Iron persists - complete water change needed

[Neworldjef]

Hi All,

Many of you have been helpful this summer as I struggled with iron after 20 years with none. I have figured it is likely due to my town having done renovations on water pipes and the fact that my home is the lowest point in neighborhood. Had professional lab testing and municipal water is fine now at my home.

So, I'm going to change out all the water. Should cost about $300. Less than the sequestrant I have to continually add! LOL.

MY QUESTION - I plan to add ascorbic acid to release all the iron before I pump out all the water. Is there any legit/scientific reason/advantage to add sequestrant after the ascorbic acid? Will the ascorbic acid be enough if I'm dumping within a few hours? Is there some chance that while I'm pumping out water some iron will stick to liner and that sequestrant will prevent this? Want to have all my bases covered on this one!

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[ajw22]

If you don't change the pH of the water or add chlorine the iron should not redeposit in the few hours before you pump it out.

Ascorbic Acid Treatment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[duraleigh]

I see no reason to add anything to your water (including ascorbic acid). Simply drain it and fill with iron free water. What little residual may be left in the system will be inconsequential.

 

[Neworldjef]

If you don't change the pH of the water or add chlorine the iron should not redeposit in the few hours before you pump it out.

Ascorbic Acid Treatment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

@ajw22 - thanks. That was my thinking. Don’t want to do this twice! Although I have three bottles of sequestration @ $30 each. Could always get ahead by dumping them all in a few days before Ascorbic acid and dump. Or maybe they are returnable!

 

[ajw22]

If you want to use the sequestrant I would add it after the AA treatment. The AA treatment will have released iron into solution from the pool surface and you want it to bind with the sequestrant and be held for the draining.

 

[Neworldjef]

I see no reason to add anything to your water (including ascorbic acid). Simply drain it and fill with iron free water. What little residual may be left in the system will be inconsequential.

@duraleigh - thanks for taking time to reply. I disagree on this one. My liner and skimmers are loaded with iron stains. Without Ascorbic acid to release, all that will remain when I refill, right? I did not mention the severe staining in my first post. Maybe that changes your thinking?

 

[Neworldjef]

If you want to use the sequestrant I would add it after the AA treatment. The AA treatment will have released iron into solution from the pool surface and you want it to bind with the sequestrant and be held for the draining.

Agree! Great point!

 

[duraleigh]

Maybe that changes your thinking?

Yes. I didn't think about existing stains.

 

[amin36]

I had the iron from well water in one of my client's pool and i used ALUM aka aluminium sulphate for removal of iron and it was very effective and very cheap.
try it before changing the water!

 

[Neworldjef]

I had the iron from well water in one of my client's pool and i used ALUM aka aluminium sulphate for removal of iron and it was very effective and very cheap.
try it before changing the water!

How did this work? After adding this did you have to vacuum to waste?

 

[duraleigh]

I had the iron from well water in one of my client's pool and i used ALUM aka aluminium sulphate for removal of iron and it was very effective and very cheap.
try it before changing the water!

I have not heard of that before. How did you find out about it. How much was it? What was the application rate?

 

[amin36]

How did this work? After adding this did you have to vacuum to waste?

How to Use Alum Flocculant in Pools

How to Use Alum as a Flocculent in Pools for very turbid or swampy pool conditions or even just hazy water.

blog.intheswim.com

I add alum the way CYA is added to pool water.you can let it gradually dissolve in the water

Be sure to put the multiport valve to recirculate or it will clog the filter

When it sinks at the bottom of the pool vaccum to waste

After vaccuming to waste there might be some iron left suspended in the water.put the filter back on the filter option and let the filter capture the rest and let it works for some hours.then backwash it...

 

[amin36]

I have not heard of that before. How did you find out about it. How much was it? What was the application rate?

"Aluminum Sulfate is a double salt with a strong positive charge. Particulate matter in solution have negative charges. Over the period of several hours, the alum molecule attracts suspended particles. Eventually it grows to a large size and heavy weight, until it slowly sinks to the pool floor."

That's the principle and iron is not dissolved in pool water.it is suspended.that is the reason ALUM helps to get rid of iron!

 

[Neworldjef]

I have not heard of that before. How did you find out about it. How much was it? What was the application rate?

@duraleigh - turns out this is standard flocculant. I read about it and discussed on this site along the way. You have to be so careful after letting all the particles settle and then when vacuuming extra careful not to disturb the settled particles. If you do disturb them by vacuuming a bit too briskly, they suspend again and are back in solution. After all I’ve been through and because of the severity of my situation, I want a guarantee it is all suspended and dumped away. Flocculant has benefits in less severe situations. IMHO.

 

[duraleigh]

To my knowledge, flocculant has no affect on iron in solution. I can understand if it has some ability to grab VISIBLE iron particles but I would not suggest the use of a floc for that, either........you simply brush, vacuum and filter the visible iron into polyfil placed in the skimmer.

Iron laden fill or refill water is a big problem but there are ways of dealing with it. I don't think floc is one of them.

 

[Neworldjef]

To my knowledge, flocculant has no affect on iron in solution. I can understand if it has some ability to grab VISIBLE iron particles but I would not suggest the use of a floc for that, either........you simply brush, vacuum and filter the visible iron into polyfil placed in the skimmer.

Iron laden fill or refill water is a big problem but there are ways of dealing with it. I don't think floc is one of them.

I believe there is some advantage in this order: ascorbic acid to release iron // sequestration to keep it in solution // floc to enlarge particles for vacuum to waste. Not for me based on my previous reasoning but may be useful for others.

 

[amin36]

I believe there is some advantage in this order: ascorbic acid to release iron // sequestration to keep it in solution // floc to enlarge particles for vacuum to waste. Not for me based on my previous reasoning but may be useful for others.

The first picture was the picture of the pool at first filled with well water full of iron
The second picture is when i eas vaccuming to waste the sunk iron
And the third is the end of treatment

Anyway certainly you can choose other methods