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PRenee

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Apr 23, 2010
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I have been trying to figure this out for a while and I can't find out where to look on here to get answers. Here is my problem:

We have a cheap Intex 16 x48 pool we purchased just for young daughter to swim in. We usually get the blow up ones and clean it out every other day but my arms got tired last summer. My bright idea was to get a bigger pool that had a pump and voila no issues........I was wrong.

We filled the water and it was crystal clear. The next day it was still crystal clear so I put the tablet in the floater and I guess the sun turned it yellow throughout the day. I called a friend who has a pool and she said to shock it (which I did). 10 minutes later my pool was a reddish brown color. I tested it and the Hardness was 100, FC was 2/4, Ph was 7.5, Alkalinity was 240 and Acid was 0. I called my friend back and went over and got Metal Out from her. Put it in the pool and it turned a pale yellow-red. In the meantime I have been cleaning and changing the rust colored filters (6 today). It's still yellowish red. I dont know what other products to use because we've never had a pool before. I dont want to call my friend again for the fear something else might happen ;-) Any suggestions? This was suppose to be just an easier way for my daughter to swim in the hot Louisiana heat and it's been more of a pain than anything. Thanks in advance
 
Hi and welcome to TFP!

Based on what your are saying, it does sound like you might some metals in your pool water. Are you filling the pool from a well by chance? Oftentimes, well water has high levels of things like iron in there. The very fact that your friend had some Metal Out to give you also indicates that metals are a problem in your area.

One thing that you can do is take a sample of the water to a pool store and have them run a test for metals. That will tell us exactly what is in there and then we will know where to go from there.

I'm not sure what kind of test kit that you have, but you didn't include a CC reading. It would probably be a good idea to get a FAS-DPD chlorine kit to supplement what you have to test your water with. It is a very accurate way to test for FC and CC (which will give you a TC reading). Check the TF Test Kits link in my signature line. You can supplement what you have already or get an excellent full service kit from them.

As a side note, your CYA is 0. You need some CYA in your pool in order to keep the chlorine from being lost to sunlight. Your entire FC can be wiped out in as little as 30 minutes from the sunlight if there is no CYA in the water.
 
Ok I will take a test sample to a pool store and get am exact reading and see what the metal levels are. Yes it's well water. I need a better test kit because I'm using strips my friend gave me. She said it started her off but she ended up getting a better testing kit. I will post my results when I get them.

I ran the pump all last night and all day today. Should I turn it off until I go test my water at the pool store. It seems like a cheap pump so I don't want to burn it up.
 
You can shut your pump off.

Yes, a good test kit will save you a lot of trouble down the road. Many people who buy Intex pools don't look at them as "real" pools. Making that assumption is a mistake. They may not cost tens of thousands of dollars, but they are real pools in every sense. They can be wonderful and economical and provide lots of fun for a long time if they are cared for correctly. With proper testing and water balance, your pool will be as great as they come! :-D

Before you take a sample, turn the pump on and let it run for 30 minutes or so. Then, grab your sample and go. I would ask them to run the whole panel of regular pool water tests and include metals. Don't buy any chemicals from them. Just come back here and let us see the results and we will go from there. :goodjob:
 
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