Thought is was algae but now think it's rust

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Iwilk

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Jun 18, 2013
65
Louisville, KY
I know I had algae but caught it very early. It was green and vacuumed up easily. I have been shocking my pool for 2-3 weeks now. I have keep shocking it because stuff would appear on the bottom of the pool but it's a burnt orange color not green. It vacuums up very easily as well. My water is crystal clear. I have kept my pool at a shock level of at least 10. Last night it was at a 10 after sunset. I added 60 ounces of 10% to bring it up to a level of 15 because I didn't think I would have time to add it in the morning before work. Well I checked the level this morning before sunrise and it read 14.5 (29 drops). So I passed the OCLT! Now I'm thinking the burnt orange deposits may be rust sediment. What do you think? If it is rust sediment how do I clear it up?

I didn't do a full test this morning.

FC 14.5
CC.5
CYA 20 (I know I need to raise this a little more)
My TA is usually reads 90
pH Pool is over shock level so no test
 
At kigh chlorine levels, it could be iron precipitating from the water. Any reason to believe you have an iron issue with your water?
 
It sure sounds like iron precipitation as JohnT suggests. In fact, I can't think of what else it might be.

I would have the water tested for iron, although those tests seem to be sometimes inconclusive.

Alternatively, you could add a sequestrant to your pool at the dosage indicated on the bottle and it will stop (for a while) if it is iron. You will need subsequent dosages of sequestrant to keep it from reappearing.
 
Iwilk said:
How do I test for Iron? What about putting a sock on the return? How do you even put a sock on a return? Will vacuuming my pool a lot and using a sock on return eventually work?
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You can purchase an iron test (about $25, I think) or most pool stores can perform that test. The sock probably won't work or help much.

Assuming you have iron in your water, it is in solution. (invisible and virtually impossible to filter out)

When it precipitates, (usually because of the presence of high FC), it bcomes visible and then can be vacuumed up into your filter and gone from your pool water....EXCEPT, you can never tell for sure if it will precip out into particles that can be vacuumed or filtered or will, instead, cling to your pool surfaces and become iron stains.....very troublesome.

Secondly, you are constantly replacing the precipitated iron with your refill water so you will have a never ending iron source in your pool.

By far, the best fix is to remove the source....your fill water can be hooked up to a water softener and will evenutally replace all the iron-laden water currently in your pool and your issues are over.

If that's not possible, you are faced with managing the iron to prevent it from precipitating. Sequestrants, lower pH, and the judicious application of chlorine are all techniques that can keep it at bay but you will always have the issue as long as your refill water contains iron.
 
I'm almost positive my iron problem is not due to my fill water. I have had a pool the last 5 years, this summer we put up a new pool. I have never had this problem. It only started after I had been shocking the heck out of my pool for a couple weeks.

So I guess with a lot of vacuuming it will eventually be gone. Will shutting my pump off help speed up the process of it settling on the floor so I can vacuum it up? I think I read that in a reply when I did a search on TFP.
 
I have the same rust colored stuff in my pool about this time every year. I finally figured out it's something that comes from my neighbor's trees. Look closely and see if there is any of it on the deck around your pool. We have glass top patio tables, that's how I could tell it was everywhere, not just in the water.
 
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