New(er) pool owner, very stubborn brownish stains

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emf411

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Jul 7, 2017
50
Atlanta, GA
Hi everyone,

I'm a relatively new above ground pool owner (almost 5 years) and just this season I've had some nasty brownish stains appear on the floor of the vinyl liner. I attached a few pictures, not sure if they will help. I tried Jack's Stain ID today and none of the tests seem to react at all. Prior to that, I tried ascorbic acid which didn't seem to have an effect either.

I've been reading different threads in this forum and I'm not sure what my next step(s) should be to get rid of these ugly stains.

I don't have a decent water test kit so I'm hoping someone can recommend one, I currently use the strips.

Thank you all in advance for any suggestions you can provide!!

--Eric
 

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Thank you very much! I may go pickup a trichlor tablet this weekend to see if there is a reaction.

I'm going to order the TF-100 kit. Do you suggest that I also get the Speedstir magnetic stirrer, or is it not really necessary?
 
Update on my stains...

I tried the trichlor tab and it did react within just a few minutes so it's definitely organic.

I just ordered the TK-100 kit, looking forward to getting it!

Last night I added 6 pounds of shock and it has lightened the stains, but they're still not gone. My test strips are still saying that my FC level is 0. Do you recommend that I try adding some bleach to raise the FC? How much would be appropriate to add?

Thank you!!
 
emf411 said:
Thank you very much! I may go pickup a trichlor tablet this weekend to see if there is a reaction.

I'm going to order the TF-100 kit. Do you suggest that I also get the Speedstir magnetic stirrer, or is it not really necessary?
Click to expand...

The speedstir is a really nice to have in my opinion, makes testing much easier. Worth every penny.
 
emf411 said:
Update on my stains...

I tried the trichlor tab and it did react within just a few minutes so it's definitely organic.

I just ordered the TK-100 kit, looking forward to getting it!

Last night I added 6 pounds of shock and it has lightened the stains, but they're still not gone. My test strips are still saying that my FC level is 0. Do you recommend that I try adding some bleach to raise the FC? How much would be appropriate to add?

Thank you!!
Click to expand...
Be careful. If the FC level is really high it can bleach out the test strip and make it read lower than actual.

Add a quart and a half of plain 8.25% bleach and it should get you close to 3 FC. Mix it up good by brushing and then recheck it after twenty minutes. See if the test strip reads somewhere above 2 FC.
 
I added 64 oz of 8.25% bleach slowly into the skimmer while the pump was running, brushed a bit, and checked after 30 minutes.. the FC didn't seem to budge at all. My TF-100 kit is on its way, I should have it Thursday so hopefully I can get an accurate reading of my FC.
 
It could be too high as Richard320 said and bleaching out the test strip. Is it still reading 0? The good news is tomorrow you will know exactly what it is at.

The best place to add bleach/liquid chlorine is in front of a return jet. Pouring it directly into the skimmer can shorten the life of your equipment. By slowly pouring in front of a return it is mixed with the water better.
 
Yes, as of this morning my test strip is still reading 0. My kit will be arriving today so I'll be able to get a better picture of my levels hopefully this evening.

I had my water tested at Leslie's earlier this week, this is what they were at the time:

FC 0.0
pH 7.4
TA 80
CH 170
CYA 60

Thanks for the tip on adding the bleach by the return! I thought I remembered reading somewhere to add it to the skimmer but I must be confusing that with something else.
 

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I received my TF-100 kit today, yay!!

I only did a chlorine, pH, and FC test for tonight.

Chlorine showed up in the lowest color..

pH is 7.2

FC did not do anything when I added the powder. I added 4 x 121 oz jugs of 8.25% bleach by the return jet, brushed a little, and after 30 minutes tested a new water sample.. the FC finally turned pink with the powder! It
only took 2 drops to turn the water clear so I think I need to add more bleach to get my FC higher..
 
I added another 4 x 121 oz jugs of 8.25% bleach today with my pump running and tested the water about an hour later, and this time my FC tested at 0.5, it turned from light pink to clear with just 1 drop. I can't figure out why I'm having trouble getting my FC to raise.

The only piece to the puzzle that I can think of is that over the July 4th weekend I treated the water with ascorbic acid, based on my pool store recommendation, to try to remove my stains. I wish I had come to this site before doing that! Could it be possible that there is some ascorbic acid in the water that is eating up my chlorine?
 

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