Copper and CH

[Kelly001]

I am systematically trying to undo the years of damage from using pool store supplied advice and products. I started by slamming the pool. The yellowish marks on the bottom of the pool remain and after reading other posts I began to understand it was likely copper staining. I had my water tested today for that today and it is present/high. I already replaced half of the pool water to lower the CYA (successfully), so water replacement may not be the solution.

I purchased vitamin c to work on the stains but what do I need to do to lower the copper?

 

[Texas Splash]

Just to confirm, are you saying the vitamin c is able to remove the staining, or no?

 

[Kelly001]

I bought the vitamin c and planned to work on that this weekend — so I do not know yet.

 

[Donldson]

If the staining is copper then the vitamin C won't remove it, it will more likely cause it to darken. You'd need something like Jack's Magic #2 to remove copper staining.

You will still want to try it though, if the Vitamin C does remove the stain then it is likely iron rather than copper.

 

[Kelly001]

Ah shoot. Ok. I’ll get that. Will that also lower the copper level in the water?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ah shoot. Ok. I’ll get that. Will that also lower the copper level in the water?

No. It will only lift the copper stains and make it soluble. You will need to drain and refill the pool to lower copper. It is the only way to get rid of it.

Sorry, I know you already drained a bunch but this is the only solution. The good news is you live where water is plentiful and cheap.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Also note that Jacks Magic #2 is sulfamic acid. Sulfamic acid continuously reacts with chlorine forming CCs and makes the FC in the water very low. The process of breaking down sulfamic acid into sulfates and nitrogen by chlorine can take weeks and, sometimes, a month or more. This also is why we suggest draining after lifting copper stains - you remove the copper and sulfamate issues.

It sucks, but that’s the price paid when following pool store advice. We’ve all been there and it sucks but the good news is following TFP will put you on the path to much easier pool care.

 

[Donldson]

You might still try rubbing some vitamin C on the stain just to make sure it does nothing. I know the odds of it not being copper look slim, but considering the PITA that copper stain removal and then water placement can be I'd personally consider it worth a few seconds be certain that it's not iron.

 

[Kelly001]

I emptied half the water (about 11k gallons) on May 11. I finished refilling on May 13, then began the balancing, slam, etc — so all within the last 10 days. How will emptying it again change the composition? I mean, where is this copper coming from? My tap? The heater? Will it just come back?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I emptied half the water (about 11k gallons) on May 11. I finished refilling on May 13, then began the balancing, slam, etc — so all within the last 10 days. How will emptying it again change the composition? I mean, where is this copper coming from?

The copper likely came from all the pool store products you added. You have to realize that a lot of what is sold by pools stores, especially trichlor pucks, have become mixtures of solid chlorine, copper salts, and minor flocculating agents. Combine that with algaecides that almost always contain copper and other products and you get very high copper levels. Copper never leaves the water, it stays forever. So the only way to get rid of it is to drain.

You drained half the water in the pool and you STILL had measurably high copper levels. That means the water before draining had very, very high levels.

 

[Kelly001]

one clarification: do I need to empty the pool then completely if the goal is 0?

One question: if I’m emptying the pool and exposing the stains, can I treat them while exposed? And not worry about the water because I’m replacing it anyway?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

one clarification: do I need to empty the pool then completely if the goal is 0?

One question: if I’m emptying the pool and exposing the stains, can I treat them while exposed? And not worry about the water because I’m replacing it anyway?

You’ll want to treat the stains and then drain as much as is SAFE to drain.

Question - is your water table high? If you dig down, is the ground soggy or wet?

You absolutely never want to fully drain a pool if ground water is present as you can float the pool shell out of the ground. It happens and it’s an absolute disaster if you do …

If ground water is high in your area, then you need to do an “exchange drain” of the pool -

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Family’s pool pops out of ground after it’s drained

Less than 24 hours after draining it, a Florida family comes home to find their pool had popped out of the ground by about four feet. WFLA’s Shannon Behnken reports.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Kelly001]

I will take some water from the hose and have it tested just to understand if our water is contributing at all. is there any way to figure out if the pool heater is causing this?

 

[mknauss]

is there any way to figure out if the pool heater is causing this?

Do you use trichlor tablets? Do you have a tablet feeder right after the heater? Do you run the pump 24/7?

 

[Kelly001]

We have not used trichlor tablets since opening the pool this year — but we have since owning the house (-17 years) and since completely draining and adding a pebbletec finish in August 2020.

We do have a tablet feeder after the heater, but similarly have not used it this year.

We run the pump 24/7 but it automatically adjusts speeds so not always on high.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Please update your signature with your equipment. It’s harder to help when we don’t know what we’re dealing with.

What make and model heater?

 

[mknauss]

Do you actively manage the pH and TA of the pool water?

 

[Kelly001]

Please update your signature with your equipment. It’s harder to help when we don’t know what we’re dealing with.

What make and model heater?

All of the equipment is listed. And I logging everything in pool math. Is this not showing up?

 

[Kelly001]

Do you actively manage the pH and TA of the pool water?

Yes. I have the testing kit and first focused on the slam. Everything I’ve added since opening the pool is in my logs. Can you see those? I’m wondering if I’ve accidentally blocked access.