Lead in pool?

[Jstryker]

Lead
Hi there. I'm new here. We have an aboveground 18×33 pool. My husband recently added lead weights to our vacuum cleaner. Not contained and in contact with the water that flows through it and back into our pool. My question is how do I get our pool water tested for lead? Of course once i found out about the lead weights i took them out. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Welcome to TFP, glad to have ya here!

Why did he put lead weights in the pool vacuum?? Has this changed the appearance of your water or tests?

You can take a sample of water to the pool store and ask them to test for metals (just say metals, not one specific) and see what they say? We rarely trust pool store results but since the tests are kind of pricey we let them do their "free tests" for that.

Can you please add a state/province to that "Magnolia" so we know where you live?? Thanks.

Maddie

 

[zea3]

I think you are going to need to order a test specifically for lead in the water. Pool stores don't normally test for lead. Something like this should work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FBMAVQ/ref=as_at?creativeASIN=B000FBMAVQ&linkCode=w61&imprToken=thV.p6Rh52icdjspwfOUUg&slotNum=0&tag=lifehackeramzn-20&ascsubtag=de6a876915f7c4742e5abde3f45eb690e5517ba3&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C1820373735%5Ba%7CB000FBMAVQ%5Bau%7C5876237249237207135%5Bb%7Clifehacker

 

[Spa Owner]

Okay. The weights are usually installed internally in a pool cleaner to act as a neutral bouyancy device. When the cleaner breaks the surface the lead is heavy the air has no weight so the cleanerreturns to bottom of the pool.

Most pool cleaners use lead somewhere to do the above.

Its unlikely the lead will be harmful. Have the weights been severely pitted? If not I wouldnt worry too much.

Pool Stores are unlikely to have a test for lead and even if they did I wouldnt be certain of it. It will be complicated to work out how to treat it anyway. I am not sure of a chelating compund for lead. Not a metal I have had to consider previously. I think in drinking water they use phosphonic acid to complex lead, this is okay for pool use, but may encourage algal bloom if the pool is susceptible to this.

If the pool cleaner is floating instead of cleaning and needs the lead put back see if you can find an electrical pump repair company and ask them to heat shrink the lead for you so it is water tight. Should alleviate the concern.

HTH