Well water.

[tgreen]

We are just getting ready for our pool install. In the past I have noticed what appeared to be rust in the well water supplying our house water fixtures. Rust type stain in sinks and toilets. After searching the internet, I have found that this is actually a bacteria that feeds on the iron in the water. The bacteria is not harmful to humans and is present in a lot of wells in the south.

I am wondering if I need to do something extra when we fill the pool from the well or just let the FC that is in the pool take care of the bacteria.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[jblizzle]

I think the chlorine will take care of the bacteria, but you will need to use a sequestrant to prevent the iron in the water from staining the pool:
pool-school/metal%20stains

 

[Isaac-1]

If you really do have rust stain problems there are multiple sources, you could have iron in your water that later oxidizes to form rust, or you might just have an old steel water tank that has rust on the inside.

Ike

 

[jtech1]

Definitely test your well water so you know what is in it. State certified labs will give you a full basic chemistry report so you know what you are dealing with and how much of it. If you don't have a filter, then you have iron in the water also (otherwise the iron bacteria would have no food source). You can get an iron test at most pool stores quickly also. With a vinyl liner I don't think it is as much of a problem as with plaster, but I do not have vinyl liner experience... and my plaster experience is just starting!

 

[Charlie_R]

You can do a quick test in a 5 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket with your well water and add an ounce or two of plain bleach to it. If it turns colors, you may want to find a way to pretreat your water before filling your pool.

 

[jtech1]

Charlie, that is a good idea... I was actually thinking about that a few days ago before filling my pool. I chlorinate my well every 6 mo or so... and always mix bleach with water before I pour into the well (very high concentration... 1 gal bleach to 3 gal water). And I have never seen discoloration... so, it confirmed my Taylor tests that the iron was very low to non-detect.

 

[crokett]

I have iron in my well water. I looked into treatment systems, but they start at around 700.00 just for the system. Plumbing parts, etc will all be extra, plus installation if you don't do it yourself. I was looking at close to 1000.00 and that was if I installed it myself. I also needed a drain to backflush to, which I don't have where I would put the sytem. I use a sequestrant - I recommend the Jack's Magic line. I have tried several brands. Jack's works the best, plus last spring when I called to ask questions, customer service sent me to the tech guy. He said his name was Jack. It took a few minutes for me to make the connection. He and I talked for almost an hour.

 

[vanibrown]

We have an irrigation well too - and we wanted to fill our pool with our "free" water - - - I have read on other threads on here..not to. But, we will have a gunite/plaster pool, and think it may make it hard to get rid of the iron.

 

[Isaac-1]

Not all wells have high metal contents, but many do, the only question that should be relevant is, Does YOUR well have high metal levels in the water.

Ike

 

[tgreen]

Thanks for all the information. I will get my well water tested.

 

[crokett]

Do what was already suggested, get some tap water and add some chlorine. If the water changes color, you have metal in the water. Generally brown/yellowish is iron and green is copper. How much metal in PPM doesn't matter much according to Jack. The dosage rates on his chemicals assume 1 PPM, but that is in a lab. There are too many factors in the real world that affect the efficacy of the sequestrant and you will have to experiment to find the dosage rate that is good for you. It also will change year to year as you add water to the pool.

 

[oohnoo]

I had filled our pool with ground water and once they added Chlorine it turned brown, looked horrible. They then added about 6 bottles of a sequestrate to it which eventually got it all filtered out. Other option you have which many people so is to have water trucked in.

Mod edit for language. Keep it clean , jblizzle