Exchanging water after pool opening

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So, finished the exchange.
FC 0
Salt 800
TA 30
PH 7.0

I added polyquat 60.
I added liquid chlorine, stabilizer and salt. The next day(yesterday).
FC 4,
Salt 1000,
TA 30,
PH 7.2.

The pool still looks pretty good . But, a see slight (yellowish) shade on the steps. I didn’t use a sequestrant. But, I did put polyfil in the skimmers. I’m adding pics. I'm pretty happy so far. But, Slightly concerned because I haven’t started the SWG yet.
Thoughts?
 

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Pennypat said:
So, finished the exchange.
FC 0
Salt 800
TA 30
PH 7.0

I added polyquat 60.
I added liquid chlorine, stabilizer and salt. The next day(yesterday).
FC 4,
Salt 1000,
TA 30,
PH 7.2.

The pool still looks pretty good . But, a see slight (yellowish) shade on the steps. I didn’t use a sequestrant. But, I did put polyfil in the skimmers. I’m adding pics. I'm pretty happy so far. But, Slightly concerned because I haven’t started the SWG yet.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
The salt level of 1000 is too low for your SWCG so that needs to increase.
Also your TA is super low. That also needs to increase to minimum 50.
What is your CYA? You state you raised stabilizer but there is no test result so need to know that level.
@Mdragger88 - any other feedback?
 
HermanTX said:
The salt level of 1000 is too low for your SWCG so that needs to increase.
Also your TA is super low. That also needs to increase to minimum 50.
What is your CYA? You state you raised stabilizer but there is no test result so need to know that level.
@Mdragger88 - any other feedback?
Click to expand...
I added salt, and stabilizer. I didn’t add enough salt yesterday because it got late and I couldn’t see. I added more this morning and more stabilizer using pool math. It takes a while for the stabilizer to show up right? It was less than 30 this morning.. I should have better numbers in the morning. I was concerned about the iron because after the exchange and some hours of mixing, the salt was still 800 ppm. And, I believe my salt was the iron issue.
 
Definitely get the ta to 50ppm - that should be enough to keep ph stable but still not increase ph too greatly & bring any staining back.
You need to add sequestrant now to help take care of any leftover metals & prevent them from re depositing as you attempt to increase fc.
With your long drawn out exchange there’s bound to have been some mixing of old & new water.
Then you need some fc - the polyquat will only get you so far. Start low. Like 1ppm. Don’t jump back on with swcg just yet.
Stick with controlled manual doses.
You are about here in the process since you have completed a water exchange
From Aa treatment further reading:
“After AA Treatment
  • Bring up your ph and alkalinity, - use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda first, it will raise both ph and alkalinity.
  • Make sure you test in between, because you don't want your ph to go any higher than 7.2.
  • If your alkalinity is in range, and you still need to raise your ph, use Borax to take it up to no higher than 7.2.
  • You can start to bring up your chlorine. You want to do this slowly. It will take a lot of chlorine - preferably using liquid chlorine only at this time, and try to take it up to your minimum chlorine for your cya according to the Chlorine/CYA Chart.
  • As you slowly raise the chlorine, watch for stains starting to form.
  • If you see stains, make sure the ph is no higher than 7.2, and add more sequestering agent. You should see the stain lift in a couple of hours.
  • Do not raise to SLAM FC levels! Do not do a SLAM for at least 2 weeks!
  • Make sure you keep your ph low for (7.2) for a week or two - it won't be hard because the ascorbic acid and sequestering agent will help it stay low.
  • Once your chlorine starts to hold, it means that you have used up the ascorbic acid in the water and it will be easy to rebalance the pool back to recommended levels.
Here are two important notes:

  • High ph along with high chlorine will precipitate any metals that are not sequestered out of the water and on to the surface of the pool again. If this happens take the ph back down to 7, or 7.2 and add more sequestering agent. This should lift the stain off.
  • You can add Polyquat 60 to the water before starting the stain treatment to avoid getting algae while the chlorine is low.”
Couple of questions-
How much cya have you added?
whats your filter looking like?
 
