Metal Magic alongside Ascorbic acid, and bubbles from the return jet

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JulieMorris316

JulieMorris316

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Jul 21, 2017
58
McIntosh FL
Just curious if anyone has used ascorbic acid in combination with treating with metal magic for metal stain removal and maintenance. I had a pretty hefty metal stain problem that covered the whole surface of the pool - walls, floors, steps, everywhere. Just what seemed like one solid stained layer with some splotchiness here and there from random factors. I'm working on a metal magic treatment now and so far it seems to be taking care of the bulk of the problem. I've used 4 quarts as the intial treatment since the stains were pretty solid and right now the water is fairly cloudy from the MM doing its job, but I can tell there are still some lingering remnants and some unevenness from where I may be getting some areas better than others while brushing.

I'm wondering if I can use AA to help clear up the remaining stains and then just also dose with some MM to help sequester what goes into solution and filter it out (if I understand correctly the MM helps chelate metals so the filter can do some work to remove them). Will it still work this way in the presence of AA or does that take the ions to a form that the MM won't have an effect on?

On an unrelated note, I've also had an issue with one of my return jets (the one farthest from the pump) blowing air bubbles. It's a fine mist of bubbles that I first noticed about a year ago but seems to be getting worse over the course of last season to now. I've greased the O-rings on the pre-filter basket and the pump housing and today will go out and tighten up anything and everything I can see that CAN be tightened. Just curious if there are any other pointers or tips on where this might be coming from. The pool water also runs through channels on a solar panel but I've inspected those and can't seem to see any leakage, but I will tighten everything up there also just to make sure. Obviously there's air getting into the line somehow, as the filter basket that sits beside the pump doesn't stay full of water and over time comes to be about 2/3 water and the rest air. At this point I'm just praying it's not an underground pipe issue or something that I'll need to be digging or ripping up concrete for because that's not an option at the moment. :eek:

TIA!
 
Anyone? I *think* I finally found the source of the air leak yesterday so I've ordered some new o-rings and will troubleshoot that once they come in. But I'm really curious to know if anyone has used AA and proteam metal magic together, or if the AA will mess up what the MM is doing.
 
AA is what really removes those stubborn stains (especially iron). Metal Magic is more of a sequestrant than a stain remover. However, I have read some people on here have success with it by itself lifting some staining. I have done a couple of stain treatments with both AA and MM successfully, but realize that you have to follow a specific set of instructions. They are:

1) test pH and adjust to 7.2-7.4
2) let your FC drop near 0 (can be risky in warmer weather because algae tends to grow faster)
3) add the AA powder all around the pool and let it work for a couple of hours
4) add MM sequestrant (2 bottles) to lift the stains into solution
5) add FC back to the pool slowly, checking it every couple of hours and redose with more FC
6) adding a monthly maintenance dose of MM to keep the stains in solution

When you start adding FC back in, you'll find that when you test shortly after (30 minutes), most of it will be gone. You will need to add a lot of FC because initially it will work to neutralize the AA still in the pool. Once the AA is neutralized, the FC will start to hold like it normally does after dosing. You do not want to bring FC to shock level or you risk the stains falling out of solution and back onto your pool surface. I would dose my FC initially to 6-8 PPM and keep redosing to that level every time you test.

If you don't want to risk letting your FC drop all the way to 0, you could start the AA treatment earlier (I did mine with FC at 2). Just realize that you'll need more AA because it will initially neutralize whatever FC is left in the pool before going to work on the stains. I used 5-6 Lbs on my 20,000 gallon plaster pool and it came out great. The only downside is that I used a LOT of liquid chlorine afterward before the FC started to hold. Something in the neighborhood of 8 gallons.
 
Thanks for the info! That's (one of) the things I liked about MM is that I didn't have to lower the FC all the way down. Instructions say to lower it, but I've read several posts here about people not doing it and still getting good results so I gave it a shot. It did get rid of most of the stains so I'm really happy with the initial treatment. Right now the water is still really cloudy but I can still see a few areas that may need some extra help (in the spots with the oldest and heaviest stains). I may just try a second round of MM once the cloud clears and I can really get a good look at it. I live in Florida and have a huge tree hanging partly over the pool so algae and organic stains get out of control pretty quick without the FC.
 
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