Please critique my iron staining plan of attack

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If you think there is any chance of a water exchange to some degree, do that first so that you don't waste chemicals. Then SLAM. The AA treatment is all about cosmetics, so you can do it now or later, whichever works best for you.
 
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Momma4 said:
@markayash -- I'm actually in Fayette -- I just use the Atlanta, GA location because I don't want to be too specific on the internet. I've asked on my local Facebook town page if anyone else has iron staining issues.

Oh wow, 10 lbs? I used 3 lbs of AA, and that got all of the staining up, it's just that it keeps coming back. I've added 2.5 qts of purple stuff at the initial treatment, and then three days later added another 1/2 qt, and then if I wasn't about to SLAM, then I'd add another 1/2 qt today. I read on another post here how someone had to do 8 qts of purple stuff, so maybe mine isn't so bad, it just feels that way.

Just talked to the husband about it, and he votes to drain the pool after the season is over. So, I'm headed for a SLAM today. We've had the ladder out of the pool to get it good and clean, but if I'm going to SLAM, then I'm gonna put that sucker back in so that all the nooks and crannies get clean for sure.

Thanks, everyone.
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Strange how it came back so fast..Mine has actually got a little better..I did add jack filter fiber to help my cartridge work better.
I have heard about adding DE power to a sand filter but not sure if it helps filter out the Iron?
 
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Started the SLAM late yesterday afternoon.

morning levels:
FC 21
CC .5

I need to go buy more liquid chlorine -- I bought what I thought would be enough, and I'm out.

but the pool is now green and there's a strong bleach smell. Why would it turn green when I add bleach/liquid chlorine?

When I use pool math, bleach and liquid chlorine are interchangeable, correct? I got liquid chlorine by the case at Leslie's yesterday, it was 10%, but I ran out and had to use just the half gallon jugs of normal bleach at 7.5%. It just seemed like an ungodly amount of bleach to pour into the pool. When I did the first round, I put in 7 gallons of 10%, and the next test 45 minutes later the FC was already down to 2! I'm trusting my test results, but I just couldn't see how that was possible. But I added another round to get the FC back up to SLAM level.

I know my CYA is 80 so I have a high SLAM number, but it just seemed like so much.

I'm encouraged by the CC number, though!!

and I just want to make sure I"m not misunderstanding the polyfill too -- I"ve read the polyfill article, and I don't have the ability to build the big 5 gallon jug, so I have the polyfill stuffed in my skimmer baskets. The little baskets that are at the side of my pool that the water gets pulled through. I have the basket full of it, but not crammed full. I tried half full, but the polyfill kept floating out of the basket. I'm just making sure that I'm not misunderstanding that part and blocking the circulation of the pool.

Thanks y'all!!
 
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Oh, and also -- I have a robot cleaner. I've never manually vacuumed, and I'm not even sure that we have the equipment. There was a robot vacuum when we moved in and we replaced it last year.

I've read on here that it's safe to put the robot in, but I'm nervous about it since the bleach smell is so strong.

Do y'all think it's OK to put my robot vacuum in?
 
markayash said:
It would probably be OK BUT I wouldn't wait a day or 2 if you can. Is the pool dirty?

Is the smell from CC usually?
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theres no debris in the pool. I’ve been scooping out the stray leaf or two here and there.

My CC is now down to .5, so I feel like that’s my only encouraging thing right now.
 
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Thank you @mknauss!! Reading through all of that now.

[edited to add that the green description in those threads are just like mine, and now I understand why I wasn’t getting much staining on the poly fill before - I’ll be excited to check the poly fill tomorrow!!]

Latest reading
FC 31
CC .5
CYA 80

water is clear but green.
image.jpg
 
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Y’all.
Pool is so much bluer this morning!
And I’ve never seen it this clear.
we’re not there yet (we failed the OCLT) and so we’re still SLAMing, but I’m so encouraged this morning. Look at that staining in the poly fill!! We’re gonna take the light casing out and see what’s lurking behind there.
FC 18
CC .5

50E5A564-75A0-40B5-9CE9-BFAB14F02088.jpeg1E33130D-47B8-490C-AE8D-91329E1C55DB.jpeg
 
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markayash said:
Does iron filter out better with high or low Chlorine?
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For us, it seems to be doing much better at high chlorine. But, from the reading that @mknauss posted earlier, what I think happened is that when I put the purple stuff in, that bound up the iron and made them not visible, and therefore not filterable. I think that the SLAM levels of chlorine has broken down the purple stuff, which released the iron (made it angry as per @Texas Splash :ROFLMAO:) and now the poly fill is filtering it out.

Also, we've been adding ascorbic acid on the stairs -- and it's been releasing the iron from the stairs. I know that FC needs to be low in order to do a true AA treatment, but we just wanted to get the iron off some of the really bad areas so that the polyfill can grab it, and it seems to be doing the trick.

But I'll feel more confident with that once I consistently have a true clean and sparkly TFP.
 
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Correct. An elevated FC and pH can make the iron want to oxidize and release from the water solution, hence the color changing and staining. In contrast, a sequestrant does the opposite by keeping the iron in a soluble solution form.
 
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Momma4 said:
For us, it seems to be doing much better at high chlorine. But, from the reading that @mknauss posted earlier, what I think happened is that when I put the purple stuff in, that bound up the iron and made them not visible, and therefore not filterable. I think that the SLAM levels of chlorine has broken down the purple stuff, which released the iron (made it angry as per @Texas Splash :ROFLMAO:) and now the poly fill is filtering it out.

Also, we've been adding ascorbic acid on the stairs -- and it's been releasing the iron from the stairs. I know that FC needs to be low in order to do a true AA treatment, but we just wanted to get the iron off some of the really bad areas so that the polyfill can grab it, and it seems to be doing the trick.

But I'll feel more confident with that once I consistently have a true clean and sparkly TFP.
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I wondered that, this last time I added 2 qts metal magic and had nothing in my filter BUT over time the Iron stains have gotten better..I am keeping my FC down around 5 or 6 and PH below 7.6
 

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