Pool stains

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Torsie

Torsie

0
LifeTime Supporter
Apr 8, 2008
34
NW Arkansas
Our pool is at least 15 years old and has stains on the bottom and some on the sides. I had a pool guy come to get an estimate on resurfacing the pool and was shocked when he said he thought it was in good condition and didn't need resurfacing. He suggested using something called Super Spot Kill to help remove the stains. I'm wondering if anyone has used this product and if it helped?
Thanks,
Torsie
 
Here are a couple of pictures. But I have to say first when you mention using a "puck or a tablet" I am talking about many feet of staining not just a few little stains. The first picture is of the bottom of the pool up against the egde and the second is the black spot at the end of the pool under the diving board. Actually the last picture....at the bottom right of it shows pretty much what the stain around most of the pool looks like.
Thanks

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Yikes.

Depending on the results of the above suggestion, if it's metal and the stain fades from the Vitamin C, you can try the Absorbic Acid treatment detailed in Pool School.

If the stains are organic, and the puck fades them, then proper FC levels should cause the stains to fade on their own over time.
 
The stains were here when we bought the house in 2004.
They haven't gotten worse they are just unsightly. The pool guy
also said we could do an acid wash to remove the stains but that would
mean draining the pool.
I always keep my FC in balance so that isn't the problem.
My pool is always crystal clear and I use the TFP test kit.
 
Then it sounds like the stains are likely not organic, maintaining proper FC levels almost always mean organics stains vanish. :goodjob: It's entirely possible then, that they are metal in nature. The AA treatment described in Pool School removes the stains and puts the metals back in solution, which requires maintenance doses of sequesterant to prevent them from re-depositing on the pool surface.

Try the vitamin c tablet, see what it does. Sometimes acid washing is a necessary "evil" - if it does turn out to be metal staining, test the fill water for metals. Because if you drained, acid washed and refilled with water containing metals, history could repeat itself. Most pool stores can test tap water for Iron and Copper levels.

Keep us posted. :wink:
 

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Re: Pool stains (UPDATE) and problem

Ok, so as I posted elsewhere I opened the pool to clear water and everything was going
fine.....until.....still unsatisfied with the pool stains I went to the pool store with a water
sample. No metals. Vit C tablet didn't phase the stains. So.... :oops: I let them talk
me into putting in "Intensive Stain Prevention and Removal" which I was told "wouldn't
hurt anything even if it didn't help" Maybe true, but it turned my water cloudy. Couldn't
see the bottom or below the top gunite step it was so cloudy. It is clearing up (4+ days
later) but very very slowly. I'm thinking that the stains weren't so bad after all, but too
little too late. I have added 5 large bottles of bleach and some Muriatic Acid to bring
down high PH. No CC
Am I just not giving it enough time?
 
I added the acid yesterday because PH was at least 7.8
I've been reading the forums and am thinking that I just haven't shocked high enough
and that I need to keep it high for a few days. Does that sound right?

What does it mean when I've read "sand channeling"?
There is no dirty water coming out when I backwash just cloudy.
 
Give the "Intensive Stain Prevention and Removal" several days to work before you worry about the water clearing up. I don't know exactly what is in that particular product, but several products in that family cause cloudy water for a couple of days. There isn't any quick way to clear things up, you have to give it time.

As a general rule, it isn't a good idea to add things unless you know you really need them and you know what they are and what they do. Many products are just as likely to cause problems as they are to solve problems.
 
Thanks Jason and yes I agree about adding things. $20 for the bottle seemed cheaper than
draining the pool and having it acid washed for starters. Won't be able to tell if it helped or
not until I can see the bottom. :?
I have up'd the chlorine to 25 and will let it run a few more days to see if it clears up. It's been almost a week now :(
 
Have you been watching the filter pressure and backwashing it as needed? Has it needed backwashing? At this point, if you haven't backwashed the filter in the last weekI would backwash it now just in case.
 
Yes I have been backwashing every few days or when the pressure goes up about 5.
The water is just cloudy that comes out from backwashing.

Butterfly I just saw you asked about the ingredients. It's made by Poolife and no where
on the bottle can I find any ingredients. That should have told me something! Just when
I begin to think I'm "pool smart" I find out I'm not!
:hammer:
 

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