Chlorine - Algaecides - Green Air
- Thread starter drekar42
- Start date
cfherrman
TFP Guide
So.... it’s happening again. My daughters hair is getting that greenish tint. Is there a copper test kit that you recommend or is there a way to stop this from happening. Any ideas?
Where is this copper coming from?
Where is this copper coming from?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,612
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
As last year, copper is turning her hair green.
Line up all the products you have added to the pool and take a picture. Post it. Otherwise it is copper pipes, etc leaching due to low pH water flowing through them.
Line up all the products you have added to the pool and take a picture. Post it. Otherwise it is copper pipes, etc leaching due to low pH water flowing through them.
You can Google ways to remove the green from your daughter's hair. Some specialty shampoos, some home grown tips.
Maddie
Maddie
+1 what mknauss said. Several ideas as to the source have been mentioned.
1. It is rarely, if ever, in a well.
2. I don't think your heater is the source because you have maintained your pH properly (very low pH allows the copper pipes to release copper into your pool)
3. Additives you or someone has put in the pool is, by far, the most common source
Going with the theory that it's something I have added. Is there any way to test for it or monitor the levels and then the next step is how to remove it.
I use the pool chlorine that I often find on sale at menards by the gallon and straight muratic acid for ph. Baking soda has been used to bring up the total alkalinity.
I have used a couple of bags of the chlorine free shock treatment last year.
Thanks,
Dave
I use the pool chlorine that I often find on sale at menards by the gallon and straight muratic acid for ph. Baking soda has been used to bring up the total alkalinity.
I have used a couple of bags of the chlorine free shock treatment last year.
Thanks,
Dave
Steve_in_C
Bronze Supporter
I don't know how much copper is in my fill? I'm curious as to the best way to test that. Is there a kit. I really don't believe there is any.
Steve_in_C
Bronze Supporter
I used KAR labs to test my water. It was expensive, and if I remember right over $100. But I got a lot of things tested, minerals, hardness, heavy metals, pH, coliforms, etc. It is well water. If you get your water from a municipal source, you might find the results of your water testing on the internet. A commercial lab can test metals at much lower levels that the test kits allow.
Steve_in_C
Bronze Supporter
If you use municipal water then test results are here: https://wauconda-il.gov/DocumentCenter/View/424/Water-Quality-Report---2017-CCR Looks like your copper is <1.3 ppm. Since staining may occur at 0.3ppm, that's not accurate enough to evaluate your fill water. The results show 1.06 as 90th percentile. If my interpretation is correct, then some of the water tested as high as 1.06ppm. That would be too high for a pool. And the best water test comes from your own faucet. Then if any metal is added by plumbing or fixtures you measure it. Use the faucet that will fill your pool to test the water.
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I took my water to be tested and it has no iron and no copper.
Here's where I'm confused, I'm being told that having a alkalinity that is too low will also cause the greening of hair.
I see here that the recommended alkalinity level are around 90 - They are saying - "Arvidson" that it should be around 125.
I never buy stuff through pool stores but I do like the convenience of their testing.
I'm still just using Muratic Acid and swimming chlorine to keep things in balance.
Why is there a difference in the recommended alkalinity levels?
Here's where I'm confused, I'm being told that having a alkalinity that is too low will also cause the greening of hair.
I see here that the recommended alkalinity level are around 90 - They are saying - "Arvidson" that it should be around 125.
I never buy stuff through pool stores but I do like the convenience of their testing.
I'm still just using Muratic Acid and swimming chlorine to keep things in balance.
Why is there a difference in the recommended alkalinity levels?
Alkalinity and green hair are unrelated. Red herring. The recommended alkalinity levels from the pool store and industry assume you are using acidic tablets. If you use liquid chlorine, you aren't constantly adding acid to your pool. That's why you can run a lower TA if you use liquid chlorine. If you constantly run your total alkalinity at 125 you are gonna see your pH keep rising and you will have to add muriatic acid to bring it down. Why not run it lower and let your pH find a natural settling point? Then you can forget about pH and just use liquid chlorine. I would highly suggest you stay out of the pool store and forget about their testing. They are trying to sell you things (like overpriced baking soda).
