5 month old pool rusting! Help!

[Mdragger88]

Hi! Long time lurker- 1st time poster.
Tfp has helped me so much over the years.
This pool was installed @ the end of April. Rust started about 2 months after install - just the bottom bolts on the service panel then the little “splash spots” on the ss panel itself. The install was a bear & i had to wait 5 days with a 1/2 full pool to get my top jet hooked up (they didn’t realize there wasn’t one in the box) so I couldn’t even circulate water ?‍. The liner has tons of wrinkles. I am just thankful its dead on level! Anywho, its buried quite a bit on one side so draining isn’t a great option. Is there something i can put on the bolts to neutralize this rust? & then maybe coat them with an inhibitor?
Also its bolted together on the opposite side as well but those look fine.
Its 33ft round, running 2 intex swg,
Fc- 7
Cc-0
ph 7.6
Alk 65
Cya 70
Borates 50
Ch 50
Salt 2700-2800
(intex swg likes it below 2900)

 

[Mdragger88]

Cya 70

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Is this pool intended to be buried? Some pools are specific for this purpose, others....not so much. My understanding is there are stainless steel bolts that are rush resistant (marine grade) while cheaper ones that claim to be stainless do.

Above Ground Pools and Rust, Don't Mix

Above ground pools and rust should never mix. Our real pool guy tells you how to best prevent and stop the spread of rust on a steel pool

www.inyopools.com

Rusted Skimmer screws

Our Salt water pool is only 4 months old. The screws that hold the skimmer on the side of the pool are already rusting and bleeding down the side. I just talked to our Pool installer this morning and they said it was the "metals" in the water that are causing the rust. They pretend there is...

www.troublefreepool.com

Aside from this rust glitch, I have to say your water looks amazing!

Maddie

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks Maddie! Yes it can be buried 36” also salt compatible resin uprights & top rails. Its also not buried on that side. I feel like its from splash out - which is inevitable in that area. Mainly because the other sides bolts look perfect- even under the dirt. I fear i might need to adjust my ch? Or run a higher alk??? My water has had the same balance ph & alk since I adjusted it after the 1st week or so (my fill water is about 110 alk) & locked it in with boric acid. Ph stays @ 7.6. I had to do a slam once but it didn’t last very long (about 4 days). I haven’t called Family Leisure because i’m sure their remedy would be drain & replace panel & bolts. I am hoping to let my soil compact a while before ever draining ?

 

[Mdragger88]

At first I thought the rust was just mud that had splashed up ... i am at a loss. I just want to stop it from getting worse

 

[mknauss]

pH will have the greatest effect on metal. TA and CH have no effect.

Keep pH in the 7's.

 

[Mdragger88]

pH will have the greatest effect on metal. TA and CH have no effect.

Keep pH in the 7's.

It has never gotten below 7.0 even when adjusting TA . I have a fountain for aeration so it never took it very long to come back up. Usually overnight or less. But once i got the ta under 70 my ph hasn’t risen much . I think i’ve had to add muriatic acid once in the last couple months. It stays pretty stable. Is there something I can apply to the bolts that will neutralize the rust? Since I first realized it wasn’t dirt I have been periodically rinsing & brushing them off with fresh water. Especially after alot of pool activity. We haven’t had much rain here lately.

 

[Blacklisted]

You could use one of the many rust reformers that are out there. Your local hardware store should carry some sort of rust neutralizer/reformer.

 

[Mdragger88]

You could use one of the many rust reformers that are out there. Your local hardware store should carry some sort of rust neutralizer/reformer.

I was thinking about naval jelly - then maybe a rust oleum coating. also just wanted to be sure I hadn’t missed something i did wrong to cause this to occur. I really want this pool to last a while! Didn’t know if maybe it was a bad idea to apply something like that to the bolts because of integrity- but I guess rust is just as bad if not worse. It never sleeps... 26k gallons is a lot of water & my shop is down hill of it. Don’t wanna screw up!

 

[wireform]

I use stuff here and has never failed me.

 

[JoeSelf]

That looks like galvanized bolts, nuts & washers. Not S.S.

 

[ajw22]

Pool Wall Rust

 

[Sweetwater76]

I use stuff here and has never failed me.

Thanks for that info...I am going to try this on my automotive applications.

 

[cj133]

I do not see any pictures of the skimmer screws, but if they're rusting they are not stainless.

The bolts in the pool wall certainly aren't any grade of stainless but in my opinion the rust is harmless. At least as long as they do not rott. All of the hardware used on my pool that I put up this summer was just galvanized and I'm sure they will rust some. The galvanized coating is sacrificial so unlike paint it keeps protecting even if scratched etc.

But I certainly wouldn't want anything but stainless inside the pool.

 

[Mdragger88]

I use stuff here and has never failed me.

Thanks! I will wire brush it & try that.

 

[Mdragger88]

Pool Wall Rust

My husband is supposed to be getting me a sacrificial anode from work. So maybe that will help. Anything that might increase life expectancy i’m down with.

 

[Mdragger88]

I do not see any pictures of the skimmer screws, but if they're rusting they are not stainless.

The bolts in the pool wall certainly aren't any grade of stainless but in my opinion the rust is harmless. At least as long as they do not rott. All of the hardware used on my pool that I put up this summer was just galvanized and I'm sure they will rust some. The galvanized coating is sacrificial so unlike paint it keeps protecting even if scratched etc.

But I certainly wouldn't want anything but stainless inside the pool.

The skimmer bolts are looking fine & are definitely stainless. Its a hydrotools skimmer so not sure of the grade of the screws. If they start giving me problems i can change them out easy but those low on the wall are just not an option right now