Copper stain removal off plaster

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W

wpicot

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May 31, 2011
3
My plaster pool has lots of copper staining. A Jacks Magic test kit confirmed this (Copper test packet took the stain off right away, all other packets did nothing).

My heater has no bypass and Jacks #2 requires i bypass to use their product. Also i don't want to loose the 2 weeks i may lose while treating (swim season is too short already). I'll do the bypass and treat their way as a last resort... which i am close to doing!.

Any other ways to get these growing stains off?

20,000 gal.
Chlorine and all Chems in proper range.
 
Welcome to TFP!

If the stains are currently growing, you should get some sequestrant in the water right away. Sequestrant will bind to the metals in the water and stop them from forming stains. It may also remove some of the existing stains. Another thing to do right away is to lower the PH down to between 7.2 and 7.4, which will also help slow down or stop any new staining.

ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic the Pink Stuff (regular), the Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and the Purple Stuff (SWG) are some of the top sequestrants. You can also find many other brands with similar products, some of which are noticeably less expensive. Sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives are the most effective.

Another thing to do is to figure out where the copper is coming from and make sure no more copper gets into the pool. Are you using anything with a mineral pack, or an ionizer, or copper based algaecides? Another way copper can get into the water is if the PH is consistently too low and you have a pool heater with a copper heat exchanger.

If the copper stains are extensive, the best way to get them off is to drain the pool and do a manual acid wash. If the stains are more localized you can often remove them with a sock full of dry acid held against each stained area for a minute or so.
 
I did add the Jacks Blue. Thx for the reinforcement on that. The copper heat exchanger is the copper source and I do have to keep after the PH. There is no ionizer or copper algaecide in use.

The dry acid: is that the same as PH down? Is there a generic I can buy to save in the pool store "chemical tax".

I am betting a I can remove the stains that bother me the most with the sock in the short term (most of the scale is on the steps and the adjoining spa seating). I have considered an acid wash at the seasons end. Guess that at some level i was hoping i can add some potion to remove the staining even if it takes a long time. The jacks Copper stuff seems to fill that bill but adding the bypass is a huge undertaking due to the tightness of my plumbing and then of course i loose my heater for a while.... thx.
 
The least expensive way to lower PH is with muriatic acid. You can get it at most hardware stores. But that won't work in a sock. You can pour muriatic acid into a pipe with the other end of the pipe held against the stain, but you get less control that way. There is no generic source for dry acid/PH Down that is noticeably less expensive unless you are getting very large quantities.
 
I used muriatic acid when removing some efflorescence along the tile line, I mixed some 3:1 water:acid in a garden pump sprayer and it works under water too to create a localized area of high acid concentration just move the wand slowly so as not to disturb the water too much, literally looked like I was using a magic wand eraser, treated a fairly large area without using a lot of acid barely affected the pool ph when I was done.

Don't forget to rinse the thing out good when your done and flush the sprayer
 
I just did a jacks number 2 treatment. 25,000 gallon pool. Heater bypass is just a 3 way valve and some pvc pipe, piece of cake. I used 20 lbs of #2, 10 gals of acid and 2 quarts of Magenta. It did an amazing job and I was swimming in 7 days. (did not heat however) I had copper staining as well as calcium build up. The copper staining was gone the day after the treatment! Ya gotta brush the Crud out of it. I did twice a day for a week.
 
Hello;

Last year you replied to my copper stain post. I never treated it and pledged to this year. When i opened the pool the stains were much larger and everywhere so i am back at it. Jacks number in a sock takes it off in seconds so it is time top treat the whole pool.

I think i'll follow your recipe after i deal with the bypass (space is tight). You mention 10 gallons of acid: is this muratic acid?

If you are up to it an even more detailed "how you went about treating" would be appreciated as i am wondering how perfect i must be with the balancing before and after and when i can put the heater back on line etc...

thx,
Walt


mckeon110 said:
I just did a jacks number 2 treatment. 25,000 gallon pool. Heater bypass is just a 3 way valve and some pvc pipe, piece of cake. I used 20 lbs of #2, 10 gals of acid and 2 quarts of Magenta. It did an amazing job and I was swimming in 7 days. (did not heat however) I had copper staining as well as calcium build up. The copper staining was gone the day after the treatment! Ya gotta brush the **** out of it. I did twice a day for a week.
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10 gallons of "acid".....Muriatic acid? And what is the "magenta"? Do you have cartridge filters?

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Hey Walt, I know this is an old post but whatever did you do about the copper stains? I have the same problem from an old heater.
 
mmelkonian said:
I used muriatic acid when removing some efflorescence along the tile line, I mixed some 3:1 water:acid in a garden pump sprayer and it works under water too to create a localized area of high acid concentration just move the wand slowly so as not to disturb the water too much, literally looked like I was using a magic wand eraser, treated a fairly large area without using a lot of acid barely affected the pool ph when I was done.

Don't forget to rinse the thing out good when your done and flush the sprayer
Click to expand...

well done mmekkonian! Thanks for the great tip. the underwater "silent" treatment.
 
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