Just don’t trust Leslie’s copper test too much. I tested brand new fill water and got 0.3 and 0.6ppm from two different stores using the same water samples. I’m pretty sure it’s zero though.
Clorox XTRABlue trashed my pool?
- Thread starter Chrissu
- Start date
Per a report published recently by them, their copper and iron tests are not trustable under .5.
With a .3 variance, the level reported needs to be at least .6 to know you are higher than you want to be. A .5 could really be a .2 which likely wouldn't cause staining.
Over 1 it doesn't matter that the test error is higher because you'd be over the threshold no matter if it's off.
So we used to send people to the pool store because it was the only free option, but clearly it's a useless one. Again, per them. This isn't me bashing them.
I realize some of you have probably heard enough from me but I’ll keep posting until the feedback stops.
Yesterday,I added 20ppm of baking soda (2lb, 8oz) as recommended and this morning TA shows as having moved up from 30 to 40. It didn’t make it to 50 but 40 is good considering the treatment the pool is going through. I added another 1lb, 14oz just now, which is all I had on hand.
PH is holding steady at 6.2.
Premium pool math app purchased. I like how it works.
Yesterday,I added 20ppm of baking soda (2lb, 8oz) as recommended and this morning TA shows as having moved up from 30 to 40. It didn’t make it to 50 but 40 is good considering the treatment the pool is going through. I added another 1lb, 14oz just now, which is all I had on hand.
PH is holding steady at 6.2.
Premium pool math app purchased. I like how it works.
- Jun 1, 2018
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@Chrissu
The goal for this Jack’s treatment should simply be to remove the stains - after they are lifted to your satisfaction you need to replace the water with copper free to actually get rid of the copper otherwise you will need continuous sequesterants or the stains will return. This gets expensive fast & with large amounts of copper it still may not be enough.
The sequesterant just hides the copper from the test temporarily. Then there’s the residual fight with the sulfamic acid - much easier to just dump the acidic & copper laden water than to try to continuously fight that.
The goal for this Jack’s treatment should simply be to remove the stains - after they are lifted to your satisfaction you need to replace the water with copper free to actually get rid of the copper otherwise you will need continuous sequesterants or the stains will return. This gets expensive fast & with large amounts of copper it still may not be enough.
The sequesterant just hides the copper from the test temporarily. Then there’s the residual fight with the sulfamic acid - much easier to just dump the acidic & copper laden water than to try to continuously fight that.
It's the slow season and we're sitting around bored waiting up to a half hour for the next post at times. Help us help you.
Best $8 *a year* you can spend on your pool. Log your results (a premium feature as the basic one only stores 1 log) and we can see them. If you have questions or issues, the pros can spot trends to reverse engineer a problem, or stop it before it happens. So you legit have TFP riding shotgun, for $8.
Yeah. Woohoo. Lol.
- Jun 1, 2018
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I see all your logs
If you click on my avatar pic & then click “poolmath logs” you’ll see mine to know what I mean
There’s alot to love with poolmath! Much better than the note pad I used to use which got wet!
- Feb 6, 2015
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Morning. Tested yesterday for first time in a few weeks as water is clear as day and have been super busy. Got nervous about my fc. Until I looked at your logs.I see all your logs
If you click on my avatar pic & then click “poolmath logs” you’ll see mine to know what I mean
There’s alot to love with poolmath! Much better than the note pad I used to use which got wet!
Lots of leaves in pool the past few weeks so glad I am running hot. Cleaned cartidge filter for first time in 3 months. was afraid of what I would fine. Not bad at all. #teamrunhot
- Jun 1, 2018
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My pool is closed so my last logs are slam level fc.Morning. Tested yesterday for first time in a few weeks as water is clear as day and have been super busy. Got nervous about my fc. Until I looked at your logs.
Right before that I had to slam because of my step weights getting water in them so I was doing that.
Usually I try to keep my fc @ 10% of cya or a scootch higher. Its easy to remember & means I keep some wiggle room incase of unforseen circumstances.
Leaving for a few days this week so will stay high and start dropping down once I get back.
I think the eight was a typo and was supposed to be a zero
Here is a before of the spa area. Those are copper stains for anyone that might look at this in the future. At this point, the treatment had started working and if I hit it with a brush, it was starting to lift.
Nov 12
Nov 12
The brown looks more like iron or maybe silver, but in any case, the treatment is the same since you have copper stains.
It’s been a couple of weeks now since the acid wash across the top 20” of the sides of the pool and a complete wash of the hot tub area. The acid wash was followed up with a Jacks Magic copper treatment.
The hot tub and pool look better than they have in years. I did a 100% acid wash of the hot tub since it could be fully drained, and an acid wash around the sides of the pool during one of the 30% water changes. The stains that were acid washed are completely gone while the worst stains on the bottom of the pool are faded but still somewhat visible if you look for them. The pool has returned to a 90% blue hue vs the nasty copper green it turned during the copper treatment. Copper tests show that the copper levels have dropped from 0.9 to 0.2, thanks to Jacks Magic purple stuff, no water changes required.
I have read that a continuation of the purple stuff will eventually pull out all of the remaining copper stains over time and that’s fine. The wife and I are pleased with the results and it’s time to move forward.
Next on the list is to deep clean the sand filter. I didn’t even know that was a thing until this week.
After that, I will install proper unions where needed, install the SWCG, and I’ll incorporate Stenner doser for acid. Suggestions welcomed as always. Thanks
The hot tub and pool look better than they have in years. I did a 100% acid wash of the hot tub since it could be fully drained, and an acid wash around the sides of the pool during one of the 30% water changes. The stains that were acid washed are completely gone while the worst stains on the bottom of the pool are faded but still somewhat visible if you look for them. The pool has returned to a 90% blue hue vs the nasty copper green it turned during the copper treatment. Copper tests show that the copper levels have dropped from 0.9 to 0.2, thanks to Jacks Magic purple stuff, no water changes required.
I have read that a continuation of the purple stuff will eventually pull out all of the remaining copper stains over time and that’s fine. The wife and I are pleased with the results and it’s time to move forward.
Next on the list is to deep clean the sand filter. I didn’t even know that was a thing until this week.
After that, I will install proper unions where needed, install the SWCG, and I’ll incorporate Stenner doser for acid. Suggestions welcomed as always. Thanks
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That’s great to hear. Note for others finding this thread is that while copper can get pulled out of the plaster, it doesn’t get pulled out of the water using the purple stuff. You have to exchange the water to actually get rid of the copper, otherwise you have to use the sequestrant permanently or the stains will come back. You did a giant water exchange by performing the acid wash so technically you did do a water change.
- Jun 1, 2018
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The jacks purple stuff “hides” the copper from the test. Its not gone if the .9 was after the partial refill. When you stop feeding the pool the purple stuff the copper levels will increase & the stains will likely return.
They claim the sequestered metals can be removed by your filter media but that hasn’t really been the experience most here have had.
The best way to prevent yourself from having to do this whole ordeal again is to replace the majority of your water & actually get rid of the copper before the sequestrant wears off & it stains again.
They claim the sequestered metals can be removed by your filter media but that hasn’t really been the experience most here have had.
The best way to prevent yourself from having to do this whole ordeal again is to replace the majority of your water & actually get rid of the copper before the sequestrant wears off & it stains again.
I appreciate the advice and I’m doing more water changes. After all, water is relatively inexpensive. Thanks all.
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- Jun 1, 2018
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I’ll try to upload pictures tomorrow. The picture I just tried to upload showed 100% uploaded but then it timed out.