Copper Ionizer..........Mine screwed up

[nomadman]

I installed a copper ionizer in June 2011 and man did it screw up.
First of all, I did not have enough TDS in the water for the copper to attach to so the gent I purchased it from informed me I need to add salt. At his direction I added (3) bags or 120 lbs of salt. That did allow the copper to began attaching itself and I had no issues with alge at all. On Monday August 8th, a neighbor wanted to see what I had been bragging about so I removed the ionizer from the 2" PVC T connection MAN WAS I SHOCKED at what I discovered. One of the (2) copper electrodes was completly gone and the other one was about 2/3 gone. I then began looking at my once pretty freshly plastered pool and noticed blue splatter stains by the 1st water jet. In various places around the pool and the steps I have a blueish green stain.

My question is, "What is the best thing I can do to get the copper out of the water and remove the existing stains?'. The pool is about 16,500 gal. I had the pool store test the water and my TDS is at 2300ppm which is way to high (thanks to the salt) they say and can only be lowered if I drain alot of water . The copper level is at .2 ppm. free chlorine, total chlorine and combined chlorine is 0. The water is crystal clear and has always been that way with my DE filter. I still have no alge ( I assume because the copper is still present) but that is the least of my worries at this time. I've heard a couple of guys at work that have used "Pool Stain Treat" that is made by United Chemical and the guys at the pool place are suggesting Jacks Magic Magenta or Blue Stuff.
WHAT YA THINK?

 

[frogabog]

Ah man! Wow... I'm sorry to hear this.

I'd uninstall that copper ionizer with a quickness. The guy who sold it to you should be shot with some airsoft bb's.

Someone will come along with some advice.

Till then, can I ask what you're chlorinating with? While the pool "may" be algae free, you have no chlorine. It's not disinfected and unsafe for swimming. Algae also isn't always green at first, so without some good test results for FC, TC, and CC it's unknown if you have algae or not. Till you get some chlorine into the pool, there's no way to test for CC. Also, I'm pretty sure that the process for removing copper involves lowering chlorine to 0. You've got a small dilemma there, if you're going to do the copper removal today leave chlorine alone, but if it's going to be a few days you'll want to add chlorine manually (bleach).

Do you have a test kit? Can you post a full set of results if so? Do you know your CYA level?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Throw that thing it the trash and keep a sanitized pool. You won't be sorry.

As for the copper stains, the pool store is correct. Jacks makes the best sequestrants. The issue with copper stains is that once they're deposited, they can be impossible to remove. You'll also have to continually add sequestrant until you get rid of enough metals to stop the staining.

There's only two reliable ways to get rid of metals. Reverse Osmosis or water drain and replacement. I hate to tell you that but that's it. If you're in and area that has access to R/O you can check and see what it costs, otherwise it's a drain/refill.

 

[Richard320]

Can I bookmark this thread of yours to post the next time some shill starts a thread like this one?

 

[chem geek]

Since your copper levels are high your pool might be a good candidate for using CuLator though it might be cheaper to replace the water. You would use a metal sequestrant in any case to prevent any more staining at this point and to help lift existing stains off the plaster (though that can be difficult, as was noted).

 

[teapot]

Drain it, acid wash it and never use copper again in a plastered pool.
Like to know the manufacturer of the ioniser (for ref) as it is very obvious the control box doesn't! any chance of a claim against the manufacturer? Unfit for purpose, no warning etc.