metal magic + 0 chlorine = cloudy water

[mitch08]

Hey all,

Ive been fighting metals all summer for the first time since owning the pool.
I finally have it down to where 1 bottle of metal magic a week is keeping the staining out. For next years season I will probably start replacing water but for now this seems to be working.

One thing I am definitely noticing though is the pool gets cloudy much easier. Not when I put the metal magic in. Its when I let the FC reach 0. Every other season I was able to 'accidentally' let my FC drop for a day or 2 and never had any issues. No cloudiness or anything.

But now (assuming its because of the metal magic since its the only thing different) if at any point I let the FC drop to 0, a few hours in the sun and the pool starts clouding up pretty badly. I bring the FC up to a reasonable level and by the next day the pool is shining again...

Is this normal for a sequestriant?

 

[TomBorg]

Yes. Many sequestrants contain phosphonates/phosphates, which is algae food.

You will need to keep your FC at or above the minimum level for your CYA to prevent algae outbreaks.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Where are you located ?? http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/165-getting-started

Is it well water or city ??

 

[mitch08]

Yes. Many sequestrants contain phosphonates/phosphates, which is algae food.

You will need to keep your FC at or above the minimum level for your CYA to prevent algae outbreaks.

Thanks a lot. This is what I read as well. But I thought metal magic was one of the ones that claimed their ingredients don't cause algae issues. Appeciate the response. I guess for this year Im going to have to watch my levels a lot closer than I normally do.

 

[chem geek]

According to this MSDS, ProTeam® Metal Magic is (1-Hydroxyethylidene)diphosphonic acid which is HEDP, the metal sequestrant ingredient we recommend. It does slowly break down from chlorine and when it does it releases orthophosphate into the water. So that makes the water more susceptible to algae growth if sufficient chlorine is not present. This is why we recommend using Polyquat 60 during an ascorbic acid treatment or any treatment where you lower the chlorine level.

 

[TomBorg]

chem geek: Thank you for the clarification! Your efforts to make sure all the advice here is based on evidence and logic are greatly appreciated.

 

[mitch08]

Thank you very much. That leaves me with 1 last question. Is there an amount of this stuff that is too much? I am sucking up the money this year and will start to drain and refill towards the end of the season. But for now I am having to put in 1 to 2 bottles a week of metal magic to keep the stains away. And sometimes even this needs to be supplemented with a couple pounds of ascorbic...

Am I building up a horrendous chemistry inside the pool, or can I keep doing this to keep things going for the rest of the season? Thanks so much for the help!

 

[mitch08]

Re: CuLator Chemistry

Im dealing with a metal nightmare. Does the Culator work? I would be willing to invest in many of them, considering the price of Sequestriant and ascorbic is already costing me an arm and a leg

 

[JasonLion]

It is possible to add too much sequestrant, but it takes a lot more than what you appear to be using to get there.

We have had very mixed reports of the CuLator. Some people report some iron removed and some report no iron removed, but no one has reported complete success. Still, there aren't all that many reports of trying it, so we can't say anything for certain.

 

[mitch08]

It is possible to add too much sequestrant, but it takes a lot more than what you appear to be using to get there.

We have had very mixed reports of the CuLator. Some people report some iron removed and some report no iron removed, but no one has reported complete success. Still, there aren't all that many reports of trying it, so we can't say anything for certain.

I am going to use them for the rest of the summer. I will report back if I notice my metal issue becoming easier to handle.
Im not going to use metal test kit numbers and such. Purely on whether or not I need to continue using metal magic and ascorbic at insanely high rates...

 

[Tykenjess]

Re: CuLator Chemistry

Im dealing with a metal nightmare. Does the Culator work? I would be willing to invest in many of them, considering the price of Sequestriant and ascorbic is already costing me an arm and a leg

I have a Culator in both baskets, one for almost a month, and one for a few weeks and my stains come right back while shocking the pool. I was pretty upset since I spent a fortune on them.