Is this iron staining?

[aapoolaa]

Hi everyone! Bought this house with a pool a year ago. The pool had these stains at the time. Took over my pool care about a month ago. I used test strips to test for iron and copper (Taylor drop test is like $100). Based on about 10 strips each, current iron and copper levels are zero but I suspect these are from old neglect.

What kind of stains and/or plaster issues are these? Iron perhaps? The plaster is reasonably rough so I suspect there has also been etching. I’m hoping to make some cosmetic improvements now if possible, and in about 5 years perhaps resurface.

Thanks for your help!

 

[mknauss]

Run through the tests in Stains in Your Pool

 

[aapoolaa]

OK - I ran the iron tests in the link you provided--sort of. The result is attached and would seem to indicate that at least part of the plaster issues appear to be iron stains. However, I didn't have any vitamin C laying around so I used 5 of these (Raspberry Original Formula Immune Support | Emergen-C®).

I've order ascorbic acid and intend to run the ascorbic acid treatment at some point. Not sure exactly how far that will take me but it will be somewhere.

 

[mknauss]

Appears to be iron. Folsom should get their water out of Oroville, right? Odd their is iron. Unless you have iron pipes delivering your water.

 

[aapoolaa]

We actually get our water from Folsom Lake. But our water is virtually iron free last I checked—and based on our city water quality reports. I’ll be sure to check iron levels often moving forward.

Only thing I can think of is it must something one of the previous owners did and never fixed. I’ve found loads of neglect-based surprises in this house since I bought it