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Mdragger88 said:
Definitely get the ta to 50ppm - that should be enough to keep ph stable but still not increase ph too greatly & bring any staining back.
You need to add sequestrant now to help take care of any leftover metals & prevent them from re depositing as you attempt to increase fc.
With your long drawn out exchange there’s bound to have been some mixing of old & new water.
Then you need some fc - the polyquat will only get you so far. Start low. Like 1ppm. Don’t jump back on with swcg just yet.
Stick with controlled manual doses.
You are about here in the process since you have completed a water exchange
From Aa treatment further reading:
“After AA Treatment
  • Bring up your ph and alkalinity, - use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda first, it will raise both ph and alkalinity.
  • Make sure you test in between, because you don't want your ph to go any higher than 7.2.
  • If your alkalinity is in range, and you still need to raise your ph, use Borax to take it up to no higher than 7.2.
  • You can start to bring up your chlorine. You want to do this slowly. It will take a lot of chlorine - preferably using liquid chlorine only at this time, and try to take it up to your minimum chlorine for your cya according to the Chlorine/CYA Chart.
  • As you slowly raise the chlorine, watch for stains starting to form.
  • If you see stains, make sure the ph is no higher than 7.2, and add more sequestering agent. You should see the stain lift in a couple of hours.
  • Do not raise to SLAM FC levels! Do not do a SLAM for at least 2 weeks!
  • Make sure you keep your ph low for (7.2) for a week or two - it won't be hard because the ascorbic acid and sequestering agent will help it stay low.
  • Once your chlorine starts to hold, it means that you have used up the ascorbic acid in the water and it will be easy to rebalance the pool back to recommended levels.
Here are two important notes:

  • High ph along with high chlorine will precipitate any metals that are not sequestered out of the water and on to the surface of the pool again. If this happens take the ph back down to 7, or 7.2 and add more sequestering agent. This should lift the stain off.
  • You can add Polyquat 60 to the water before starting the stain treatment to avoid getting algae while the chlorine is low.”
Couple of questions-
How much cya have you added?
whats your filter looking like?
Click to expand...
8 lbs of cya. I’m logging everything in pool math. I added some more chemicals this morning. The pool is the prettiest and clearest it’s been in a season. I think it might be the PH making the very light sorta stain. I added MA today. I don’t want to add sequestrant. That’s the whole reason I exchanged 27,600 gallons of water. The day after I added the 1st chlorine, it was at 4 ppm and no staining. The PH has started climbing though. So, that’s my logic. Do you think the dark area in the polyfil looks like iron?
I can’t see my filter, it’s in a pod.
 
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Pennypat said:
8 lbs of cya. I’m logging everything in pool math. I added some more chemicals this morning. The pool is the prettiest and clearest it’s been in a season. I think it might be the PH making the very light sorta stain. I added MA today. I don’t want to add sequestrant. That’s the whole reason I exchanged 27,600 gallons of water. The day after I added the 1st chlorine, it was at 4 ppm and no staining. The PH has started climbing though. So, that’s my logic. Do you think the dark area in the polyfil looks like iron?
I can’t see my filter, it’s in a pod.
Click to expand...
I understand not wanting to get on the “sequestrant train” & continuously replenishing it but using a starting dose is a good idea if you want to avoid re- staining from the traces of metals that remain.
some sequestrants - like proteam metal magic, claim it makes the particles large enough to be caught by your filter so they are eventually removed. The jury is out on how effective it actually is so Ymmv & this should not be solely relied upon for more than trace amounts which is why tfp suggests replacing as much water as possible.
For what it’s worth my pool & house water tests zero for iron yet I have iron stains in my pool & my bathtub.
I will be using metal magic after my aa treatment initially & some maintenance dosing as its not a process I want to have to repeat often.
Unfortunately dealing with metals (especially iron) can take an ongoing multi pronged approach.
Keeping your fc & ph on the low end for now is the best path for keeping the stains at bay so keep a tight watch. Its a bit of work to maintain fc near minimum without letting it fall too low & risking algae.
My ph generally stays where I put it so hopefully I won’t have an issue keeping it lower for a while after aa treatment.
For the polyfill question- put some vitamin c on it & see if it changes color. If so its iron & keep with the polyfill.
If polyfill is catching it then the filter may be as well & it’s worth checking & cleaning it.
 
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Mdragger88 said:
I understand not wanting to get on the “sequestrant train” & continuously replenishing it but using a starting dose is a good idea if you want to avoid re- staining from the traces of metals that remain.
some sequestrants - like proteam metal magic, claim it makes the particles large enough to be caught by your filter so they are eventually removed. The jury is out on how effective it actually is so Ymmv & this should not be solely relied upon for more than trace amounts which is why tfp suggests replacing as much water as possible.
For what it’s worth my pool & house water tests zero for iron yet I have iron stains in my pool & my bathtub.
I will be using metal magic after my aa treatment initially & some maintenance dosing as its not a process I want to have to repeat often.
Unfortunately dealing with metals (especially iron) can take an ongoing multi pronged approach.
Keeping your fc & ph on the low end for now is the best path for keeping the stains at bay so keep a tight watch. Its a bit of work to maintain fc near minimum without letting it fall too low & risking algae.
My ph generally stays where I put it so hopefully I won’t have an issue keeping it lower for a while after aa treatment.
For the polyfill question- put some vitamin c on it & see if it changes color. If so its iron & keep with the polyfill.
If polyfill is catching it then the filter may be as well & it’s worth checking & cleaning it.
Click to expand...
So, I just wanted to give an update on the water exchange situation. I did have some staining that returned. It’s pretty minimal compared to what I dealt with last year. My FC is around 4-5 on average. So, I think it is stable and the staining won’t get worse. It’s only obvious on my steps and I will rub them down with vitamin C before I have company. I’m sticking poly fill in my filters and trying to keep my ph down. I’m hoping it isn’t going to get any worse. If it doesn’t, I can live with it this year and enjoy the pool. I do believe that the Clorox salt was the source. I had my water tested through an outside source which was costly. But, I feel like it’s accurate. I used Morton’s professional salt this time. It did buy the diamond for use during the summer for replacement during the season. I’m attaching a pic.
 

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Pennypat said:
So, I just wanted to give an update on the water exchange situation. I did have some staining that returned. It’s pretty minimal compared to what I dealt with last year. My FC is around 4-5 on average. So, I think it is stable and the staining won’t get worse. It’s only obvious on my steps and I will rub them down with vitamin C before I have company. I’m sticking poly fill in my filters and trying to keep my ph down. I’m hoping it isn’t going to get any worse. If it doesn’t, I can live with it this year and enjoy the pool. I do believe that the Clorox salt was the source. I had my water tested through an outside source which was costly. But, I feel like it’s accurate. I used Morton’s professional salt this time. It did buy the diamond for use during the summer for replacement during the season. I’m attaching a pic.
Click to expand...
Certainly much improved!
 
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Mdragger88 said:
Certainly much improved!
Click to expand...
Pennypat said:
So, I just wanted to give an update on the water exchange situation. I did have some staining that returned. It’s pretty minimal compared to what I dealt with last year. My FC is around 4-5 on average. So, I think it is stable and the staining won’t get worse. It’s only obvious on my steps and I will rub them down with vitamin C before I have company. I’m sticking poly fill in my filters and trying to keep my ph down. I’m hoping it isn’t going to get any worse. If it doesn’t, I can live with it this year and enjoy the pool. I do believe that the Clorox salt was the source. I had my water tested through an outside source which was costly. But, I feel like it’s accurate. I used Morton’s professional salt this time. It did buy the diamond for use during the summer for replacement during the season. I’m attaching a pic.
Click to expand...
Pennypat said:
So, I just wanted to give an update on the water exchange situation. I did have some staining that returned. It’s pretty minimal compared to what I dealt with last year. My FC is around 4-5 on average. So, I think it is stable and the staining won’t get worse. It’s only obvious on my steps and I will rub them down with vitamin C before I have company. I’m sticking poly fill in my filters and trying to keep my ph down. I’m hoping it isn’t going to get any worse. If it doesn’t, I can live with it this year and enjoy the pool. I do believe that the Clorox salt was the source. I had my water tested through an outside source which was costly. But, I feel like it’s accurate. I used Morton’s professional salt this time. It did buy the diamond for use during the summer for replacement during the season. I’m attaching a pic.
Click to expand...
You should try Aquasalt the next time along with a more complete water replacement.
 
revitup said:
You should try Aquasalt the next time along with a more complete water replacement.
Click to expand...
So, another update. The stains are back. I have kept my chemicals balanced. And, the only change has been the water temp increased about 10 degrees from 60 to 70. I am wondering if there’s an algae that the iron is attacking itself to. I did use polyquat60 when I did my initial AA treatment. And, the water temp at that time was 50 at its highest. But, the steps do feel a little slippery. My FC has been between 5 to 5.5. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. I have tried brushing and the stains don’t budge. I tried using a Mr. Clean sponge on the steps and it came right up. And, of course it responds to the vitamin C. Any suggestions? Ideas? Should I just buy a shovel and some dirt? I’m attaching more pics. The 1st swipe on the left of the steps is the Mr. Clean sponge.

