Copper in my pool water

[careingemt]

So the other day I had my water tested my copper lvl was at 3.0 i drained about 6 inches of water waited a few days and re-tested at PS my level is now at 2.8.
I'd like to know how it got so high.....

PS recommendations :
1.) put a sparkle up culator to my skimmer (I can provide a pic)
2.) pour 3 capfuls of natural chemistry metal free around the edge of my pool (I can provide a pic)
did this 7pm est yesterday (6-13-22)
run pump for 24-48 hours before re-testing
in 7 to 10 days replace pump cartridge filter (filter is over due)

No staining on my pool walls ..... I wake this am and see a black ring (about a foot or 2 in width) around the bottom of my pool ... smh (shaking my head)

History:
my pool was installed on the exact day August 12 2013
has a heater which lasted until 2021
added in a swim waves swg
used chlorine 3'' tablets prior to this year

 

[JoyfulNoise]

What was in those 3” tablets? Many of them nowadays are “multipurpose” tablets that will contain copper and zinc compounds as additives. If you purchased tablets in large buckets at big box stores like Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, etc, then they were likely multipurpose type tablets.

Also, were you using an in-line chlorinator for the tablets or a chemical floater?

Do you have your own test kit or did you solely rely on pool store testing?

The black stains are likely copper. I suggest putting a small, thin sock with crushed vitamin C tablets in it in an inconspicuous spot where these stains are see what happens. If the stain clears back to the normal plaster color then it’s likely iron. If it is unchanged or gets darker, then it’s likely copper stains.

 

[ajw22]

If you used chemicals like these that say "BLUE" on the label they contain copper that accumulates in your pool water.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[careingemt]

What was in those 3” tablets

not exactly sure

If you purchased tablets in large buckets at big box stores like Walmart, Costco, Home Depot,

in a tall Sam's 5 gallon bucket

Also, were you using an in-line chlorinator for the tablets or a chemical floater?

3'' tablets went into my skimmer

Do you have your own test kit

yes.. I have the TF-100 and a salt water drop kit test i think its the TF-1776

 

[careingemt]

the stain clears back to the normal plaster color

vinal pool

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Putting tablets in the skimmer is a bad idea. Tablets are acidic and the low pH water builds up in the skimmer causing a very acidic and highly chlorinated “soup”. That slug of acidic water then gets sucked into the plumbing where it can damage components. So even if the tabs you used didn’t have copper, it’s likely the acidic water eroded the copper heat exchanger in your heater and caused the contamination of your pool water.

You can still test the stains the same way I described regardless of the pool is vinyl.

 

[careingemt]

The black stains are likely copper. I suggest putting a small, thin sock with crushed vitamin C tablets in it in an inconspicuous spot where these stains are see what happens. If the stain clears back to the normal plaster color then it’s likely iron. If it is unchanged or gets darker, then it’s likely copper stains.

i did not notice a change but was able to make a line with my finger wipe it away with the sock ..PS said to use surface cleaner and a brush it away

 

[JoyfulNoise]

i did not notice a change but was able to make a line with my finger wipe it away with the sock ..PS said to use surface cleaner and a brush it away

If it brushes away that’s fine. But your stains could come back. If the water truly has that much copper in it, then you need to do a water exchange.

 

[careingemt]

If it brushes away that’s fine

brushing it did absolutely nothing

when i had took a vitamin c tablet and moved it along my pool liner you could clearly see a line

https://imgur.com/Ofsp0h4

 

[careingemt]

https://imgur.com/eqll849

https://imgur.com/Kq54ICo

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Hard to tell from pictures but did the stain get lighter or darker?

 

[careingemt]

this any better ... where i rub the vitaman C it gets lighter

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I see it better now. If the Vitamin C is lifting the stains, then they are iron stains. Vitamin C would make copper stains turn darker brown to almost black colored.

 

[careingemt]

so.......... how do i get rid of the iron stains PS results are
Copper at 2.8
Iron is 0.0