Help me understand the iron staining process?

[Jellwood]

Hi all:
Today with my low-grade test kit:
CL 3 (VERY yellow)
PH 7.2

Liner is VERY stained and getting worse. We have iron in our town water and we keep having to top off the pool with the hose.

Pool company suggested sequestrant (Conquest) but I know it won’t last, esp with my high chlorine level.

I’ve read about the AA treatment and also putting polyfill in skimmer baskets.

My question is this: is this the right order:
Sequestrant to remove stains, polyfill to catch existing iron as it’s released, AA treatment if stains remain? We will always have iron in the water due to topping off so I just want to stay ahead of it if possible.

I’m just not sure I’ve correctly understood everything I’ve read . Thank you

 

[ajw22]

Try filtering your fill water through polyfill or the filter below or both to capture as much iron as possible before it gets in your pool. A member is trying to use that filter although I am not sure the filter that can capture down to 5 microns will capture iron that needs 3 micron filtering. We have seen various homebrew polyfill filters posted here using a bucket and other creative solutions.

Pool Supply World

www.poolsupplyworld.com

 

[Jellwood]

Wow great! I will get one of those.

Does it also make sense to put polyfil in the skimmer baskets (like just a big wad of it I guess??) to filter out the iron in the existing pool water?

 

[ajw22]

Does it also make sense to put polyfil in the skimmer baskets (like just a big wad of it I guess??) to filter out the iron in the existing pool water?

The more iron you capture out of existing pool water in the polyfill is less to create stains and turn the water brown.

 

[jkowskidpm]

it sounds like you are on the right track. Its a constant battle with high iron wel water. Filter the well water best you can will help alot. i didnt have much luck with the hose end filter as it seemed to let alot of iron through. Have had better luck with my home made set up using 1 micron biodiesel filters and layered poly, cotton dish towels and paper towels. i use similar process to filter water in the pool, adding the dish cloth and poly into the skimmers, and the bio diesel filters on my returns. The AA treatments work great to make everything sparkly white, but even with sequestering, i get a slow stain return over time. Iron is wierd stuff
i

 

[Jellwood]

I went to put polyfil in the skimmers and it started floating all over the place. The skimmer basket doesn’t fit right and I’m afraid the poly will get in the lines or float back into the pool. Does that happen? How much should I put in there?

 

[jkowskidpm]

i put mine in fairly loosely but fill the skimmer basket full. i keep pump running 2200-2600 when filtering so the poly essentially gets pulled down into the skimmer. could be problematic if your basket not fitting right. you could try the return type filter, or run a separate sump type pump and do the bucket method to avoid issues

 

[gonfishin]

Would putting the poly in a delicates washing bag before adding to the skimmer be an option? (I don't have an iron issue, just throwing this out as a way to prevent it from either getting under the skimmer basket or floating loosely into the pool.)

 

[jkowskidpm]

i would think that would work, as long as its big enough not to get sucked in/stuck in intake tube