Stains on the side along the water line are already back. I can live with some staining as long as the water is blue. Adding CYA to bring it up to 70 now. This PROTech CYA takes forever to dissolve. I'll be squeezing socks for days lol.
Removing metal
- Thread starter Razorhog
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,792
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I'm not familiar with that brand. I usually just hit-up Walmart for their Clorox stabilizer (4-lb bottle). I fill a white tube sock, let it soak for about 15-20 minutes, and as soon as I squeeze it's going all over the place. Works really well. I keep saying I'm going to do a video of it just because I see so many people say they have a hard time getting their granules to dissolve. Not sure why unless it's something unique to that brand of stabilizer or has something to do with the water (too cold).
Yeah I used to get it at walmart too and it didn't take so long to dissolve. Been buying from my pool store to help support local business. Water temp is probably part of it, just now getting in the low 70's.
Started the SWG on the lowest setting and the pool is turning green before my eyes. Sides are turning brown too. AAAArrrrrrrgghhhhh
Research what it might take to truck in some metal free water? 
That's all I can think of. I hope someone else has a better idea?
That's all I can think of. I hope someone else has a better idea?
Research what it might take to truck in some metal free water?
That's all I can think of. I hope someone else has a better idea?
Thank you for replying. I feel like I'm wasting CYA and should pull the socks out. I've never had this kind of trouble from my pool. Oh how I would like to have an algae problem rather than this! I can handle algae but I just have no idea what to do with metals.
Did you ever get around to taking that water sample in to the pool store and asking for just a metals test??
Yeah, we normally don't ask folks to go there, but the metals tests are so expensive we don't want you to have to but it.
See exactly what's in the water and how much. Remind me again... is this city or well water??
Maddie
Yeah, we normally don't ask folks to go there, but the metals tests are so expensive we don't want you to have to but it.
See exactly what's in the water and how much. Remind me again... is this city or well water??
Maddie
First understand what is happening to your pool. You have been introducing chlorine into high-iron-content pool water. The chlorine oxidizes the soluble iron and it precipitates into visible yellowish particles. put those brownish-yellowish particles in blue pool water and you get clear green. We see it often and most always around this time of year.
If you simply run your FC at normal levels, the iron continues to precipitate out until there is little to no iron left and the pool clears. This is a multi-day process so I would suggest you stop bouncing around and just watch it happen. Polyfill in your skimmers will prove that it is working as you see them turn brownish.
I would also suggest you not test aso much.....this is a slow process and testing and posting like you are doing makes you "over control" just like a new driver steering a car.
How can you fix it? Remove the iron from that water before it gets in your pool with a whole house water softener. Use that water for your refills and you will not be adding any iron. It's also possible that, after it clears the initial iron, for reasons I can't explain, using the same source for refill doesn't seem to cause the issue as badly......I am not sure why.
If you simply run your FC at normal levels, the iron continues to precipitate out until there is little to no iron left and the pool clears. This is a multi-day process so I would suggest you stop bouncing around and just watch it happen. Polyfill in your skimmers will prove that it is working as you see them turn brownish.
I would also suggest you not test aso much.....this is a slow process and testing and posting like you are doing makes you "over control" just like a new driver steering a car.
How can you fix it? Remove the iron from that water before it gets in your pool with a whole house water softener. Use that water for your refills and you will not be adding any iron. It's also possible that, after it clears the initial iron, for reasons I can't explain, using the same source for refill doesn't seem to cause the issue as badly......I am not sure why.
Did you ever get around to taking that water sample in to the pool store and asking for just a metals test??
Yeah, we normally don't ask folks to go there, but the metals tests are so expensive we don't want you to have to but it.
See exactly what's in the water and how much. Remind me again... is this city or well water??
Maddie
No I haven't. I will but it's weird right now with the pandemic. They have a water test sample drop box. Seems like the water chemistry would change by the time they go outside and get the water to test.
This is city water. I've had iron staining issues in the past and they have seemed to get worse over the years but this year is crazy. I haven't really added much water either. We've had so much rain that it was super full when opening.
Thank you for the reply, Dave. You are so right, I've been over testing. Being at home all the time, haha. I will try keeping polyfil in the skimmer and running FC at normal levels.
I have a separate water supply/meter for the pool. Not sure how I would go about putting a water softener on it, but I will check into that.
As for now, I have a pool with 70ish CYA and the SWG off. Should I run it on low? Leave it off and bring FC up with Cal Hypo to oxidize the iron? Thanks again.
The one thing that I can think of that is different this year is that I had the pool company replace the laterals in the sand filter. When they did so, they replaced the sand. Could that have introduced iron?
The reason I ask that is because where the jets return water in the pool, you can see brown stains where the water comes out and hits the fiberglass.
I'm sorry if I'm posting too much.
I'm sorry if I'm posting too much.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,792
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Sand wouldn't do that. But if the pool company added any other gimmicks with copper or something, that could complicate things. As for the FC level, just balance it. You don't want algae. You've been lucky your water temp is still cool, but it's going to warm up fast. So keep the pH low, and the FC balanced with the CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels. As Dave said, give it some time to adjust. Chlorine is battling metals right now. Have some sequestrant ready as well.
Thanks, I really appreciate your help. I brought FC up to 5 (CYA is showing 70 now) and the water went from blue to green in 30 minutes. I've never seen this before so I'm just a little startled. The polyfil in the basket is stark white while all the plastic in the skimmer is brown.
You mentioned to have some sequestrant ready. When would I use it? The 2 quarts of metal magic I put in a couple days ago made the water and fiberglass look great (while FC was 1 or lower). I plan on keeping FC at normal levels as if the water was blue and the shell was white. If I filter out enough metal that the water turns blue and the shell is still brown, is that the time to use sequestrant?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,792
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Remember those 2 schools of thought: ONE - The metals precipitate-out (because of iron amount, elevated FC, and/or pH) to the point you can capture it with towels, polyfill, etc, to physically remove some of it; or TWO - It goes back into solution by adjusting to chemical levels and using a sequestrant. You can use the sequestrant, but then you probably won't be able to capture any iron. If you don't exchange water to lower the iron content, I think you will be forced to manage the water with a low pH and sequestrant. Regardless, you can't afford to let the FC go to 3 or below or you risk getting algae. NOw sure how that iron got in there, but you're in a tough spot for sure unless you can get fresh water.