I've really had it with this copper problem! Now what?

[Guest]

Earlier this spring, I tested my copper and excitedly believed the problem was solved.
I either made a mistake in my testing procedure, or the copper has just reappeared in my water.
It measures around .8, which is near the very top of my test kit's upper limit.

The yellow staining around the pool has gotten worse, and the sequestrant's don't seem to do any good.
Can a sequestrant actually make the copper show lower on a test?

The only thing that works is the ascorbic acid treatment, which is temporary and creates all sorts of other headaches, as I have to monitor low chlorine and PH levels while it circulates. Wouldn't hesitate to do this if I knew it would be a permanent fix. I'm sick of this vicious cycle.
My tap water supply tests fine at less than .1ppm..It's gotta be coming from my heater pipes, since the heat exchanger was replaced last year.


My calcium is still a little low at 200PPM..and my total alkalinity is a tad low at around 78.

Put yourself in my shoes (...er pool)..What would you do? I'm about to cement the entire Dang pool.

 

[duraleigh]

If you suspect copper is coming from your heater pipes (or exchanger), your pH is too low. Copper only erodes from the pipes in a low pH condition.....less than 7.0.....probably way less but 7.0 is considered safe.

How much hassle to replace copper pipes with pvc?

 

[Guest]

Have you been putting in the maintenance dose of metal sequsterant on a weekly basis? If not the stains WILL reappear. Sequesterants do NOT remove the metals from the water, they just deactivate them for a period of time. If you don't keep adding the maintenance dose they will come back.

pool-school/metal%20stains
ascorbic-treatment-to-rid-pool-of-metal-stains-t2298.html

Leave your TA where it is and bring your calcium up about 100 -150 ppm. I think you will find it helps with the staining.

In fiberglass pools ascorbic acid is not usually effective against copper, which caused grey to black stains on fiberglass. Yellow to brown stains that are easily removed by ascorbic acid are caused by iron, not copper!

The link you cited above contains a lot of misinformation! By not mentioning using a sequesterant they insure that you will continue to have the stains return and will continue to sell you test kits!

 

[Guest]

I have been using a sequestrant ever since the stains appeared last summer. I would guess I've spent around $140 on sequesterants. I did try your suggestion and made sure from now on to buy those with the phosponate derivatives.

These stains first appeared as bluish and purple after our old heat exchanger was replaced last spring. I removed them all with scrubbing and ascorbic acid. They reappeared as brownish and yellow and they are easily removed with the vitamin C, except for the very deep end of the pool where it doesn't seem to reach.

So you may be right, it's iron, not copper that is actually causing the problem. I will get the calcium hardness up. The lady at my pool store seems quite clueless about stains. She undersold me on calcium and tried telling me to get my alkalinity up over 100!.. I spent a good deal last summer getting my TA under 100. It was always high.

I will let the pool testing kits website know about the poor and incomplete info on the copper stain removal.

Have you been putting in the maintenance dose of metal sequsterant on a weekly basis? If not the stains WILL reappear. Sequesterants do NOT remove the metals from the water, they just deactivate them for a period of time. If you don't keep adding the maintenance dose they will come back.

pool-school/metal%20stains
ascorbic-treatment-to-rid-pool-of-metal-stains-t2298.html

Leave your TA where it is and bring your calcium up about 100 -150 ppm. I think you will find it helps with the staining.

In fiberglass pools ascorbic acid is not usually effective against copper, which caused grey to black stains on fiberglass. Yellow to brown stains that are easily removed by ascorbic acid are caused by iron, not copper!

The link you cited above contains a lot of misinformation! By not mentioning using a sequesterant they insure that you will continue to have the stains return and will continue to sell you test kits!