Absolutely not true. Either they are ignorant of the science or being less than truthful
125 is too high. The higher the TA the faster the pH rises.
Not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. We find that many times pool store employees primary goal is to sell stuff, not necessarily get your pool in perfect condition. As to whether that is because of improper training, lack of knowledge or just to sell stuff I will leave up to you. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their advice and testing.
Because they are stuck in the 70's with their recommendations. As I stated above, the higher the TA the faster the pH rises. My pool likes the TA at 50-60 or I'm adding acid once or twice a day.
The higher TA recommendations largely has to do with assumptions that everyone is chlorinating with trichlor, it is highly acidic and a pool needs a higher TA to keep the pH stable. I guarantee most pool store employees don't understand this and are just parroting the number they were told. For pools using liquid chlorine or saltwater chlorination the TA needs to be much lower to keep the pH stable.
As for the convenience of pool store testing, well that I just don't get. Even if someone confirmed that their store was 100% accurate (rarer than a chupacabra riding a unicorn) you still need to go there. Even running a full batch of tests on a TF-100/k-2006 takes 5 minutes, and a full batch is only really needed about once a month. The pool store involves taking the sample, driving to the store, waiting in line, allowing them to run the test, telling them no to all the recommendations, and driving home. Even if you are already going to the pool store for something else it doesn't take any less time, so what is more convenient? And again, that is if the store testing is accurate. Since we are talking the same people who don't actually understand what TA does in a pool (saying it turns hair green is hilarious) I would be pretty hard pressed to trust their testing abilities.
As for the convenience of pool store testing, well that I just don't get. Even if someone confirmed that their store was 100% accurate (rarer than a chupacabra riding a unicorn) you still need to go there. Even running a full batch of tests on a TF-100/k-2006 takes 5 minutes, and a full batch is only really needed about once a month. The pool store involves taking the sample, driving to the store, waiting in line, allowing them to run the test, telling them no to all the recommendations, and driving home. Even if you are already going to the pool store for something else it doesn't take any less time, so what is more convenient? And again, that is if the store testing is accurate. Since we are talking the same people who don't actually understand what TA does in a pool (saying it turns hair green is hilarious) I would be pretty hard pressed to trust their testing abilities.
I agree with all of you - but then I'm back to copper causing the green hair and I'm showing that I don't have any.
Hence the confusion.
On a second note - what have you guys found as the best way to find "your TA levels" - that is, what seems to keep the PH most balanced.
Dave
Hence the confusion.
On a second note - what have you guys found as the best way to find "your TA levels" - that is, what seems to keep the PH most balanced.
Dave
Keep adding acid to keep the pH in check. Let teh pH stay at 7.6ish rather than pushing it down to 7.2 as everyone seems to like ot do. Every time it gets to 8.0, take it back to 7.6ish.
You will start to see the need for acid slow. For me, at 50-60 it got to the point that I could go 4/5 days before I needed to add acid. Do NOT allow it to go below 50 as much below that can cause TA to crash.
You have test results that indicates you don't have any copper......it must be a faulty test. Copper turns blond hair green and you have enough in your pool to make that happen.
What is the cost of your fill water? There are several ways to combat copper but, by far, the least difficult is to drain and replace about 1/2 your pool water.......that should do it. If not, drain and replace half again. Again, you can try different things but drain/refill is simple and effective.
That said, I would find the source of the copper first so it doesn't reoccur. (Keep an eye out for that Chupacabra putting copper in at night!
Don't overthink TA. I would bring TA to around 60-80 in that pool and forget it.
It is the 100% the copper in the water, it might be in suspension so a test will not detect it.
You need to determine where the copper is coming from. The sources that I can think of are some of the chemicals that have been added in the past have copper in them, the pool plumbing is eroding due to aggressive water, and/or the source water.
You need to determine where the copper is coming from. The sources that I can think of are some of the chemicals that have been added in the past have copper in them, the pool plumbing is eroding due to aggressive water, and/or the source water.