Hi All! We have had a 32000 gallon above ground pool for about 12 years. We use a copper ion system and shock once a week. It always looked great until late last year we started with a little staining. This spring due to a leak in the cover we had to basically refill the pool. The next thing the entire bottom of the pool stained. We applied citric acid and the stains disappeared, for a couple of weeks. Then we hit a period of very hot weather and had algae on the sides of the pool. Has never happened before. Double shocked a couple of times and the algae is gone, but the stain remains. Throughout this, the water has tested fine with the exception of right after the citric acid when we had to use a ph down. Out local pool place has always been helpful in the past but not with this. What are we doing wrong? I’m almost ready to take the whole thing down! I miss my sparkling blue water!
New here. Pool stains
- Thread starter Thbennett
- Start date
- May 23, 2015
- 24,497
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What you are doing wrong is simple - your choice of sanitizing method is not very good.
Before we get into a big long discussion about how to fix the staining and get you your sparkling water back, you have to take time to read through this forum and see if it is a pool water management philosophy that you we agree with. We are a forum that teaches pool water management based on CHLORINE, period. Not chlorine + this, or chlorine + that .... CHLORINE, period. Everything else is a gimmick or a falsehood or a lie-of-omission designed by the pool industry to take as much money from your wallet as possible while convincing you that they are "experts" and you are not. We are forum that teaches SELF-RELIANCE and taking a DIY approach to problems when and where it is applicable and safe. You have to be willing to agree to that philosophy up front because you can not serve two masters, as the old saying goes - either you do it the TFP way or you keep riding the turnip-truck of pool industry nonsense.
Spoiler Alert - To fix your problems you will need to ditch the copper system entirely, likely spend a lot of time and money fixing the stains with removal chemicals (more than just citric acid) and then drain and refill the pool and stick to TFP only pool care.
Before we get into a big long discussion about how to fix the staining and get you your sparkling water back, you have to take time to read through this forum and see if it is a pool water management philosophy that you we agree with. We are a forum that teaches pool water management based on CHLORINE, period. Not chlorine + this, or chlorine + that .... CHLORINE, period. Everything else is a gimmick or a falsehood or a lie-of-omission designed by the pool industry to take as much money from your wallet as possible while convincing you that they are "experts" and you are not. We are forum that teaches SELF-RELIANCE and taking a DIY approach to problems when and where it is applicable and safe. You have to be willing to agree to that philosophy up front because you can not serve two masters, as the old saying goes - either you do it the TFP way or you keep riding the turnip-truck of pool industry nonsense.
Spoiler Alert - To fix your problems you will need to ditch the copper system entirely, likely spend a lot of time and money fixing the stains with removal chemicals (more than just citric acid) and then drain and refill the pool and stick to TFP only pool care.
Thanks for your help! NOT! Are you an admin or something? Did I miss something in the intro that only chlorine is allowed to be discussed? After 12+ years of success with the copper ion system, I'm not about to invest in changing it all out because you said so. And in reading through other similar posts, I don't see any responses similar to yours.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 48,011
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
@Thbennett, @JoyfulNoise is one of our most respected, valued science experts on the forum. His credentials certainly don't need my validation, but I can assure you he knows the science behind every post on this forum. You're not the first "seasoned" owner who came to TFP with a problem or question only to be told their system isn't ideal, whether it be poor sanitation, staining, or other issues.
I'll post a couple links below for you to read at your leisure, but Matt is simply being straight-forward with you about the copper-based system. It's only a matter of time before the copper levels build up and problems occur. The old saying, "Don't shoot the messenger" applies here.
Take some time to review the links below and if you are still willing to work with TFP methods, we'll be glad to help.
Pool Care Basics
Metals - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Stains in Your Pool
The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.
www.troublefreepool.com
We discuss Trouble Free Pool Care here. There are oodles of alternative method sites to discuss them elsewhere.
Hundreds of thousands of folks have given us a whirl, on the cheap and easy, with spectacular results.
How Clear is TFP Clear?
We invite you to read up and decide if you'd like to try it too. We'll help every step of the way if so.
And welcome to TFP.
The advice given to you by JoyfulNoise was neither "rude" or "unhelpful" as you reported. As Joyfulnoise suggested, read a little more and find out what TFP is all about before you decide this is a forum from which you might benefit..........it doesn't sound like it.
The short and simple is that copper may help avoid algae but does NOT sanitize the pool water, or protect from person to person transmission, or fecal contamination, ect. That is the purpose of Chlorine in pool water.
