Possible Iron Stain at Filler Inlet

[DavidHDB]

Would love some help here if anyone has seen this before. I recently developed what I think is iron staining at the inlet of my pool filler. I can scrub the tile with green scotchbrite but the pebble tec is hard to clean.

History:

• I built the pool about 7 years ago and have been maintaining it via TFP methods ever since.
• no autofiller
• fill piping is pvc with manual operated brass aqualine valve
• no iron staining anywhere else

Any chance this is leeching from rebar? Or more likely from fill water all of a sudden containing more iron. (No other staining inside house) Should I add a metal sequestrant?

Thanks so much!

FC 4
Alk 100
pH 7.5
CH 500
Salt 3000
CYA 40

20k Gallon w/ spa, Hayward Goldline, Salt, Pebble Tec, Polaris with boost pump

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Can you show a picture of the filler valve and where it’s getting water from? I’d like to see the plumbing job there.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Also, you can cleanup the tile and pebbletek with some crushed up vitamin C tablets in a thin sock or nylon. Just rub the area with it and the iron will dissolve.

 

[DavidHDB]

Can you show a picture of the filler valve and where it’s getting water from? I’d like to see the plumbing job there.

Thanks! Here is a picture of the valve. The supply comes from our city water connection prior to it entering the house. I will try the vitamin C. I believe the pool builder put a sequestrant during startup 7 years ago but I have never added since then. Thanks again!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I asked about the valve because I was wondering if someone accidentally put some galvanized pipe somewhere in contact with the brass. When my pool was built, the plumbing sun had a kid with him doing a lot of the little jobs. When they installed the tee off one my spigots for the auto fill, the kid replaced a brass nipple with a longer galvanized steel nipple to lengthen the pipe’s reach. He then screwed a brass valve directly onto the galvanized pipe. 5 years later the spigot developed a nice leak … the galvanized pipe all but disintegrated internally. The funny part was I never put 2 & 2 together with that spigot when I noticed it was the only one that would give off a gush of rusty water every time I turned it on.

 

[DavidHDB]

Wondering if anyone has any other ideas about this. Could this be a corroding rebar issue? If so, is this something that my pool builder did wrong?

 

[wireform]

I would guess possibly a metal object was left in the pvc line while someone worked on at some point and is just not moving but rusting away in there.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I would a little more digging to figure out what the supply line is made of and where it joins to the main. Someone may have used a piece of galvanized pipe or a galvanized fitting somewhere and the galvanic corrosion is slowly eroding it away. It’s clearly coming from the supply pipe so you need to trace it back from there.

 

[DavidHDB]

thanks, I know my main is PVC and so is the filler line. Cant rule out a metal fitting somewhere underground but would be nearly impossible to find without digging up my yard and landscaping. Considering capping off the filler line and just filling with a hose from the spigot on the house.