Copper Sequestrant - Use preventatively?

[trivetman]

I had a pool rep over today to quote a renovation job. New plaster, tile and coping. He noticed some blue scaling on my old plaster and said it was copper scaling. No telling what products have been in the pool in past years, as we only took ownership a year ago and the pool is over 30 years old and it looks like it's the original plaster.

He suggested the copper scaling might not be from pool products, but could just be from residual copper in the fill water as the house is all copper piping. Also said we should probably use a copper sequestrant off the bat with the new plaster. Thoughts? Is it likely that residual copper from the pipes is enough to cause issues? We haven't used any products with copper since owning the pool and definitely won't be going forward.

I know there are copper tests available but haven't looked into them.

 

[domct203]

I filled and top off my pool from my garden hose bib, all copper plumbing in the house. No copper in my water, the pool rep is mistaken.

A common source of high copper in a pool is the regular use of copper containing products like algaecides.

Also, if you have a heater with a copper heat exchanger, and the pH is allowed to remain low for an extended period, the copper can be etched out of the heater core.

 

[Wulfdan]

Find out if you have copper in the water. Test test test.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Test your fill water tap. Ask a pool store to test for metals. Its the only test we ask pool stores to do as the test itself is kinda pricey.

Maddie

 

[trivetman]

Looks like there is a taylor 1730 which tests up to copper 1ppm. $30 - not crazy pricey. What is acceptable range for metals? Any other metals worth testing for before problems show up? Multiple tests kits each for a different metal...agree that test kit costs will start adding up.

 

[duraleigh]

What is acceptable range for metals?

For copper and iron, around .3 ppm is often used as the highest acceptable level. I really am not sure who decided that but that seems to be a repeated number. And yes, it is .3ppm NOT 3ppm.

By far, iron is a bigger problem than copper......most often the source is fill water from wells. You should test for it.

 

[zea3]

The kit you listed, K1730 is a free copper test. You would probably want the total copper test. K-1738, Taylor Midget Comparator Test Kit, Copper (total), 0.2-3.0 ppm