Black stains just keep getting worse

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Okay, so wanted to give a little update

I’ve done the following
Triple shocked the pool
Brushed twice daily with a stainless steel brush
Placed granular chlorine on the stains twice
Replaced the filter
Put in algaecide

So far the stains are almost all gone. FWIW I did a phosphate test and it didn’t register at all.
 
Just used three times the amount of shocked

This is the algaecide I used

Amazon.com : Applied Biochemists 406303A Black Algaetrine Swimming Pool Algaecide & Deposit Control, 32 fl oz : Swimming Pool Algaecides : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : Applied Biochemists 406303A Black Algaetrine Swimming Pool Algaecide & Deposit Control, 32 fl oz : Swimming Pool Algaecides : Garden & Outdoor
www.amazon.com


What’s weird is I thought I always maintained my water, always thought I kept the chlorine too high so I’m not sure why this stuff showed up


ajw22 said:
What does that mean?






What algaecide? What ingredients?



Sounds like you had an algae problem. Glad you got it figured out.

Maintain your chemistry following the FC/CYA Levels
Click to expand...
 
Just a follow up since you guys have been so helpful

I drain the pool enough to expose the sun step.

A pressure washer and even straight acid won’t touch these stains... it’s gotta be a defect in the plaster
 
I have some spots in my plaster pool that are completely stained and nothing I do will take it off. I’ve gone as far as draining the pool and pressure washing but nothing removes these stains. I even poured raw acid and let it sit for a few minutes and nothing. I am pretty much at my wits end and it’s embarrassing when people come over because I take pride in keeping my pool nice. I am pretty sure the staining is under the plaster. I’ve been fighting this pretty much since the pool was new and it just gets worse and worse. The only place this occurs is on my sun shelf and step out, almost like whatever material they used to prop up those areas caused staining

So yesterday I had my dad over and we were talking and he brought up painting it, which I never even considered before. Is that an option? How about epoxy coating or something similar? I am a DIYer so I want to be able to do it myself.

whatever I do will only be on the sun shelf and the step out so I don’t have to drain the pool completely

thanks!
 

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We do not recommend painting pools. That was done last century when paint formulations were different and not restricted by current EPA regulations. People who paint their pool now find the paint chalking within a year and it creates more of a mess in the pool.

Those look to me like metal stains. Especially if you say it is getting worse.

Have you had your pool water tested in a pool store for iron and copper?

www.troublefreepool.com

Stains in Your Pool

The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Stain ID Kit | Jacks Magic

jacksmagic.com jacksmagic.com
 

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ajw22 said:
We do not recommend painting pools. That was done last century when paint formulations were different and not restricted by current EPA regulations. People who paint their pool now find the paint chalking within a year and it creates more of a mess in the pool.

Those look to me like metal stains. Especially if you say it is getting worse.

Have you had your pool water tested in a pool store for iron and copper?

www.troublefreepool.com

Stains in Your Pool

The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Stain ID Kit | Jacks Magic

jacksmagic.com jacksmagic.com
Click to expand...
I have not had my water tested for copper or iron, but I have scrubbed the stains with vitamin c and it doesn’t budge them.
 
ajw22 said:
Those look more like copper stains.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
But wouldn’t it be throughout my pool? My pool literally only has staining on the sun shelf and the swimout.

I’ve also scrubbed the stain with vitamin c, I’ve scrubbed with dry acid in a sock and I’ve scrubbed with a chlorine tablet and nothing has even budged the stain.

the only thing that’s ever done anything was some “black algae” treatment the pool store gave me, I sprinkle it on the stain and it went away for a week snd came right back. It smelt like our chlorine granules.

 
Oh, I also had a post specifically about this a while back. I made no real progress so I basically gave up

Black stains just keep getting worse

Okay, so wanted to give a little update I’ve done the following Triple shocked the pool Brushed twice daily with a stainless steel brush Placed granular chlorine on the stains twice Replaced the filter Put in algaecide So far the stains are almost all gone. FWIW I did a phosphate test and it...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
We discussed in the older thread that the algaecide you used added copper.
 
@Katodude has discussed how he has treated black algae and that is is common in SW Florida.

Difficult Differentiating Black Algae from PebbleTec

So my salt cell is dying I believe because 2 independent tests showed a salt level of 3000 and my chlorine generator says I only have 2200 sometimes and will stop generating. My water is still pretty clear but I noticed some green algae along the walls and hundreds of small "colonies" of black...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Search results for query: Black algae

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Florida loves black algae. If you have a little bit use a bamboo BBQ skewer to pick at it. If you have a lot then get in with a weak pressure washer and hit it with that.

Then get a 1 gallon pump sprayer and fill it with the strongest LC you can find. Get in and blast the spots that you just removed with the LC.

Then run your FC really hot for a while. About 20% of CYA.

Then resolve yourself for a lifetime of keeping your FC at the high end of the range.
 
ajw22 said:
@Katodude has discussed how he has treated black algae and that is is common in SW Florida.

Difficult Differentiating Black Algae from PebbleTec

So my salt cell is dying I believe because 2 independent tests showed a salt level of 3000 and my chlorine generator says I only have 2200 sometimes and will stop generating. My water is still pretty clear but I noticed some green algae along the walls and hundreds of small "colonies" of black...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Search results for query: Black algae

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Katodude said:
Florida loves black algae. If you have a little bit use a bamboo BBQ skewer to pick at it. If you have a lot then get in with a weak pressure washer and hit it with that.

Then get a 1 gallon pump sprayer and fill it with the strongest LC you can find. Get in and blast the spots that you just removed with the LC.

Then run your FC really hot for a while. About 20% of CYA.

Then resolve yourself for a lifetime of keeping your FC at the high end of the range.
Click to expand...


It’s definitely not black algae.. I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed and even took a pressure washer to it.
 
ajw22 said:
We discussed in the older thread that the algaecide you used added copper.
Click to expand...
I understand, and while I acknowledge that I may have copper in the water (I ordered the test off Amazon) that still doesn’t explain why the stains are in only two areas and none of the copper stain removal techniques work on them
 

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