What is Plating in swimming pools?

Plating describes a process where a metal is deposited on an electrically conductive surface.  Plating can occur as electroplating (directly involving electricity), or electroless (not involving added electricity).

Electroplating is often accomplished by dissolving metals in ionic form in a negatively-charged chemical liquid, then submerging a positively-charged surface to be plated in the metal ion-saturated chemical.  The negatively-charged metal ions adhere to the positively-charged surface to be plated.

Electroless plating occurs when hydrogen ions are present in a solution, such as water, creating a negatively-charged surface.  Positively-charges metal ions are then introduced into the solution and adhere to the surface to be plated.

For swimming pools, electroless metal plating can occur as an undesired side-effect of pool water maintenance.  Excessive metals can be introduced into the pool water by the local water source, corrosion of metal pool surfaces, or through the addition of chemicals containing metals such as some algaecides.  This creates a metal-rich environment in the pool water, and the metals can plate pool walls, floors, or discolor metal surfaces plus the hair, fingernails, and clothing of swimmers.  It is important to test swimming pool copper, as this is a metal that commonly enters the pool water and needs to occasionally be reduced.

Source:

• Wikipedia: “Plating”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plating

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