IMG_4355.jpegIMG_4354.jpegIMG_4358.jpegIMG_4347.jpeg
 
I suspect you either have iron in your fill water (not terribly unusual in red clay country) or you had a very high iron level in the water before & the exchange didn’t quite get it all.
Poolmath logs link is broken right now so i cant see - whats your latest test results?
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
Salt
 
Mdragger88 said:
I suspect you either have iron in your fill water (not terribly unusual in red clay country) or you had a very high iron level in the water before & the exchange didn’t quite get it all.
Poolmath logs link is broken right now so i cant see - whats your latest test results?
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
Salt
Click to expand...
FC 5
pH 7.3 ( I have been keeping it at about 7)
Ta. 60
Cya 80
Salt. 3100
That’s all I usually test

I had my fill water tested through our county extension office. I had to pay for it! And, it showed no iron. I’ve had the pool for 8 years and haven’t had any problems with it. I’m blaming it on the Clorox salt. I feel like the exchange didn’t get it all. My salt read 800 ppm after the exchange. But, after balancing my FC has been between 5-6. There has been a very light yellow stain. It wasn’t really even that noticeable, unless you were looking for it. But, this happened in a week. And, the main difference was pool temperature. Could it be some sort of Algae? The water still looks clear though.
 
Pennypat said:
FC 5
pH 7.3 ( I have been keeping it at about 7)
Ta. 60
Cya 80
Salt. 3100
That’s all I usually test

I had my fill water tested through our county extension office. I had to pay for it! And, it showed no iron. I’ve had the pool for 8 years and haven’t had any problems with it. I’m blaming it on the Clorox salt. I feel like the exchange didn’t get it all. My salt read 800 ppm after the exchange. But, after balancing my FC has been between 5-6. There has been a very light yellow stain. It wasn’t really even that noticeable, unless you were looking for it. But, this happened in a week. And, the main difference was pool temperature. Could it be some sort of Algae? The water still looks clear though.
Click to expand...
My problem with iron started last year.
 
Pennypat said:
So, another update. The stains are back. I have kept my chemicals balanced. And, the only change has been the water temp increased about 10 degrees from 60 to 70. I am wondering if there’s an algae that the iron is attacking itself to. I did use polyquat60 when I did my initial AA treatment. And, the water temp at that time was 50 at its highest. But, the steps do feel a little slippery. My FC has been between 5 to 5.5. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. I have tried brushing and the stains don’t budge. I tried using a Mr. Clean sponge on the steps and it came right up. And, of course it responds to the vitamin C. Any suggestions? Ideas? Should I just buy a shovel and some dirt? I’m attaching more pics. The 1st swipe on the left of the steps is the Mr. Clean sponge.

View attachment 562050View attachment 562051View attachment 562052View attachment 562053
Click to expand...
The iron is coming from the salt. Opened a perfectly stain free pool this year after struggling with iron stains for three years. The difference? Used Aquasalt last year with a complete water exchange. Just sayin’
 
Go back down to 7.2 with the ph - & add some sequestrant to see if the stains lift.
It’s really not avoidable if you want to be mostly stain free without another exchange.
Just because you need to add it now doesn’t mean you’ll need it forever if its just that leftover bit of iron.
Maybe a few maintenance doses down the road until more & more water is exchanged. I know you want it to be over but dealing with metals can be more like a marathon for some.
Btw- I believe my mortons professional salt was dirty/ had impurities. It’s going on the no no list for me.
What your liner looks like now is about how mine looks— I wrote my name on the floor with vitamin c 😆
I couldn’t believe how dingy it actually was compared to where I put the vit c.
I picked proteam metal magic for after the aa treatment but was also considering the jack’s sequesterants - the metal magic just happened to be on sale at Amazin in a 2 pack. We’ll see in a bit how my choice fares. Many here have had sufficient results with both choices. I’m contemplating doing the white bucket test for any future salt I intend to add to the pool to see if I get precipitation first. It seems the practices/quality of products keeps changing- what once was fine to use is no more. Its a day by day investigation for pool stuff I swear.
You could also take a new pool sample to test for iron.
 

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