Copper (maybe) and the rave ready neon green hair

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ryansteele

ryansteele

0
May 10, 2009
14
New Brunswick, CANADA
I've recently encountered the neon green hair issue with my pool.

My problems started when we went away on vacation for 3 weeks, and left some pucks ( :? don't cringe to much, it was easier then explaining the BBB meathod and the pool calculator to my technologically challenged..... relatives) for my friends and family to use to look after our pool for us. Now i can accept blame for the month prior to vacation as I wasn't diligent in checking all my levels. Anyway, we get back on a Wednesday to a PERFECTLY sparkiling clear pool, and end up having a last minute pool party on Friday night, and all was good! Then Saturday morning my phone, BBM, Facebook and email start going crazy :hammer: ..... it seems all my blonde friends were now looking like the 19 year old ravers with neon green hair. So i immediatly turned to google, and TFP as i sent my wife out to the pool to test it.... She comes back in saying my ALK and PH are zero, everthing else was good. I'm not sure how long this took to happen, as I'm not sure when i last tested it. Anyway, after some Borax, soda and 5 days my levels are all back to normal. My question is that once my levels were back to normal the bottom of my pool was covered with a very fine blue/green dust, which i vaccumed up, and was filtered out in my cartridge filter (see pic, and it was perfectly clean and white a week ago). Was/is this the copper??? I'm assuming the copper came from the corrosive water reacting with my copper core heat pump, however i didnt add any sequestrant, or anything besides the Borax and Soda. I'm a bit nervous to invite my blonde friends back as test subjects to see what happens to their hair....
 

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I'm not sure how long this took to happen, as I'm not sure when i last tested it.
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Are you able to post test results now? That would be helpful. Yes, it is almost surely copper and it may have come from your heater or copper-based ingredients you added to your pool.
 
I have seen this several times, and it is absolutely a copper residue. A lot of copper has been precipitated by the raising of the pH and TA and then filtered out. However, there is still some copper left in the water, and will likely cause blond hair to turn green again. I suggest draining the water down and dilute. I assume you learned that lemon juice or vinegar will remove the green residue from the hair.
 

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What are the chances that this damaged my copper core heat exchanger? On one hand I'm assuming the copper is typical type L pipe, so thick enough a week of water chem problems isnt going to "eat" it away.... Yet on the other hand im not even close to a chemist, so its more me hoping it didnt damage it to bad :(
 
oh wow, that is super green hair. I have posted time after time about the copper causing my daughter's hair to turn green. Her's was no where near this green...not even in the ball park. I will henceforth shut my mouth. I declare you the winner.
 
Ryan, it is hard to say for sure how much damage has been done. It all depends on how much time and how acidic the water has been. But it can be surprising how a small amount of dissolved copper from piping can produce a large amount of residue. So your heat exchanger and other equipment might not have significant damage. Watch and look to see if any leakage is occuring. But the best way is to take off the manifold and try to determine the condition of the heat exchanger. I am sorry that I can't be more help.
 
I always wondered how he did that
Cesar-Romero-Joker-Batman.jpg
 
Based on the color of the cartridge and the hair, I think that the copper level is very high. Nexxus Aloe Rid Gentle Clarifying Shampoo might help get rid of the green in the hair. It contains

Ascorbate: A reducing agent.
EDTA: A sequestering agent
Thiosulfate: Another reducing agent
Citric acid: Another reducing agent.

I think that it's likely that the heater has been corroded, at least to some degree. Can you describe how the pucks were added and how long the pump run per day?
 
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