Hello. I have opened my pool this year and cant seem to keep it from rusting. As previously stated I have used Sequa-Sol and I also have a 4ppm CuLator bag in my pump basket and 2 1ppm CuLator bags in my skimmer. My water was blue yet cloudy so I decided to shock it. I shocked it only 24hrs after I used Sequa-Sol. 4 hrs later rusty brown gross water. I took a water sample to pool store to have tested. All of my reading are fine and there is no trace of iron or copper in the water, which is the only metals they test for. I am currently at a loss for words and feel defeated. My local pool store is baffled and has no solutions for me. Any help would be deeply appreciated.
Water keeps rusting after shock. Ive used sequestrant and have 4ppm CuLator in pump.
- Thread starter B-Rye
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,754
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Hello and welcome to TFP! 
Regardless of the pool store testing, I suspect you have metals in the water. For the water to change to a rust/ice tea color after increasing FC indicates to me you have metals, so you may want to review the TFP Pool School - Metals in the Water and Metal Stains page. If the water sample you took was from the pool itself, then the chlorine already skewed the results as the metals had precipitated out of the water already. You might want to try a sample from the water source itself before adding chlorine.
As for the CuLator products, you may want to read THIS THREAD.
In the end, we know the most ideal option is water replacement so you don't have to deal with constant sequestrant replacement. When that's not possible, it's a balancing act of FC, pre-filtering, and sequestrant. Others will reply with more details, but I would start with the TFP link above if you have not seen it before. Nice to have you with us!
Regardless of the pool store testing, I suspect you have metals in the water. For the water to change to a rust/ice tea color after increasing FC indicates to me you have metals, so you may want to review the TFP Pool School - Metals in the Water and Metal Stains page. If the water sample you took was from the pool itself, then the chlorine already skewed the results as the metals had precipitated out of the water already. You might want to try a sample from the water source itself before adding chlorine.As for the CuLator products, you may want to read THIS THREAD.
In the end, we know the most ideal option is water replacement so you don't have to deal with constant sequestrant replacement. When that's not possible, it's a balancing act of FC, pre-filtering, and sequestrant. Others will reply with more details, but I would start with the TFP link above if you have not seen it before. Nice to have you with us!
I have read the Pool School Metals page 50 times over. I have no heater. I get municipal water trucked in. I have used ungodly amounts of sequestrant. I run my filter 24/7. My water is so rusty you cannot see the bottom. This has happened before but my filter cleared it in about 3 days. It's now 3 days since I shocked and my water is still the same and my pressure is not building on my filter for a backwash. Should I have waited a couple of days to shock after using sequestrant? I only waited roughly 24 hrs.
I didn't see you mention if you were using TFP methods of water maintenance or if you have a proper test kit from TFTestkits.net
The reason I ask is because without knowing your other parameters, I not sure why you'd "shock" if you suspect you have metals...unless you failed an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test test.
Eg. The cloudiness could have been from adding sequestrant, for example, not from algae. The way to tell is the OCLT test. Bu of course, hindsight is 20/20....I'm only sharing this to help you understand a better way forward next time
Your situation certainly sounds like iron oxidization. In which case, No, you shouldn't have shocked right after adding sequestrant as it will just oxidize/waste the sequestrant. When you're finished slamming, you'll need to replenish the sequestrant, preferably with a HEDP type like Jacks Magic or Metal Magic.
In general, by using TFT testing and daily water treatment methods, the goal with known metals is to always avoid ever needing to shock/slam, and also to be in the habit of regularly controlling ph to the lower side, eg 7.2 ish for best results.
That said, one thing that might help you filter it out right now is a The Slime Bag | The Easiest Way To Maintain Crystal Clear Pool Water. -- with the attachment to put on a return. If you try that, hope it helps.
Sorry I can't be more use in helping you ID where the metal is from..,fertilizer? Rusting parts? Its hard to track down. Do try. But in thr mean time tht filter bag might help, plus more sequestrant.
