn’t think about the tile reseal or great idea
Do you know how to connect a pressure gauge to the regulator?
You should have one inline at the output of your compressor.
Would it be "bad" to not drain the pool dry?
You would be putting 80-120 lbs media into the filter if you didn't remove it with an external filter.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 thank you! 🙏🏽
Now that N95 Masks are widely available again, wear them for this time of work along with face protection.
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?
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.
Could you clean the media without draining the whole pool? Possibly with a separate vacuum unit?
Yes you would need an external vacuum to clean out the media. The media is heavy and settles on the bottom.
Does pool have to be completely drain to clean artificial rock on pool sides?
The water line has to be about 2" below the area you are cleaning.
I wonder if we could just use baking soda? its very abrasive and would just dissolve into the pool water
Regular baking soda will not work and I tried it. I used Armex and it did not work that well.
@@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
@@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.
Almost 70 bucks for the 80 grit media 2024.
The price of bead blasting is also higher. Tractor Supply also sells glass bead media
Your video is very helpful and to the point making it easy enough for any average diy type viewers to achieve a professional style outcome, well done sir.
Thanks for the feedback. You can save a lot of money with DIY approach
So you need to empty the pool either way to get the glass beads out, right?
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.
Did you have to clear seal after sandblasting?
I sealed the tiles after bead blasting.
What an utterly ridiculous way to do it.
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
Use a tile sealer and polish combo.
crazy on those quotes. Just had this done by a pool guy last week for $500. In SoCal, where everything is expensive.
It depends on the size of the pool. The one in the video is 40'x20'
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Yep, about the size of mine.
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.
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.
This will work. Wear a N95 respirator and eye protection. The same media as your $1200 job is used.
Why do you have so much calcium build up at the water line?, that's not normal in a pool
It's common in our area. The water is hard with high calcium content.
Plus if you use chlorine tablets, they release a lot of calcium.
@@georgeforall It's a salt water pool with a chlorinator.
Cool. But some people use those floating chlorine tablets and they also add to the calcium.@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753
Love the video, what was your total cost to build?
Thanks for watching. I already had the compressor but it was just under $200 for the rest.
Did you know if you can vacuum up the glass if you didn't want to reuse it into the filter system
You should use and external vacuum.
Can you do this without draining your pool completely. If so how do you get the glass bead out?
You need an external vacuum
:Only if you use and external vacuum.
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.
ARMEX does not work well for heavy build-up. ARMEX dissolves in water but will raise TA levels. So there is nothing to vacuum.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Thanks for the feedback. Fall back will be the glass bead.
What is the name of your machine. I’m in Hawaii and thinking about buying one
Central Pneumatic Abrasive Blaster
Cheap compressors contain lead
don't buy a cheap one. Lead was banned a long time ago for compressors.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 iron cylinders of the compressors contain lead also the piston rings
What about using Muriatic acid and just spraying it lightly with a sprayer?
It will not remove heavy buildup and it will eat away at the tile grout. I tried that before bead blasting.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 well pumice stone it is then since I can’t get the blasting done where I’m at.
Thanks! I found all the parts I needed in the comment section.
So how many CFM does this supply the diver at all times? I know the minimums, many do not.
It depends on the compressor and depth. This system is for near surface diving and nothing deeper than about 8 feet. I have done pool repairs for about 30 minutes straight without surfacing. I could have gone longer.
Thank you for such an informative video. Classy.
thanks for watching
This is a great video. Thanks very much. Just to be clear you needed 3 boxes (150lbs) of the media to do the job?
It depends on the size of your pool. Mine is 18x36 with a lot of edges. Thanks for watching.
is it possible to do this without draining the pool? Could I just vacuum up the remains after with my normal pool vacuum?
You will plug up your filter. You will have to use and external vacuum.
Did you use a air dryer for moisture removal?
The tank has a bleed valve for removing water. The filter removes both fine particles and also moisture.
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
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.
fwiw, that sound in the pool is the creepy crawler pool vacuum system
It's a Barracuda G3 (same thing)
that hopper is twice the price now in 2023,
For whatever reason, they are selling many of these. But even at $60, the project is still viable for big savings.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 yes I agree, just shows how much inflation has driven up prices
@@1dluep They are now charging $2200 for the service in our area for a pool the size of ours.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 how much are they charging per foot or how did the cost break down? thanks
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
Thank you so much for the detailed plan. Most of the other videos "kind of" discuss their plans but no detail. Question: I think the one long run you mentioned that you used 14 gauge wire is I think on Transformer 1, Run 4 (Across the very top). Can you give me an estimate of the length of the run to the longest point? Did you still have about 10.9 volts or more on the last light. The there vids just say use 12 awg but it seems overkill and expensive on most runs. Thanks
The longest run was about 120 feet. The last light on the run was reading below about 9VDC with 12V at the transformer. I boosted the voltage to 14VDC to get to about 11VDC at the last light. Using 12 AWG is overkill and really not needed for LED lamps that function over a range for voltage around 12VDC.
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!
Thanks for watching
this certainly is a well thought out system. Thanks for sharing it. I'd strongly recommend anyone breathing compressed air underwater to do a basic scuba certification course before using this. Many people don't realize that the risks start within the first couple feet of water - pulmonary barotrauma - ie holding your breath while ascending can be at best, uncomfortable and at worst, fatal. The other issue relates to the inevitable mask filled with water and clearing the regulator of water - all can cause panic if you're not prepared. Panic and diving are a really bad combination. And as is frequently said in all diving courses - the safest place to sort out a problem is right where you are - not by escaping to the surface!
thanks for watching.
A list of parts would be helpful, please.
I posted these in other comments. I don't know if the links are still valid since I bought them 4 years ago. You can find all the parts on Amazon marketplace. The hose is from Dixie divers. The connectors are from scuba choice. You save quite a bit of money building this yourself versus spending $1500-$2500 for a ready built system. www.amazon.com/Cressi-Octopus-flexible-octopus-diving/dp/B000THQLCU/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FW8G0Y0XFCPH&dchild=1&keywords=cressi+octopus+xs&qid=1596343024&sprefix=cressi+oct%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1 www.amazon.com/Divers-HOOKAH-16-inch-FITTINGS-Cleaner/dp/B0727NJS19/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VMS3KDKDEODW&dchild=1&keywords=air+breathing+hose+hookah&qid=1596343066&sprefix=air+breathing+hose%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-3 www.amazon.com/ARO-F35341-400-VS-Air-Line-Filter/dp/B0057D8M50/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=ingersoll+rand+aro&qid=1596343186&sr=8-7 scuba-choice.com/search.php?search_query=npt+&Search=
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 Good man!! Thank you.
How many times did you reuse the beads on this job?
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.
Great video. Does it matter what CFM air flow is on compressor?
you need a compressor that can maintain 60 PSI continuously.
@@diyhomemaintenancechannel3753 thanks. I read somewhere it should have between 2 and 4 cfm but cannot remember where I saw it. I noticed many compressors are less than one even though they have PSI above 100.
@@RodMaxwell You need 4-6 ACFM depending on what you are doing in the water. To calculate CFM for a compressor, refer to this: fluidairedynamics.com/pages/cfm-calculator-for-compressed-air
Great job. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
What program did you use to draw out your diagram plan?
Visio (from Office 2010)
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.
It will block up you media filter. I would use an external vacuum.
Great video! I'm in the process of creating something very similar for cleaning boat hulls. If you are able to post links to the items you bought for this build, it would be a huge help. Thanks! -Luke
the links have been posted in the comment section. Most of the items were purchased from Amazon and Scuba Choice.
Great result.. this is just what I need. Did you just use 1 50lb of abrasive?
I used 3 boxes for my pool. I recovered most of it to re-use again.
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?
you can use a sealer that leaves a glossy finish.
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.
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.