I got to this pretty late.. what kind of filter do you have? I have very high iron in my well water, so much so that it will discolor my water when I add a bunch, but my sand filter removes it all in one day if I leave it running. I get no discoloration in my pool from it, but if I try to fill my hot tub from the hose it ends up looking like weak coffee!! I now actually fill my hot tub from my pool and have no problems with it.
(Iron) Discoloration Under Waterline in Fiberglass Pool - AA treament, Polyfil, etc
- Thread starter Apsuhead
- Start date
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
Hayward S244S ProSeries Sand Filter.
I put polyfil in the skimmer but it didn’t catch any iron so I took it out for now. I got my FC up to 4.5 and will start to raise the PH and TA next. My water has cleared up but I can see the AA has settled to the bottom in several places. I’m assuming that if I didn’t add the Metal Magic the polyfil would have worked better? The pool math app said to add 9 lbs of baking soda to raise TA, but how much will it raise the PH? Thanks!
I put polyfil in the skimmer but it didn’t catch any iron so I took it out for now. I got my FC up to 4.5 and will start to raise the PH and TA next. My water has cleared up but I can see the AA has settled to the bottom in several places. I’m assuming that if I didn’t add the Metal Magic the polyfil would have worked better? The pool math app said to add 9 lbs of baking soda to raise TA, but how much will it raise the PH? Thanks!
- Jun 22, 2014
- 48,332
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
The PoolMath APP's "Effects of Adding" should tell you what the impact to pH would be by adding 9 lbs of baking soda, but probably somewhere around 0.13 give or take.
From the AA page:
After AA Treatment
From the AA page:
After AA Treatment
- Bring up your ph and alkalinity, - use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda first, it will raise both ph and alkalinity.
- Make sure you test in between, because you don't want your ph to go any higher than 7.2.
- If your alkalinity is in range, and you still need to raise your ph, use Borax to take it up to no higher than 7.2.
- You can start to bring up your chlorine. You want to do this slowly. It will take a lot of chlorine - preferably using liquid chlorine only at this time, and try to take it up to your minimum chlorine for your cya according to the Chlorine/CYA Chart.
- As you slowly raise the chlorine, watch for stains starting to form.
- If you see stains, make sure the ph is no higher than 7.2, and add more sequestering agent. You should see the stain lift in a couple of hours.
- Do not raise to SLAM FC levels! Do not do a SLAM for at least 2 weeks!
- Make sure you keep your ph low for (7.2) for a week or two - it won't be hard because the ascorbic acid and sequestering agent will help it stay low.
- Once your chlorine starts to hold, it means that you have used up the ascorbic acid in the water and it will be easy to rebalance the pool back to recommended levels.
Where are you trying to get your TA to?
When I add enough water to turn the pool green, I run my pump for 24 hours straight sometimes with the chlorine blast sometimes without (Salt pool) after the 24 hours my pool is back to crystal blue and NO iron stains. No metal magic or anything like that.
When I add enough water to turn the pool green, I run my pump for 24 hours straight sometimes with the chlorine blast sometimes without (Salt pool) after the 24 hours my pool is back to crystal blue and NO iron stains. No metal magic or anything like that.
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
TA target is 70. Here are my latest results. I added one gallon of liquid chlorine a week ago to raise FC to 4.5 but it was back to 0 today. So I added another gallon. I used way too much AA it seems, 3 pounds. My FC never dropped to 0 so I thought I could use a little more. 
- Jun 22, 2014
- 48,332
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Your TA is still slightly low, but not as critical right now so much as the lack of FC. You need to slowly and consistently add liquid chlorine to a point where it creeps-up and holds. No large dumps that could shock residual iron in the water, but you need some to avoid algae. Even in chilly water, you should get to your minimum FC level. Add about 1 ppm worth of FC at a time and retest in an hour or so then repeat. You may still be eliminating residual AA from the water.
Yeah, 70 is about where I keep mine or a hair higher, I'm surprised your sand filter does not eliminate the iron as mine does. Interesting!
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
I tested the FC today and it was around 1. It’s been warm and stormy here so my water is at 58 degrees. My SWG wasn’t showing cold so I set it to 100% and will keep checking FC today. My water is very cloudy from the leftover AA. it had settled on the bottom but I brushed it all towards my main drains this week. Running my robot now too. Kicking myself for using too much
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
My FC was up to 2.5 today. I backwashed my sand filter and it was full of white cloudy water from the AA. Hopefully this will help clear the water, it has been very cloudy. Here is a pic from the end of my backwash …
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
My FC was down to 1 today so i’m still running the SWG at 100%. I did another quick backwash and lots of white cloudy water came out again. Hopefully my FC will start to hold and the water will clear up.
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
Still been backwashing every few days. Got my FC up to 7 three days ago. It was now at 4.5. I’m hoping it holds now. Water is slowly starting to clear. No sign of the iron stains returning.
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
I used the pool hose vacuum the other day with the sand filter on waste to remove some of the powder on the bottom. It stayed clear for a few days before it returned. I thought it was the ascorbic acid but i’m really not sure. I added some washing soda yesterday to raise the TA and PH. Hoping the pool doesn’t freeze the next 2 days 
- Jun 22, 2014
- 48,332
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Nice picture. I wouldn't go crazy trying to adjust levels right now. Just let the weather do its thing. The pH tends to rise in colder water, so you don't want to make it rise either. Right now focus more on ensuring the pump continues to move water so that nothing freezes. You can always come back to the chemical levels a little later once the weather settles down. Stay warm!
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
Since I did my AA treatment and with the pump running 24/7 all winter … I have been getting powder/sand? deposits on the bottom on my pool regularly. Its been driving me crazy. I vacuumed it all up with filter on waste, used my robot, but it still comes right back each time. Any ideas? I always backwashed them rinsed after I did the AA treatment to try to clear the water 
Last edited:
- Apr 27, 2020
- 505
- Pool Size
- 19250
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
My iron stains have returned today. I have a left over bottle of Metal Magic so I guess I will add that and see if it goes away for now. My 1.5 year old Pentair Warrior SE also died the other day. I emailed Marina but no reply yet. My sand filter still seems like something is off, I need to do a deep clean to see if I can find any problems. Fun times 
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,249
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Metal Magic does not lift stains that have deposited on the surface.
The AA treatment will lift iron off of the surface and then the Metal Magic will sequester the metal and prevent it from redepositing. Metal Magic will degrade so you need to add it once in a while or the metal will deposit on the surface again.
The AA treatment will lift iron off of the surface and then the Metal Magic will sequester the metal and prevent it from redepositing. Metal Magic will degrade so you need to add it once in a while or the metal will deposit on the surface again.
What would you recommend as “once in a awhile.” Yearly? Six months? Monthly? Weekly? I did a successful AA treatment and added Jack’s magic in October before closing for the winter. The pool is open now and looks good.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,249
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Read this thread to get an idea why it is not a simple answer other then dose as often as necessary to keep the pool looking good....
Metal Magic and general sequestrant questions
Several months ago, following a sponge test, I used Metal Magic to help reduce the copper stains in our plaster-surfaced pool. At the time, due to carelessness, I didn't lower the FC to 1 or 2, but kept it at 4. Many stains were removed, but some light stains have returned. I don't think I...
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Sequestrant - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com