New Liner and water already turning on me

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So I took a sample to the pool store and they said it had:
0.1 - iron
0.2 - copper

Is that high? Would that cause this amount of discoloration? I also took just a sample from the hose and it had the same amount of metals. So what is my routine now to avoid putting the metals in the water?
 
Neo337 said:
So I took a sample to the pool store and they said it had:
0.1 - iron
0.2 - copper

Is that high? Would that cause this amount of discoloration? I also took just a sample from the hose and it had the same amount of metals. So what is my routine now to avoid putting the metals in the water?
Click to expand...
I don't know that I'd trust those results any more tan CYA testing. You probably have more Iro than that.... but it's precipitating and not in solution so of course they can;t read it.

Same advice. Remove as much as you can, then lift the stains, then seal all the metal up in sequestrant. Be aware that it does break down over time and needs to be topped up. I am blessed that I don't have to use it, so no words of wisdom on how long it lasts.
 
Our city water in Memphis comes from a giant aquifer which is another name for well water for the entire city. It has iron in it and I have been dealing with iron stains for the 4 years I have owned the pool. I do an AA treatment and 50% water exchange every year, even with my brand new liner. The iron can accumulate in the pipes and filter which can be released on a new liner without any previous iron stains. I took this picture yesterday of the inside of one of my returns and you can see how dark it is.

1589569393374.png
My solution has always been to immediately exchange at least 50% of the water right after AA has been applied as our water is super cheap and the new water has much less iron. I use the polyfill after that and keep my FC low for several weeks but I always do the AA treatment in March when the water is still cold and by winter tarp on to block the sun. I am really surprised you have stains like this so soon after a new liner because you did a 100% water exchange at install. You must have allowed the ph to get very high during your SLAM or just had a lot of iron stains inside your pipes get released.

Here is another thread which I am helping someone with iron stains if you want to read through. I am not an expert but just someone with a lot of frustrating experience with iron stains.

Yellow stains on liner

As I understood the process, since I am not replacing the water, the iron never actually leaves the water, so my job is to keep it suspended in the water which would require monthly maintenance doses of the Metal Free, but it has not even been 3 weeks, and it is back. What did I do wrong "28"...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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It's crazy because my old pool in East Memphis never had an iron issue. Maybe it is just the pipes or something. I am going to pickup polyfill and I got some metal free. How much polyfill do I need, or how often should I change in out?
 
Do NOT use the Metal Free until after you have removed as much iron via the polyfil first. The whole idea of the polyfil is to capture and *remove* the iron permanently. Metal Free just "hides" the metal in solution. It will still be there to pop its gnarly head up now and then.

To get the pool's iron available for polyfil to capture it- add chlorine. It makes the iron show up ugly but thats what you need to get rid of it in the polyfil. You can rinse out the polyfil for re-use, I have heard.

Maddie :flower:
 
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I knew all these guys/gals would come to the rescue! I am trying to learn about this metals business myself as supposedly my water comes from these same aquifers. I’ve never had a problem here thankfully . my water has never been tested by the pool store before either except for salt once. For future reference what are the acceptable ranges of iron & copper?
 
One more question, I am doing the poly-fil and it is slightly better, but I do think there is light staining from being that color for a few days. Can adding DE to the filter help with trapping or removing the iron? Also, how long do I let the poly-fil work? It is only slightly discoloring so I am not sure how long until it won’t remove anymore. Thanks for all the help!
 
Neo337 said:
One more question, I am doing the poly-fil and it is slightly better, but I do think there is light staining from being that color for a few days. Can adding DE to the filter help with trapping or removing the iron? Also, how long do I let the poly-fil work? It is only slightly discoloring so I am not sure how long until it won’t remove anymore. Thanks for all the help!
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DE is supposed to filter out precipitated Iron. I can't say since I haven't seen it myself. And in the past, folks have usually cleared the Iron out in a couple days. Letting pH climb helps, as does keeping FC high. It oxidizes it into rust dust. Stains can be lifted later. Trying to work on them now will stall the removal process as the citric or ascorbic acid both dissolve the iron and react with chlorine.
 
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So I thought I would update with some pictures. AA treatment worked great, the stains lifted very quickly. I know that doing this can cause cloudiness, so I am starting to get that. How long before I can vacuum out some crud in the bottom and add chemicals back into it? Also, I’ve never had this issue before, but my SWG keeps reading hotter and hotter temps? What does that mean? Last year it never got above 80 degrees and it is like at 140 now! Thanks again!
 

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Yes, I am following the steps. So today I am going to rebalance the ph and TA, then slowly raise the chlorine with bleach. Should I vacuum before I start rebalancing, so as not to waste chemicals? Also, I am going to removing the SWG and give it a good cleaning just to be safe.
 
Neo337 said:
Yes, I am following the steps. So today I am going to rebalance the ph and TA, then slowly raise the chlorine with bleach. Should I vacuum before I start rebalancing, so as not to waste chemicals? Also, I am going to removing the SWG and give it a good cleaning just to be safe.
Click to expand...

add the swg to your signature- that’s helpful info that helps us help you.
It won’t waste anything unless you’re vacuuming to waste which isn’t necessary.
What are your test results? If you’re ta is still 50 & you’re ph is 7.2 to 7.6 there’s no adjustment necessary ph will rise on its own with aeration & your swg
You need to raise your cya to 60-70 so your swg can keep up but do it slowly. Use 1/2 the suggested amount via the sock method & retest in few days.
 
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