Stressed out - Cant keep stains out!

Jump to latest Follow Reply
F

FunNsun

0
Aug 10, 2017
4
Doyline Louisiana
Hello!

I have been reading TFP posts for weeks! I have had trouble all summer with iron stains in my 19k, IG, vynil pool. It all started at the beginning of the summer, i went to local pool store to inquire about leaf stains. They sold me Ascorbic acid. I went through the process and had a beautiful new looking pool for a week. As soon as chlorine was introduced stains immediately came back. I have been through this process 3 times now. My third time was 2 weeks ago started process with abscobic acid. I have used sequestring agents, filter enhancers. After reading TFP i thought i would give liquid chlorine a try, been using it for about 5 days (not sure if i am using it correctly). Yesterday i had a chlorine reading of .7, so today i added a gallon (10%). Stains are coming back?!?!? I have found that clorox metal statin remover works better than anything i have tried. I have put several bottles (4) in over the past few days. But again, once heavy chlorinated stains a resurfacing. I have been using tablets in floater and automatic chlorinator, but not keeping chlorine up above 1 alone.

Yesterday my readings are
TC 0.7
FC 0.7
PH 7.2
TA 130
Stabilizer 35
Calcium Hardness 50 ......Does this play a big part in vynil pools? I have heard yes and no
Phosphates 800 ........Does this play big part? I have heard yes and no

I have talked to sooo many people for advice. A pool service guy said my only option to overcoming this problem is a filtration system on our house called reverse osmosis ($2300.00!!!) I just cant accept that that is my only option?!?!
We did, however, buy a fliter for our garden hose. Ecoone. Anyone have any luck with this? I have read mixed reviews.

I have read some reviews on floc agents that sink binded metal particals to the floor then vacuum to waste. Any luck with this?

I also ready sprinkle aluminum sulfate , it reacts with the metal particles and forms a dust that sinks to the bottom and vaccum to waste?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I have spent soooo much money!
Thanks!
 
It's not anything to do with liquid chlorine or any other type of chlorination you might be using. At low pH levels (7.0 to about 7.3) the metals will be dissolved in the pool water. The water may be discolored with a slight yellow or orange tint at this pH when there are metals present. When the pH rises, the metals are not as soluble in the water so they precipitate out onto pool surfaces, leaving stains. Liquid chlorine is basic in pH and will raise your pH temporarily. It's a pH neutral product overall but the accompanying temporary pH increase can cause metals to precipitate.

Sequestrants and maintaining lower pH can help keep the stains from returning. There has been some moderate success with a product called CuLator, helping to trap metals and remove from the pool water. Any way you can remove metals from your fill water, such as a hose filter, can help but the capacity on those inline filters can be rather limited, depending on how much you need to refill.

Hardness should not have much effect on stain formation. There's some anecdotal information that I've read on TFP forums that says a moderate CH level (~200) can help sequestrants work better to hold metals in solution. Outside of that possible benefit in your case, CH is irrelevant for vinyl pools.

Phosphates are irrelevant for all pools. Yes, phosphates are algae food, but if proper sanitation (CYA/chlorine ratio) is maintained, there are no algae present to eat the food. Lowering phosphates can be seen as "insurance" for when your FC drops too low an algae outbreak may happen more slowly, but it's more cost effective to simply maintain sanitation.

If you can get your water tested for metals, that may help to put things in perspective for how bad the situation is. 0.2-0.3 ppm iron is where it starts to be a significant staining concern. Higher than that and it'll certainly be a big problem. If you only have ~0.2 in your water, maybe sequestering and trying CuLator is enough. If it's much higher, maybe filtration or getting iron-free water trucked in would be advised. Collecting rain water for refill could help as well, but then you have to worry about keeping a rain barrel or other cistern free from algae as well...
 
Thanks for your insight! I actually have a CuLator I forgot to mention. I have had it for 2 weeks, I guess I will give it more time. Have you heard any success with an inline mineral pack, the frog system?
I have seen a lot of great reviews for the Proteam Metal Magic, is this a great sequestrant? I was also told to try GLB sequa -Sol. Do you recommend either of them?
 
We used a metal stain remover and something to help the metals combine, maybe thats the sequestrant you are talking about, and we used a CuLator thing in our pump basket. We kept chlorine up and pH up and the stains were out right away and stayed out. I would get your pH up and try the stain remover again.

The CuLator things are amazing and over a month or so really get a dirty tint if you have metals in your water.
 
Thanks!
Question on bringing ph up, I have never used borax so been reading a lot about it. I read if you have staining issues to stay away from using borax because it contributes to the issue. Is that true?
Pool calculator says I will need 1 box to bring ph up to 7.4. Does that sound right? Will this make water cloudy? Add to skimmer?
 
You can also raise pH (for free) by aerating the water.

If you can point the return jet upwards so it breaks the water surface, or run a fountain that will do it, just a bit slower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply