Who is onBalance?

onBalance is a consulting group comprised of Que Hales, Doug Latta and Kim Skinner. Our "day jobs" involve owning and running swimming pool chemical, cleaning and repair services, as well as some remodel contracting (see our individual bios at the links on the left of this page).

As onBalance we have three primary interests: Research into swimming pool water chemistry and plaster issues, teaching about our research at trade shows and association meetings, and providing consulting and expert witnessing services as needed.

How successful have we been? Take a look at the link to the right listing some of our accomplishments. And if you would like to take a look at some of the handouts from our trade show classes, they are linked to the left as well.

The following items on this page are some of the research, investigations, and issues we have been involved in. We hope you find something of interest, and encourage you to email us if you have further questions.

Etching

This is more information on the Etching Study that was co-financed by the San Fernando Valley Chapter of IPPSA and reported on in the February 15, 2003 issue of Service Industry News.

Soft Spots (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Spot Etching"

• THE SOFT SPOT E-MAIL UPDATE SERIES

• A selection of "case histories" from investigations undertaken by onBalance:
  • oB-00003 - Case History - Acton CA - white spots on gray plaster
  • oB-00004 - Case History - Phoenix AZ - soft spots on white plaster
  • oB-00005D - Case History - Tracy CA - mottled white discoloration of colored plaster
  • oB-00005E - Case History - Tracy CA - almost total white discoloration of colored plaster
  • oB-00005M - Case History - Tracy CA - patterned white spotting of colored plaster
  • oB-00015 - Case History - Phoenix AZ - soft spots on white plaster
  • oB-00017 - Case History - Brentwood CA - soft spots on white plaster
  • oB-00018 - Case History - NPC #10 - soft spots on white plaster
  • oB-00019 - Case History - Scottsdale AZ - various patterns of spotting
  • oB-00040 - Case History - Highland CA - delamination
  • oB-00044 - Case History - Tarzana CA - mottling, graying (greying) discoloration
• Spot Etching Mythology
  • The Chapman Study
  • The Erlin/Himes Report
  • The Dow Whitney Study
    • Documentation on the similarities between the Dow Whitney Report and the Chapman Study
    • The letter we sent Dow Whitney asking for explanations...
  • Don Hafer's studies
    • The first one
    • The second one
    • The Plasterer's Conference presentation
    • Our critique of the presentation
    • His response
• Additional reading from the cement/concrete industry
• Portland Cement Association's report on Surface Discoloration
• RX203 and its Applicability to Swimming Pool Plaster
• CTL’s Laura Powers Reviews Dr. Clark’s findings on pool plaster spotting

New Plaster Start-up Chemistry - the "Bicarb Start" Method

the start-up chemistry e-mail update series

Here is a method for starting up new plaster pools without any plaster dust!

New Plaster: When to Turn the Water On

Here is a reprint of the "Fill Delay" article we provided to Service Industy News.

Calcium Nodules

Here is a bulletin on calcium nodules

Issues Involving the Use/Abuse of Calcium Chloride as a Set Accelerator in Pool Plaster

• Quotations
• Post-placement analysis of chloride content

onBalance Dosage and Volume Calculation Methods

• onBalance's Simplified Dosage Formulas
• onBalance's Table of Formula Numbers
• onBalance's method of finding Pool Volumes by Chemistry

National Plasterers Council and its Member's Research Projects

This section contains our observations and review of the NPC, its member companies, and thier research 'track record'.

The Arizona Test Pool

The Pasadena Test Pool

The Joint NPC/NAGC Alkalinity Coupon Research Project

Interestingly, the NPC now suggests that all past in-house experiments investigating the cause of pool spotting have conflicting results, and that nothing can be learned from them.

Now they insist that all research has to be third party and independent. Now they are spending and asking for thousands of dollars from industry for research that is primarily focusing on aggressive water as causing deterioration. Of course "aggressive water" causes deterioration! No one has ever said that it doesn't. But why would that be the focus of an expensive research study?

The NPC/Cal Poly Research - Phase 1

The NPC Technical Manual and Plaster Soft Spots

Other Subjects of Interest (to us...)

• A pool full of calcium sulfate
• Trying to put to rest the acid column myth
• Carbon Dioxide Chemistry notes from the NSPI EXPO presentation
• The relationship between HOCl and OCl-
• The pH Dynamics of Chlorination
  • Text from the handout
  • A PDF version of the poster
    • (if you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here for a free download)