Metals in my TX pool

[Katygreys]

Moved from this thread - HERE

Following!!! Tried vitamin C test on left hand corner of step and it worked like a miracle. I want to do AA treatment so this thread is super informative. And yep I have read the TFP AA article

 

[Katygreys]

Adding zoom in of treaded area before and 30 min after. Sorry not trying to hijack!!

 

[Texas Splash]

Good to hear your spot treatment worked. Since you found the TFP AA article, now it's just a matter of picking a good time to attempt the AA process. Sometime between Oct - Mar would probably be best in our area. If you don't know already, ID'ing the source of the iron is crucial as well. If you have any questions about the AA process let us know.

 

[Katygreys]

Thanks!

So yea… I really don’t like the idea of having to constantly add sequestrat. I’m honestly fine with getting the iron in solution and then draining/refilling. But as you point out I need to figure out the source. If my Tap water has iron then uggg. If my fill water does indeed have iron then it seems all pool owners in my area are destined to either have iron stains or keep them in solution by adding sequestrant periodically….which seem like two horrible options!! Still doing lots of reading on the subject.

 

[Texas Splash]

We have a LOT of Katy members, but I don't recall any of them mentioning an iron problem. Any chance your house has old plumbing, or perhaps you have something metal in the water that rusted really bad?

 

[Texas Splash]

Do you find any indoor porcelain fixtures staining or having a dingy/orange look to them?

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm not seeing anything in your Annual Water Report either.

 

[jesse-99]

What plaster is that? Looks very similar or identical to my DB Tahoe Blue, and the exact color staining and aggregate that I get on plaster.

 

[Texas Splash]

I will also tag @HermanTX since he is from your area to see if he is aware of any unusual iron issues.

 

[Katygreys]

Awesome thx guys.

House is built in 2005, pool built 2012 (if I recall correctly), We purchased the house two years ago. The staining was already there and I honestly never knew what it was until a week or so ago and I tried the vitamin C test. The plaster looks beautiful in the areas that I have a spot treated with vitamin C, so I am very excited to do the AA treatment to the entire pool. We do not have any porcelain fixtures that look funky at all. And I know of no iron things that could’ve been put in the pool that rusted, but again, we’ve only been in the house for two years.

Who knows what in the world the pool boys did to it for years before we moved in and I adopted TFP methodology in March of last year….

 

[HermanTX]

Awesome thx guys.

House is built in 2005, pool built 2012 (if I recall correctly), We purchased the house two years ago. The staining was already there and I honestly never knew what it was until a week or so ago and I tried the vitamin C test. The plaster looks beautiful in the areas that I have a spot treated with vitamin C, so I am very excited to do the AA treatment to the entire pool. We do not have any porcelain fixtures that look funky at all. And I know of no iron things that could’ve been put in the pool that rusted, but again, we’ve only been in the house for two years.

Who knows what in the world the pool boys did to it for years before we moved in and I adopted TFP methodology in March of last year….

Not sure where you live in Katy (I am east of Hwy 99 and south of I-10). You have a very recently built home so I do not suspect any old plumbing in it. My subdivision has 3 different MUD (Municipal Utility Districts) and I just received the annual 2022 report for my MUD. There were no violations, and the Lead content was zero and the copper was 0.083 with a goal to be under 1.3 so virtually no copper in the water. There was no info on iron. I suggest you find your MUD district annual report as that would be more specific to your pool water and household drinking water. I doubt it is an issue from the MUD and most likely some addition from other sources.

 

[Katygreys]

Not sure where you live in Katy (I am east of Hwy 99 and south of I-10). You have a very recently built home so I do not suspect any old plumbing in it. My subdivision has 3 different MUD (Municipal Utility Districts) and I just received the annual 2022 report for my MUD. There were no violations, and the Lead content was zero and the copper was 0.083 with a goal to be under 1.3 so virtually no copper in the water. There was no info on iron. I suggest you find your MUD district annual report as that would be more specific to your pool water and household drinking water. I doubt it is an issue from the MUD and most likely some addition from other sources.

