Possible copper stain, less than month old pool

[Texas Splash]

Just a bunch of polyfill in the skimmer basket? I think I've read here that people pick it up at walmart generally.

Correct. That is one way. Below is another.

 

[bpod]

Status report: Started SLAM last night. brought it up to 23 FC after sun went down. This morning it was down to 21, with a 2 CC. Later tests throughout the day have had a CC of .5 or 0, and the FC has generally been around 21, I keep topping it up to 23 just to keep it above 20 with the sun and all that. Also put poly-fill in last night, but the only thing we saw on it this morning was the usual skimmer basket suspects.

I brushed and vacuumed this afternoon, but the brush didn't do much to the coloration. The stuff sloughs off with my finger easier than having to scratch with the nail though. This was after about 15 hours of SLAMing. Going to continue overnight, and do the overnight loss test. If we pass that, that would be the 3 criteria. Is it worth trying to raise it to mustard levels for 24h after that or should we give up and assume its iron/metal?

 

[Texas Splash]

I wouldn't increase the FC to MA levels. Stay at the recommend SLAM level for your CYA. Metals won't just rub off, so I suspect you still have some algae to deal with. Continue the SLAM and leave the OCLT until the very last step once the water is crystal clear and there is nothing to brush or rub from the pool surfaces.

 

[bpod]

So we've been SLAMing since sunday night now. Readings are in my poolmath but CC has been around 1 or .5 the whole time. overnight loss last night was 0. Brushing with all of my might does nothing to the stains. If I use my thumb, and press very hard, and rub upwards with a lot of friction, the stain comes right off. Water is (and has always been) crystal clear. I've read for mustard algae it goes away during a slam and the extra 24h at the higher level is just to make extra sure its gone. This is not going anywhere during the slam, so I don't know what to think anymore.

 

[Texas Splash]

For something to literally scrape off the surface would indicate to me it's organic. You're not going to scrape iron or copper. Might just be you have such a build up it might take a while. With no overnight FC loss and clear water, you should be okay, but the elevated CC is odd. Maybe not enough sunlight to burn-off the CCs? I don't recall from earlier, but did you evert try rubbing a chlorine tab directly on a stained area. Don't leave it on one place cause it can bleach out an area, but move it around a bit to see if it effects the stain?

 

[bpod]

Last two days have been very stormy, so not a lot of sunlight. I have not tried a chlorine tab, but I can try that tonight. We use liquid chlorine normally, is there anything specific I should look for?

 

[Texas Splash]

is there anything specific I should look for?

If that stuff is organic as I would suspect, the chlorine should lighten it up a bit. If so, then you know it's just going to take time with chlorine and scrubbing to cut through that hard layer.

 

[bpod]

OK, still SLAMing, not really making a difference on the coloring. Took a trichlor puck to it, seems to have helped. I took some video with my underwater camera and put it on youtube:

First is showing me rubbing it off with my thumb/finger with a lot of pressure, it not coming off with the brush, and not coming off with normal finger rubbing. Theres also a bit where you can see me using the trichlor puck. At the end I tried to get in real close, because when I DO rub some off, its visible in the water. small reddish particles is what it looks like to me but I dont know if that comes through in the video.

 

[Texas Splash]

Yep, that's organic. It will take time. You don't have to keep it at SLAM level the entire time. But keeping the FC a bit higher than the normal daily range over time with brushing should begin to cut through that stuff. It won't be quick though as evidence by the amount of pressure required by your fingers.

 

[bpod]

So currently, as we've been slamming, we have not been swimming (side from me getting in and brushing/vacuuming since its above ground and has a top fence). If I normally keep FC around 8ish with my CYA, and we keep it at say 13-14 instead of 20 just to help with this stuff, is it OK to keep swimming?

 

[Texas Splash]

is it OK to keep swimming?

Absolutely! As long as you don't go over the approved SLAM level for your CYA it is safe to be in the water. Give everyone a brush and have fun. "party: