Brown Stains - Need advice

[jmcnyc]

I bought a house with a pool - and I had the pool open last year - the vinyl liner needs to be replaced as it has slight stains and it is old. However I used the pool last year and enjoyed it. When I opened it this year the liner had brown stains all over. I tested the water for metals and it came up clean - no metals. I put a Vitamin C tablet on the stain and it disappeared immediately. See pictures below of the stains.

I went to Leslie's and they suggested their stain remover which is basically Ascorbic acid - for $50! - followed by Metal Free to remove the metals from the water. After spending $80 I tried it - and as of this morning nothing (the photos are from after the treatment).

I can get Jack's Magic - however this will cost me hundreds as I have a 22,000 gallon pool. Any advice before I spend the money? I am looking for something to put in the water to make the stains go away all around the pool versus something I have to rub along the stained liner.

Any and all good advice would be appreciated. I have a water sample to bring into Leslie's for test results later today if that will help, however the latest tests show the water is in good shape.

 

[JasonLion]

Those are almost certainly iron stains. You should do an AA treatment, directions are here.

 

[jmcnyc]

So how does iron get in the pool? I water has not been refilled - and I tested for iron and none is in the pool.

 

[JasonLion]

It is normal for iron to test at zero when there is significant staining. The iron is currently in the stains, not the water.

The most common source of iron is well water, though every now and then there is iron in municipal water.

 

[jmcnyc]

I did use AA that I bought from Leslie's and it didnt have an impact. I used 2LBs - the chlorine was high - maybe I try again with lower chlorine and a cheaper non-Leslies AA.

 

[JasonLion]

Follow the directions at the link I gave you. There are several things that can prevent it from working, including high FC levels.

 

[jmcnyc]

Thanks - will do and will report back. Any idea of a local source for AA? I want to get the pool cleaned up for the weekend and would like to find someplace close by. I am in NJ - so any local chain stores or suggestions for a source? The mail order sources charge way to much for overnight delivery. Thanks.