Fresh fill, copper water(after review, it is iron) , what now?

[Christy504]

HI! Newbie here, I just filled my 15'x42" fast-set intex type pool with water. We live in the mountains of Honduras and the only water available to us is from a deep well. I filled the pool. Initial ph was under 6.8. I added the pool calculator's recommended amount of borax, then added dichlor2. As soon as the dichlor was added (I stirred it in with a clean broom) the water turned this pretty crystal clear green . The ph is now about 7.7, TA is 60ppm, and the Chlorine is above 3.0 (the highest my kit will read). The test kit is a color comparison type which says "4-test kit" and does chlorine (0.2 - 3.0), ph (6.8 - 8.0), TA, and Acid Demand. I have a bottle of Metal-out plus I haven't used yet. Any suggestions on what to do now? I really don't want green hair lol.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! While that certainly is a pretty shade of green, are you sure it's copper? Is copper a confirmed element in your local water because typically it's iron from a well. With iron, at least there's a chance of filtering some of it out with polyfill or other similar pillow stuffing material through a bucket. While we never want either one in pool water, copper is perhaps the most troublesome with no way to get it out except changing the water for fresh stuff. Sequestrants like Metal-Out are only temporary.

 

[Christy504]

Welcome to TFP! While that certainly is a pretty shade of green, are you sure it's copper? Is copper a confirmed element in your local water because typically it's iron from a well. With iron, at least there's a chance of filtering some of it out with polyfill or other similar pillow stuffing material through a bucket. While we never want either one in pool water, copper is perhaps the most troublesome with no way to get it out except changing the water for fresh stuff. Sequestrants like Metal-Out are only temporary.

Thanks for you reply Texas Splash.
I am guessing copper because it starting turning green immediately while I was adding my first dose of dichlor2 to a fresh fill. I've no way of knowing what is actually in the water here. We don't drink it

 

[Texas Splash]

I am guessing copper because it starting turning green immediately while I was adding my first dose of dichlor2 to a fresh fill.

Iron will do that too, but iron can result in various colors and shades, while copper is often times emerald to bright green. Much also depends on the shell/liner color. Unless you learn different from local water municipalities, I would tend to go with iron first. You can try to filter some out before adding the Metal-Out. If you can't filter, you can do the following:
- Lower the pH to about 7.4 (muriatic acid); an elevated pH tends to aggravate metals.
- Have you added stabilizer yet? That's important because without it, the chlorine is exceptionally strong and disturbs metals. I doubt your 4-way kit has very good testing abilities, so if you never added stabilizer on its own, you can use our PoolMath APP (Effects of Adding Chemicals) to determine how much stabilizer is required to get the CYA to about 40. Then use liquid chlorine or regular bleach to keep the FC balance to that CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.
- Once you add the Metal-Out, you can't filter iron (if that's what it is) until it gets used-up, so use that last after doing everything else.

By the way, if you end-up seeing a stain, test it with a Vitamin C tablet. If that lifts the stain, it's iron.

 

[Christy504]

Iron will do that too, but iron can result in various colors and shades, while copper is often times emerald to bright green. Much also depends on the shell/liner color. Unless you learn different from local water municipalities, I would tend to go with iron first. You can try to filter some out before adding the Metal-Out. If you can't filter, you can do the following:
- Lower the pH to about 7.4 (muriatic acid); an elevated pH tends to aggravate metals.
- Have you added stabilizer yet? That's important because without it, the chlorine is exceptionally strong and disturbs metals. I doubt your 4-way kit has very good testing abilities, so if you never added stabilizer on its own, you can use our PoolMath APP (Effects of Adding Chemicals) to determine how much stabilizer is required to get the CYA to about 40. Then use liquid chlorine or regular bleach to keep the FC balance to that CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.
- Once you add the Metal-Out, you can't filter iron (if that's what it is) until it gets used-up, so use that last after doing everything else.

By the way, if you end-up seeing a stain, test it with a Vitamin C tablet. If that lifts the stain, it's iron.

Great Advice! We just came to the blue plus yellow make green realization ourselves too . I will go on the hunt for a better test kit along with the CYA and muriatic acid soon. Thanks!

 

[Christy504]

Great Advice! We just came to the blue plus yellow make green realization ourselves too . I will go on the hunt for a better test kit along with the CYA and muriatic acid soon. Thanks!

Iron will do that too, but iron can result in various colors and shades, while copper is often times emerald to bright green. Much also depends on the shell/liner color. Unless you learn different from local water municipalities, I would tend to go with iron first. You can try to filter some out before adding the Metal-Out. If you can't filter, you can do the following:
- Lower the pH to about 7.4 (muriatic acid); an elevated pH tends to aggravate metals.
- Have you added stabilizer yet? That's important because without it, the chlorine is exceptionally strong and disturbs metals. I doubt your 4-way kit has very good testing abilities, so if you never added stabilizer on its own, you can use our PoolMath APP (Effects of Adding Chemicals) to determine how much stabilizer is required to get the CYA to about 40. Then use liquid chlorine or regular bleach to keep the FC balance to that CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.
- Once you add the Metal-Out, you can't filter iron (if that's what it is) until it gets used-up, so use that last after doing everything else.

By the way, if you end-up seeing a stain, test it with a Vitamin C tablet. If that lifts the stain, it's iron.

Yep, it was SO MUCH IRON. Good call! We made a polyfil/water bottle filter and it cleared right up pulling out loads of rusty-colored stuff. Thanks!

 

[Texas Splash]