The reason I ask is because without knowing your other parameters, I not sure why you'd "shock" if you suspect you have metals...unless you failed an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test test.
Eg. The cloudiness could have been from adding sequestrant, for example, not from algae. The way to tell is the OCLT test. Bu of course, hindsight is 20/20....I'm only sharing this to help you understand a better way forward next time
Your situation certainly sounds like iron oxidization. In which case, No, you shouldn't have shocked right after adding sequestrant as it will just oxidize/waste the sequestrant. When you're finished slamming, you'll need to replenish the sequestrant, preferably with a HEDP type like Jacks Magic or Metal Magic.
In general, by using TFT testing and daily water treatment methods, the goal with known metals is to always avoid ever needing to shock/slam, and also to be in the habit of regularly controlling ph to the lower side, eg 7.2 ish for best results.
That said, one thing that might help you filter it out right now is a The Slime Bag | The Easiest Way To Maintain Crystal Clear Pool Water. -- with the attachment to put on a return. If you try that, hope it helps.
Sorry I can't be more use in helping you ID where the metal is from..,fertilizer? Rusting parts? Its hard to track down. Do try. But in thr mean time tht filter bag might help, plus more sequestrant.
Just got back from Pool store and here are my results
CYA 22
Tot CHlor 0.4
FreeCHlor .1
Ph 7.6
Tot Alk 123
Adj Total ALk 116
Hardness 156
Copper 0
Iron 0.1
Manganese None
My chlorine levels are 2.5 days after shocking with 2 bags of burnout 73.
I do live in farmland and surrounded by cornfield and bean fields. I saw clouds of dust flying through my back yard so bad the other day that I thought something was on fire. I assumed it was fertilizers from the fields but didn't think that would affect my water chemistry. Now I think I understand where it's coming from.
CYA 22
Tot CHlor 0.4
FreeCHlor .1
Ph 7.6
Tot Alk 123
Adj Total ALk 116
Hardness 156
Copper 0
Iron 0.1
Manganese None
My chlorine levels are 2.5 days after shocking with 2 bags of burnout 73.
I do live in farmland and surrounded by cornfield and bean fields. I saw clouds of dust flying through my back yard so bad the other day that I thought something was on fire. I assumed it was fertilizers from the fields but didn't think that would affect my water chemistry. Now I think I understand where it's coming from.
Fertilizer containing iron may have been used to treat the nearby farmland. It can enter your pool as dust or possibly water run-off in heavy rains.
B-Rye, this is kinda unrelated but a few decades ago I was in the news business and covered a lot of municipal/planing meetings in the early days. One of the biggest problems was residential development in agricultural zoned areas for just this kind of reason. The farmers are zoned to dust and have to be able to do so to remain viable, but drift is a major issue
In your case, since I suspect there's little you can do about the source, you may wish to consider that slimebag for extra in-pool filtration. Iron levels will reduce running through a 1 micron filter.
That might help keep your ppms low enough to reduce your sequestrant diet
You mentioned that you're using a lot of sequestrant. Are you sing an HEDP type such as Metal Magic or Jacks Magic?
In the past, I found that Metal Magic seemed to last a bit longer before wear-down, eg monthly top ups once you were at the right level.
I switched o swg so now I use Jacks Purple because it has an extra agent for cell cleaning, but I far preferred the less-frequent top up schedule of MM.
In your case, since I suspect there's little you can do about the source, you may wish to consider that slimebag for extra in-pool filtration. Iron levels will reduce running through a 1 micron filter.
That might help keep your ppms low enough to reduce your sequestrant diet
You mentioned that you're using a lot of sequestrant. Are you sing an HEDP type such as Metal Magic or Jacks Magic?
In the past, I found that Metal Magic seemed to last a bit longer before wear-down, eg monthly top ups once you were at the right level.
I switched o swg so now I use Jacks Purple because it has an extra agent for cell cleaning, but I far preferred the less-frequent top up schedule of MM.