PB has offered new reason for pool stains.... what now

[chris4150]

Background/History:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/first-test-with-tf-100-t11452.html
http://www.troublefreepool.com/the-infamous-stains-before-treatment-pics-t14861.html

Hello all,

For those of you who have read my earlier posts in regards to my pool stains know my dilema. Anyhow, short history, had stains, didnt test posititive for organic or metal. Ran high FC etc to no avail. Pool is only 8 months old and has two plaster jobs. PB said it was hydration stains, did an acid wash, stains came back.....NOW, the PB has stated that its iron in the water and the Houston area is experiencing this dilema and I need to add Jacks Magic Magenta per the instructions until stains go away....... :blah: Are you kidding? After all this hydration stain theory bs and all of sudden its iron and its city wide.

Geography lesson here...... Houston is a big city, consisting of Houston water authority, municipal utility districts and the like.... none of which are well water..... so how can the PB make the statement that its city wide..... I feel like I just watched a foriegn movie without subtitles..... I have had my pool watered test several times, especially after each drain and refill and no metals detected.....

So, with that being said, for all of those moderators who are familiar with my issue as well as those in the know..... I am open to any and all opinions, suggestions, and comments, all of which will probably make more sense then what I was just spoon fed by the PB with my hands tied behind my back.

Chris

 

[duraleigh]

Chris,

Those of us that post a lot cannot remember particular pools or particular issues.

I suggest you copy your post over to the original thread (and delete this one) where you started the "story" and those that were helping can easily refresh their memories and chime in.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

For those of you who have read my earlier posts in regards to my pool stains know my dilema. Anyhow, short history, had stains, didnt test posititive for organic or metal.

Ran high FC etc to no avail. Pool is only 8 months old and has two plaster jobs. PB said it was hydration stains, did an acid wash, stains came back.....NOW, the PB has stated that its iron in the water and the Houston area is experiencing this dilema and I need to add Jacks Magic Magenta per the instructions until stains go away....... :blah: Are you kidding? After all this hydration stain theory bs and all of sudden its iron and its city wide.

Your pool is quite the mystery. Certainly not one I would classify as "trouble-free".

There are some inconsistencies, you post above the stains "didn't test postive for organic or metal", but I'm not so sure.... In this post, you did get a reaction as you reported from a trichlor tablet...

In one post you said you tried the Vit C pill and it did nothing, but then in this post there was a reaction to dry acid in a sock...

Based on the "before" pics it certainly appeared there were a variety of stains going on...It seems like you before you had a combination of stains perhaps, some reacted to different types of treatments.

In June your pool was drained and an acid wash cured the stains, but now they are coming back, correct? Are they identical as to before, or are they similar but appearing in a new pattern?

I don't know enough about plaster pools to offer an explanation as to what is happening...but it just seems like the PB is grasping at straws because they simply can't explain it either. Perhaps it is metals and the metal is now depositing on the surface. If the stains are new sequesterant should lift them fairly easily - I suppose it can't hurt to try the jack's to see what it does....

 

[anonapersona]

I would request a water report from the MUD serving your area. They ought to have test reports that show water content.

Also ask if there has been any unusual events in the area. I have no idea if something like a new neighborhood being built in the MUD might create a need to flush lines with something unusual that would contain metals.

You probably need to have the engineer call you as I doubt the receptionist will be able to do more than send the report.

 

[JasonLion]

It is clear the builder has no idea what is happening and is grasping at straws. Stains can be something of a black art. Some of the common causes, like iron, are well understood. But many of the possible causes are quite rare and not nearly as well understood.

If they were iron stains, Vitamin C would remove them relatively easily. Since the Vitamin C tablet did nothing last time, those were not iron stains. You could try the Vitamin C tablet again to see if the new stains are different. Iron is rare in municipal water, but it does happen sometimes. The water company will know exactly what is in their water. As anonapersona suggested, you should ask them. That will be an authoritative answer you can use with the builder.

The last time around, Vitamin C had no effect, and dry acid helped a little, which suggested copper stains. The pictures also look like copper to me, though others thought differently. It isn't obvious where the copper could be coming from however. The most common sources of copper are algaecides, pool frog/nature2, and low PH etching copper from a heat exchange coil. I am under the impression that we ruled out all three of those, but it is worth double checking.

 

[anonapersona]

I wonder if metals could be bleeding out of the rock waterfall.

While we have been shopping for flagstone to repair damage to patio pavers done by a large machine moved in to remove the roots of a fallen tree post-Ike, I have noticed how many types of stone have iron/rust stains in them.

Then I notice that all the rocks around my pool are orange. Rust? Iron?

I have stains that look just like yours in my pool and was getting ready to investigate an acid wash. But, as I still have sand below my rock waterfall, which tells me the rocks are decaying, now I suspect that as they decay they are putting iron into my water. So, an acid wash might not do much good for very long unless I keep up a metal sequesterant at the same time.

I need to investigate this. I figured on sealing the stones at the same time as an acid wash. But, I think the proper time for this has passed, since now we are in hurricane season and I doubt that it is wise to begin that sort of work when a storm could pop up at any time.

 

[chris4150]

Frustratedpoolmom,

Your correct in that vitamin c had no effect, the tri-chlor was somewhat subjective and not 100 percent that I had the result as expected if it was organic, and the stains are that are reoccuring are the exact shap, size, placement etc. Its pretty much as if the stains remained in the same spot after the acid rinse and resurfaced.

I dont believe that the stains are from etching as a result of low PH because to this date I have yet to ever have low PH. Its always having to be brought down. I suspect from aeration from the spa overflow.

I dont suspect copper due to the fact that the nature 2 was not in play when the stains originally appeared.

I plan on calling the PB's corporate office and address the issue through them.

I may try the jacks magic.

Ill let you know.

 

[chris4150]

Hello to all,

Long time no talk. I though I would catch everyone up to speed on my infamous pool stain issue. As previous posted, PB was pretty much at a loss as to the cause of my stains

However, after several extensive emails to corporate, I was visited by someone higher up in the company who was able to see first hand what I was dealing with. Long story short, they have agreed to redo my plaster with Pebble Tech. As of today my pool has been emptied, the plaster removed where necessary, and primed. Its suppose to rain tomorrow so I would imagine they will be here friday to install the Pebble Tech.

So I thought I would post some pics of what my pool currently looks like before the Pebble Tech is installed. Ill post pics after the installation.

 

[chris4150]

A few more.

 

[rogerbrks]

Same thing here in Austin. Found out that that our aqufier has gotten so low that the limestone has a major impact on our water. I'm not only having problems with the pool but home plumbing. I do believe your PB. Mine has made it mandatory to to add another 28 day period to the start up on all new pool builds to help with the hard water from the limestone in our aquafier. He has recommended that we get sequesturants from Leslie's, a Houston base company because of the problem in Austin, TX.