I’m in Grand Lakes Phase 3. I’m MUD 1. No info on iron. I am praying for some mysterious and former outside source (fertilizer perhaps????…). But before I do an AA treatment I want to test the tap water just for a warm fuzzy because I’d rather drain and refill as opposed to being a slave to sequestrat additions. Can I rely on Leslie’s for an iron test??

 

[HermanTX]

Can I rely on Leslie’s for an iron test??

They are the only available source. So be watchful and you could take the same sample to 2 different stores for testing.
There is also Pinch a Penny but I am not sure they do iron testing.

 

[Katygreys]

Pondering the source of the iron that caused iron staining in my pool…. Could it be the sandstone coping, sandstone spa spillover, and sandstone boulders/rocks of my waterfall, all of which are reddish and/or orangish in color?

I am curious even if I do AA and then drain/refill (after confirming no iron in tap water) will I just end up with staining again if my pool is leaching iron from the natural stone in coping. Spillover, waterfall??

 

[Texas Splash]

Could it be the sandstone coping, sandstone spa spillover, and sandstone boulders/rocks of my waterfall, all of which are reddish and/or orangish in color?

I couldn't be sure. Maybe next time @HermanTX n gets online he may have some experience with those products obtained locally.

 

[Katygreys]

Ok thanks @Texas Splash . I know that sandstone gets its reddish color from oxidation of iron, forming hematite and other iron bearing minerals. I wonder if pool chemistry could cause the iron bound up in the “rust” of the sandstone to be brought back into solution and then redeposited on pool surfaces. Hmmmm. Should have paid more attention in Chemistry ;-)

 

[HermanTX]

I have flagstone coping and waterline tile as well as boulders making a waterfall much like yours. Flagstone is a type of sandstone but I am not sure of the difference in composition. I have not had any iron staining. This has been on the pool for 21 years. The waterline tiles are in constant contact with the water so no issues from that. I have only changed the plaster once (2018) but it was not due to staining. So I do not think it is your water, and cannot say for sure it is due to the sandstone coping, spillover spa. Rain and water flow over your waterfall may be the cause because it is relatively new. I do not have any orange coloring on my boulders.

did you do your water test at Leslie’s for iron? I like to try to catch a pool service guy as he walks outside to ask any questions so you may try that to get another view. I will continue to research.

Picture of my coping and waterline tile as a reference to your sandstone

a picture of some of the boulders that make up my waterfall

 

[Katygreys]

I have flagstone coping and waterline tile as well as boulders making a waterfall much like yours. Flagstone is a type of sandstone but I am not sure of the difference in composition. I have not had any iron staining. This has been on the pool for 21 years. The waterline tiles are in constant contact with the water so no issues from that. I have only changed the plaster once (2018) but it was not due to staining. So I do not think it is your water, and cannot say for sure it is due to the sandstone coping, spillover spa. Rain and water flow over your waterfall may be the cause because it is relatively new. I do not have any orange coloring on my boulders.

did you do your water test at Leslie’s for iron? I like to try to catch a pool service guy as he walks outside to ask any questions so you may try that to get another view. I will continue to research.

Flagstone is indeed sandstone. We both have sandstone coping and waterfall boulders. My coping and boulders appear to have more red in them, ie more oxidized iron. I’m happy to hear that you have natural stone and no iron issues; that gives me some hope. And while my sandstone certainly has more iron in it, yours certainly has some iron which gives it the light reddish-brown hue. Maybe yours is below some threshold that it isn’t an issue and maybe mine has orders of magnitude more so it is an issue. Not sure, and my pocket gas chromatograph is down for parts at the moment ;-)

I haven’t taken a sample to Leslie’s yet. Hopefully tomorrow. Really appreciate the input yall!!

 

[Katygreys]

OK, just went to pool store (ugg). After sophisticated chemical and elemental analysis, The analytical chemistry department of Leslies has determined that I have zero ppm iron and 0.2 ppm copper. I am not sure if the copper is something to worry about, but my vitamin C tests indicate that I have iron staining so as far as the staining is concerned, I think the copper might be irrelevant.

And to be clear, this is a test of the tapwater that would be used to fill my pool after an AA treatment and drain.

 

[jesse-99]

What kind of plaster is that? Any idea? Looks very similar to mine which is DB Tahoe Blue (diamondbrite I think) .. black flakes of aggregate underneath the blue. Very pretty.