Pool stains

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Gsharkattack8

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Sep 19, 2013
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Mod Edit: I have moved this post to a new thread so that it can get its own attention. Thanks, moderator linen

Hello! This is my first time on the site.

I have a staining problem also but my problem covers 50% of the bottom of the pool. It's an 16' Intex 5000 gallon ultra frame that I have had for 4 years. I know my pool and it has always been in sync. This year I changed to Sand filter and SWG. LOVE IT! I have always had some mustard algae and have been using Wal Mart Aqua Chem Algae Eliminator Max. The algae is much less with the more powerful sand filter. I decided to go to Leslie's to see what they recommended for the algae. They gave me Copper Algaecide that they say is more powerful than Wal Mart brand. They recommended 2 oz and I put just that. The next morning I woke up to A BLACK BOTTOM POOL!!

When I called them they had absolutely no clue what I was talking about. So I searched the internet for days and finally found a post about copper staining. I will say that I have a metal ladder that the salt water rusted and I didn't take it out soon enough. So it deposited some rust in the water that gathered on the bottom. I was able to vacuum it out but I think it added to my black bottom issue.

I went to Leslie's to get chlorine neutralizer, stain remover and Metal Out. I have completed step 1, chlorine neutralizing, and then put 1 dose of stain remover in. NOTHING happened so I put a second dose in. It is now staring to lighten up. I tried brushing the stains and it removed a minute amount, really just lightened it a little. The parts of the bottom lightly affected are really brightening up.

Here are my questions: How long will this take? Should I put yet another dose in? How much is too much and will damage the liner? Do I wait for the stains to completely disappear before adding the Metal Out product?
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated as Leslie's is NO HELP.

Thanks
 
In no way am I an expert. After 4 years and reading many post I am doing my best to try and contribute more. I would imagine that the first thing they would say is "have you read pool school, and if so you should read it several times more." Also get a good test kit (T-100 Kit) and get some good accurate results. Abandon the chemicals from the pool store and begin using the pool school recommendations. They cannot help you if they do not have the proper readings.
 
Welcome aboard! Sounds like you've just about been Pool-Stored to death! :) raidencmc has you pointed in the right direction to begin attacking your problem. I'm no expert either, but I'll chime in with a few thoughts while we're waiting for some to show up. :mrgreen:

First, don't use any more copper containing algaecide. Unfortunately, based on the info I've found online, the Aqua Chem algaecide you've been using is also copper based, so its no wonder you've got problems. The only algaecide recommended here contains Polyquat 60. Secondly, algaecide is not what you need to get rid of algae. You need chlorine to kill it once you have it. Algaecide is to prevent algae from getting started if your FC drops below the minimum level required for your Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer) level. The situation you're in now due to lowering your FC level to deal with the metal staining. So, you need some algaecide at this point, but, get some that contains Polyquat 60.

Now, how should you proceed at this point? Since your pool is so small most here will probably recommend you drain it and refill. However, you're still going to have to address the metals either before a drain or after. If it was me, I'd try to get the stains all lifted and the metals sequestered (put in suspension in the water) and then drain, thereby eliminating them from the pool. IF the product you got at Leslie's is labeled exactly as "Stain Remover" then its Ascorbic Acid, which is the recommended treatment for lifting metal stains, although I think its a bit hit and miss with copper staining. The recommnded dosage for AA here is 1/2 to 1 pound per 10,000 gallons of pool volume.

I can't seem to find a listing on Leslie's site for "Metal Out". I did find one for "Metal Free" and if that is what you bought then that is the agent used to sequester metals in the water once they're lifted, but the information on that says it "does not contain phosponic acids". The sequestrants recommended here are those which contain "HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives", so I'm not sure how good your results will be with the Leslie's product. Should you decide NOT to drain once the metals are sequestered you will have to continue dosing with sequestrant to prevent the metals from coming out of suspension and re-staining the pool.

I'm sure an expert will be along to advise you properly with your issues, but in the mean time raidencmc has you pretty well covered. The only suggestion I would add would be to pay special attention to the following article in Pool School...

http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/metal stains
 
Thank you for the information! The stains are 75% better but I had to use the entire bottle. I really don't want to drain the pool. And I did mistake the name of the metal product. It is Metal Free. The pool school article is awesome and I will follow it directly for adding chlorine back in.

Should I add more stain remover to try to left what is left?

There is another pool store here I will try today to get the polyquat 60 and sequestrant.
 
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