Could something be wrong with my sand filter

[Ashandmich]

We have a sand filter (Hayward) replaced sand this year. Sounds good, very strong water output back into the pool but when I backwash the water isn’t very dirty. (Only a cloudy white)
The problem is I have been slamming my pool for over two weeks and it is still a dark aqua green color.
I placed a washcloth in the skimmer and it turned terribly orange and when I wring it out the water is gross brown, so how does my filter not also backwash out brown dirty water?

Could it be that the wash cloth is picking up the iron but the sand filter can’t?

 

[Texas Splash]

That sounds like iron. Are you on a well?

 

[Ashandmich]

Yes.

I have been trying to clear the pool for almost 3 weeks.
I have kept the slam level this whole time. The pool remains an aqua green color, after adding the wash cloth and seeing all of the brown yucky water in it, and the stains on my white parts of the pool.

Are sand filters not able to filter iron out? In the past I have seen rusty water come from backwash but now it is only cloudy white...

 

[Texas Splash]

Are sand filters not able to filter iron out?

No traditional pool filter is designed to remove iron from water. While the iron is in a precipitating stage, the more “pre-filtering” of iron you can do to physically remove it before treating chemically the better. Some folks have had decent success placing layers of dishrags, paper towels, or pillow batting in the skimmer to catch iron/rust particles. Others place socks, micro-filters, or other products over the garden hose as they fill from the water source to serve as a pre-filter.

Taking care of a pool with iron water is challenging. There are some specific things that need to be done. I'll put a few of them below:
- Unless you have algae, do not shock or increase the FC level too high. It aggravates the iron. Keep the FC and CYA balanced as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.
- Keep the pH in the mid 7s. When teh pH gets too high, it causes the iron to react.
- In some cases, owners elect to have fresh water trucked-in and not use well to avoid algae.
- Your best and most reliable method of metals management is to add sequestrant to the water and replenish it periodically. Sequestrant is a chemical that binds to the iron in the water so that it can't form stains or turn brown. Sequestrant breaks down slowly, so you need to add more regularly. ProTeam's Metal Magic and Jack's Magic the Pink Stuff (regular), the Blue Stuff (fresh plaster), and the Purple Stuff (SWG) are some of the top sequestrants. You can also find other brands with similar products, some of which are noticeably less expensive. Sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives are the most effective.

Stains in Your Pool

The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.

www.troublefreepool.com

Iron Fill Water Filter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Ashandmich]

I know that I originally had algae in the pool. But how can I tell now? Obviously the water is not clear. Last night I did the overnight test and lost very little less than 1 drop in fc. But I am scared to let the chlorine level drop In case it’s not completely gone. I bought a sequestering agent (Metal out by doheney) it says it can be used even at higher chlorine levels. That arrives tomorrow.

 

[Texas Splash]

We have 3 criteria to ensure algae is gone:
- Crystal clear water w/ no visible signs of algae
- CCs do not exceed .5
- Pass the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

If you have any doubts about those, then continue the SLAM Process. Only after you are sure there is no algae do you treat the pool for iron. When you are ready to transition form SLAM to iron management, let the FC drop back to normal level. Then test/adjust the pH to about 7.4 or so. Then add your Metal-Out product to see how that all works. Good luck!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Since you're actively filtering iron out with the cloth, a lot of people have had very good luck filling the skimmer with fiber-fill batting. You may be able to get a lot of the iron out using that, or paper towels. I prefer the batting as it's not as prone to breaking down as the paper towels are.