Ascorbic Acid treatment and Sequestrant follow up

Tena · Mar 25, 2024

I am again about to endeavor to use Ascorbic Acid treatment to remove plaster staining. My plastic is NOT stained, but the plaster has been stained since day 4 after build in 2019. I have treated a few years, but didn't 2023 or 2022 (I think) mainly because the cost of sequestrant, the amount needed and the long term effects. (See Sequestrant)

Drain/refill is pointless as my city water is the source. My old bathtub did have plastic staining on jets. So I'm confused as to why the pool plastic (return jets, skimmer face etc.) don't seem to be staining. Regardless, the Ascorbic Acid treatment has worked in the past and I'm going to try it again.

In the Sequestrant article, filtering the sequestrant out is briefly discussed. I have a sand filter, so would add Jack's Magic Filter Fiber Stuff and backwash.

My question is... At what point should I backwash? Subsequent questions being how long and should this be repeated? If so how often?

Thank you!

My original post
My first ascorbic acid Treatment (link isn't working go to third page)

Current Test results not posted because I'm prepping for acid treatment

ajw22 · Mar 26, 2024

I would use polyfill in skimmers to filter iron out rather than Jack's Magic Filter Fiber Stuff and clog your sand filter. Or setup a polyfill filter to run your pool water through like in…

If you’ve got iron in your fill water, use Polyfill to remove it

EDIT: Found out this method only works if your iron is oxidized already, meaning it’s got a dull or bright green tint to the water, or a nasty brown tint. If you know you have iron in your fill water, but it isn’t oxidized yet, bring your pool to shock level and it’ll turn the telltale green...

www.troublefreepool.com

Have you tried iron filters on your fill water?

Iron Fill Water Filter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Apsuhead · Mar 26, 2024

I’m doing a AA treatment as we speak. I have polyfill in the skimmer but I had to remove it due to it getting clogged. So much wind in my area that the neighbors blooms etc from their bradford pear trees are filling my pool daily. His trees are very far away but the high winds blow everything into my pool. I hate those trees! I’ve been waiting for weeks to raise my PH and try to filter some iron out. No stains have returned yet

Tena · Mar 29, 2024

ajw22 said:
I would use polyfill in skimmers to filter iron out rather than Jack's Magic Filter Fiber Stuff and clog your sand filter. Or setup a polyfill filter to run your pool water through like in…

If you’ve got iron in your fill water, use Polyfill to remove it

EDIT: Found out this method only works if your iron is oxidized already, meaning it’s got a dull or bright green tint to the water, or a nasty brown tint. If you know you have iron in your fill water, but it isn’t oxidized yet, bring your pool to shock level and it’ll turn the telltale green...

www.troublefreepool.com

Have you tried iron filters on your fill water?

Iron Fill Water Filter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

I only have one skimmer (I asked for two but PB was awful).

If I fill it with polyfill, do I leave for a month, change it out every week?

The other filters are for filling I think ...would have been great then, but PB ...he also was sued by neighbor for similar. If we'd known that was going on... Anyway, just need cost effective way to filter it out once suspended. I've cleared it a couple of times, but fail at keeping it sequestered as I said

I've used Jack's filter magic several times to clear up water. So I have no qualms about using it again (and backwashing it out).

I don't see any mention of the filters I use on my hose in the article ...

Camco TastePURE RV Water Filter - New Advanced 6-Step Patent-Protected Filtration - Camping Essentials for Fresh Drinking Water - RV Inline Water Filter w/Flexible Hose Protector, Made in USA (40043) https://a.co/d/ihspFac

"Camco’s RV & Camping Water Filter reduces a wide variety of contaminants, including aluminum, bacteria, cadmium, chlorine, fungus, heavy metals, hydrogen sulfide, *iron*, lead, mercury, mold, odor, turbidity, and sediment."

* Idk how much

Apsuhead said:
I’m doing a AA treatment as we speak. I have polyfill in the skimmer but I had to remove it due to it getting clogged. So much wind in my area that the neighbors blooms etc from their bradford pear trees are filling my pool daily. His trees are very far away but the high winds blow everything into my pool. I hate those trees! I’ve been waiting for weeks to raise my PH and try to filter some iron out. No stains have returned yet

Those trees are illegal in some states, rightfully so.

Did you change the polyfill out, or give up on it completely?

ajw22 · Mar 30, 2024

How often the polyfill needs to be change depends on how much iron is in the water and it is catching.

At the start I would check the polyfill in the skimmer daily.

When it gets brown remove it, discard it, and put in new Polyfill.

Apsuhead · Apr 1, 2024

Tena said:
Did you change the polyfill out, or give up on it completely?

I gave up on it for now. My stains haven't reappeared yet and I have more AA. I have one bottle of Metal Magic but need more if Im going the route. Its expensive! I stuffed my polyfil in a skimmer sock and placed it in the skimmer when I tried it.

Apsuhead · Apr 16, 2024

I noticed light staining starting to reappear the other day. My PH had risen to 7.5 so I added a bottle of Metal Magic. It appears to to removed it for now. I need to buy several bottles to have on hand this summer to keep the stains away. That stuff is $30 a bottle now ...

Apsuhead · Apr 22, 2024

I bought 3 more bottles of metal magic. I added one more bottle and will keep the rest for a monthly dose for this swimming season.