Adding pool water from well

[Neal]

Moved to filters forum.....Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but couldn't find anything real specific. I want to purchase a pool pre-filter that will connect to my garden hose for topping off the pool water during the summer. We are on well water, which is quite hard with a lot of iron (rust color). I googled the topic and found a product called Pleatco Pure Start, but the feedback was not convincingly positive. Any suggestions from members who have found a good solution?

 

[AftonJeeper]

I use a filter similar to this one: Amazon.com: FLOW-PRO 1M-4PK 1-Micron Sediment Water Filter Cartridge, 4-Pack: Home Improvement

No issues with stains over the last 2 years.

 

[duraleigh]

Putting iron laden water into your pool is certainly one of the VERY BIGGEST problems members report. Mechanical filters do little to nothing to filter it out. Most folks find that once you put the iron in your pool, you need a lifetime dose of sequestrant to hold it in suspension.

By far, the best solution is to never let the iron get in your pool but that will require a water softener......a mechanical filter won't normally work.

 

[CJadamec]

A filter on the hose filling the pool is a great start but it's not fool proof. The sediment filter will only remove the majority of the ferric iron in the water. You will still be left with some ferrous iron that the filters can't catch.

Its a great idea to use the filters don't get me wrong but you still need to be aware that you will still get iron in your make up water going into the pool.

 

[Neal]

Thanks for the replies so far. Since I am referring to summer top-off due to evaporation or splash out, so it usually isn't a huge amount of water. The hose runs from my pool house equipment room/bathroom, which is soft water. That should eliminate some, but not all. I then make sure that the softner regenerates that night. The rust staining always seems to attacks white plastic (water outlets, jets, etc.) rather than the hydrazzo. I wish we had perfect well water, but we don't!

 

[CJadamec]

If you are already using softened water the filter on the garden hose won't do anything to solve your issue. Ferrous iron which is iron in the water that you can't see will go right through a softener and what ever filter you put on the garden hose.

Ferrous iron is very hard to remove from water. A permanganate (greensand) filter is effective at removing ferrous iron but it is expensive to buy and maintain. It would generally be installed in your water system before your softener.

As Dave has suggested your easiest course of action is sequestrant to hold it in suspension.

 

[Neal]

Dave and Chuck: I have never used a sequestrant to hold it in suspension. Is this a DIY process that I can handle? Is there a specific product? Our pool is currently drained. After 17 years the marcite needed to be replaced and I chose hydrazzo as the replacement. In about 2-3 weeks the pool will be refilled by truck. This may be a good time to add a sequestrant? By the way, I see each of you have a photo below your name to the left of your posts. How do you do this on TFP? I have searched and could not figure out how to add a photo. Thanks.

 

[Neal]

Hey, I just figured out how to add the photo after clicking on your photo and saw that it said avatar!

 

[CJadamec]

Jack's magic, is probably the most recommended sequestrant for use here on the forum. Its known to work very well for a number of people here. As far as I can tell its a simple matter of dosing the pool by following the directions on the bottle.

If you search for jacks magic in the search bar at the top of the page there is a lot of forum discussion about jacks.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Sequestrants are not a magic bullet, they still require a good bit of work. With a known iron source, your pool is going to build up iron over time and only rain will help you out. So, if at all possible, you should consider a rainwater collection system or try to figure out how to divert some rainwater from your gutters. That will be a huge help. Because metals are present, you want to keep your pH on the low side if possible (below 7.5) and your chlorine as low as practically possible because it is the chlorine that will oxidize the iron into a precipitate. High FC also oxidizes the sequestrant and so you need to dose and replenish the sequestrant on a regular basis to keep the iron in solution. When sequestrants get oxidized and breakdown, they release phosphates into the water and you will get phosphate build up. Phosphates are algae-food and, when trying to run the chlorine on the low side, you create a possibility for algae blooms (high nutrient levels and low sanitizing levels). So, as you see, there are a lot of details here that can make dealing with iron-laden pool water a real pain in the rear.

There is no easy/inexpensive solutions, just patience and persistence in keeping the chemical levels properly balanced. Good luck.

 

[Melnic]

Not to hijack but how does one test for Iron?
I have a copy of the water test from last year and it only lists bacteria, Nitrate, Turbidity, and Sand.

We have a Water softener, Carbon Filter and Hydrogen Peroxide additive.
I only use for topping off.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

There are iron test kits available but they are typically very expensive ($100 or so) for the accurate ones. So it’s a bit too expensive for most pool owners since you’d only test for iron a few times per season (at most). Sometimes pool stores can test for metals but then you have to wonder if they even know what their doing.