Removing Metals

[Xphilos]

I've been trying to think of a relatively cheap way to remove metals from my pool, not just remove the staining and sequester the metals. Here is my theory so far.

If the metals do not have a particular attraction to my liner and steps, they should stain anything in the pool pretty much equally. So, if I could find something that is:

- inexpensive
- has lot of surface area
- is easy to get back out of the pool

I should be able to put this in the pool, let it get stained with metals, then pull it out and throw it and the attached metals away, or recycle it if possible.

Saran Wrap was the first thing that came to mind lol. Or maybe a big mesh container full of plastic bags.

Please let me know what you think and feel free to discourage me if this is madness =)

 

[chem geek]

Metal stains are typically the oxides or hydroxides of the metal as these are what precipitate out of the water. Raising the pH is the easiest way to force such precipitation. As for what these substances will most likely bind to, I have no idea. Given that metal stains tend to be more of an issue on plaster surfaces than on vinyl, it may be that rougher surfaces are better for such deposition, but that is just a guess (stains are certainly more noticeable on white plaster than on colored vinyl). Saran Wrap does not sound like a good idea, but you can always test any such ideas in large basins of simulated pool water to see how things work (or don't work!).

Possibly a better idea would be to pump pool water into a device that had one compartment that raised the pH of the water and deposited stains there and filtered precipitate while a second compartment lowered the pH before sending the water back to the pool. This may be the technique that Calsaway uses (see this link) though they may just use an ion exchange resin. In fact, I believe there are water filters that will remove metals and that could be used during a fill of the swimming pool, but I believe these are only for relatively small water volumes such as for spas or wading pools.

Richard

 

[pool_hokie]

How about if you pumped the pool water through a water softener and back into the pool?

Would stains then get lifted from the pool surfaces and into the water as the water became "freed" of the metals?

 

[mbar]

Getting the metals out is one thing - but finding out how they get into the pool is another. If you are sure that you know how your water got metals, then you can do a drain and refill, or something like the link that chemgeek posted. However, if you have well water, or a fiberglass pool that tends to stain, then it is much easier to just deal with the staining. Keeping the ph on the low side, and keeping up with the sanitation of the water makes it less likely that you have to shock - which usually helps the stubborn stains reappear again :grrrr: . After a while you get to know your own pool, and can really manage a stain free pool very easily. I am always on the look out for something that will take metals out of the water, but so far have not found any that is economical, or practical. I keep hoping though

 

[PoolOwnerNumber9]

You can rent a water softener to remove metals and other minerals, like calcium. Call a local water service for availability.