Alarmingly High Copper Reading

[Seadweller]

Greetings!

I do my own testing with a Taylor test kit, and on occasion, have my local Leslie's perform a test to validate my findings. I did so this morning, and their results were pretty much identical to mine. One thing that came as a surprise was a copper reading of 2.4, which seems alarmingly high. I have noticed what I thought might be iron staining on the pool walls, as it's light brown in appearance, but my iron reading is 0.

Could the copper cause a similar staining? I haven't used an algaecide in over 2 years, so I'm perplexed as to why the reading could be so high, unless my city water is high in copper, which is a distinct possibility. I assume a sequestering agent is the next step?

Thanks!

 

[Newdude]

on occasion, have my local Leslie's perform a test to validate my findings.

How can they validate you, if you know more about water chemistry than them and your test is more accurate ? They can't. That's how.

Does a surgeon come to me, a hard hat, for a pow wow when he has a question ? Of course not. He checks with his respected peers. You should do the same.

Could the copper cause a similar staining?

Copper staining is usually black.

I'm perplexed as to why the reading could be so high,

Pool store tests are not accurate.

Unfortunately, it's all we have for metals that won't cost a small fortune. So we have to reccomend them testing it for you, as much as we won't believe it anyway. I'd get a couple stores to test it and then make an educated guess from there.

 

[Seadweller]

Thanks....Is there a preferred sequestering agent for copper should I need it?

 

[JamesW]

Pentair CC200 Cartridge filter

Can you pull the cartridge and show that?

Pictures of the pool?

Pictures of the system?

 

[JamesW]

Take a sample to a different store to see if they get the same reading.

If the testing is accurate, the readings should be the same or very close.

 

[Seadweller]

Yes, I'll see if I can pull the cartridge this evening. It's in need of a cleaning, so I might as well do it sooner than later. Another thing I noticed is that the pool water has become cloudy, which seems to be a symptom of high copper.

 

[JamesW]

the pool water has become cloudy, which seems to be a symptom of high copper.

Copper and cloudiness are not related.

 

[Seadweller]

Noted....Any recommendations on a sequestering/chelating agent to remove the copper if needed?

 

[duraleigh]

My bet is you don't have high copper. It does not occur naturally and if you have not used copper chemistry, about the only source I can think of is long term low pH acting on copper within your heater, if you have one.

Copper stains are virtually black and difficult to remove. Copper and cloudiness are unrelated.

 

[JamesW]

Noted....Any recommendations on a sequestering/chelating agent to remove the copper if needed?

Let's try to get a solid diagnosis before we begin to consider treatment options.

Treatment depends on the actual problem as well as what you are trying to achieve.

You also have to consider things like costs, benefits, risks etc. as part of the process of deciding what options you have and what you might want to do.

 

[Seadweller]

Thanks for the input everyone! I'm beginning to wonder myself. I definitely have some large, light brown patches on the walls of my pool, which I assume are iron stains. I was planning on doing a stain regimen this coming winter when the water is cooler. I'll get the water tested at another pool store to validate the copper reading.

 

[JamesW]

Brown might be iron, but it can also be silver, which is often used with copper products like ionizers, mineral cartridges, algaecides etc.

 

[Seadweller]

Appreciate the education! I haven't used an algaecide in the pool in years, nor do I have an ionizer or pool heater. It's a simple set-up; pump, cartridge filter and salt system.

 

[JamesW]

I think that this is silver staining.

It is brown, but it is a different brown from iron stains.

Black Algae, maybe? It's getting worse.

We just got back after 4 months and the black algae (or whatever this is) is getting worse. We had a pool service we fired almost a year ago. They were mostly the cause of this and some other problems. The manager said we had black algae, but didn't have a solution that worked. The new service...

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