What I thought were old iron stains on my cartridge filters, is iron my water!

I’m super excited to see what happens. Let’s make sure this makes it to YouTube!
 
So @JoyfulNoise what do you want me to do with paste of dead crystalline entity bodies? Shall I seal some in a vial and mail it to you, so you can run it through the espresso machine you have between your flame gas chromatagraph and your mass spectrometer in your kitchen? You can PM me if you think the kids shouldn't see sausage being made.

Let it dry out naturally unless you happen to have a thermal vacuum desiccator handy or a Büchner funnel 🤷‍♂️ Then place a small scoop is a glass container and put a few drops of muriatic acid on it. Let me know what happens .... after your eyesight and hearing recovers and most of your eyebrows grow back.
 
So @JoyfulNoise what do you want me to do with paste of dead crystalline entity bodies? Shall I seal some in a vial and mail it to you, so you can run it through the espresso machine you have between your flame gas chromatagraph and your mass spectrometer in your kitchen? You can PM me if you think the kids shouldn't see sausage being made.
I never had the white stuff. @JoyfulNoise will probably figure out a complex reaction that takes a half a page to describe but at least its insoluble and removes without staining. I'm a little surprised your reactions are taking so much longer even though the temp is lower but I guess that's the only good explanation I can think of also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: markayash
I never had the white stuff. @JoyfulNoise will probably figure out a complex reaction that takes a half a page to describe but at least its insoluble and removes without staining. I'm a little surprised your reactions are taking so much longer even though the temp is lower but I guess that's the only good explanation I can think of also.
Maybe you had more iron, mine never got cloudy
 
I never had the white stuff. @JoyfulNoise will probably figure out a complex reaction that takes a half a page to describe but at least its insoluble and removes without staining. I'm a little surprised your reactions are taking so much longer even though the temp is lower but I guess that's the only good explanation I can think of also.
Maybe you had more iron, mine never got cloudy
I'm thinking its a combination of the two. The MM instructions say it works best above 60F.. so their must be some temp dependence in the reaction in there somewhere... and Yeah, more iron, more cloudy, seems like a logical concept that came to mind for me as well if basic stoichiometry doesn't let us down.

But the whole process (albeit longer than a standard SLAM with coleslaw) seemed fairly predictable
1) Adjust chems and pH
2) Throw in the AA and sit back for a good show
3) Adjust chems and pH and Temp for MM
4) Add MM and sit back for the MM show
5) After MM has run its course, Filter-vac-Filter-sweep-Filter the crud out.
6) Reward oneself with a strong beverage

The next time I have an opportunity to pull my SWG I'll see if the pipes are cleaner and determine if I should do this again next season. I am in step 5 and looking forward to step 6. 🍸🍷🍾🥂
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
Maybe try jacks purple stuff? It seemed to work great but who reads directions 😎
My water was in the mid 50’s
I was interested something that would pull the iron out of the water and then be filterable. With the Jacks sequestrants the iron stays in solution.. And then to remove the iron from the pool, you should do a water exchange. That's why I chose MM over Jacks.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
This morning the pool was clear-ish again.. and I swept up everything that had settled the night before back into the water. There is a lot less.. a lot lot less, and I think it will be filtered out in the next day or so. I will run the filter extra today and then I am back on my regular filter schedule. I've decided to give my dropper hand a rest and I'll test again in a few days. I think I have gotten dropper bottle fasciitis from this experience.
 
Last edited:
Well old friend, with the finish line on the horizon you have created a helpful and informative thread that overcame the tediousness and boringness involved.

Through your science-y background and oft hilarious random musings, you’ve created a great read that will help others as they too sip their morning tequila and adjust their naval lint to overcome their boredom.

Well done !!
 
Things were just dandy as I was trying to get on with the rest of my life and not have to stare at the pool all day.. By Wed I thought I was in the clear. Then... my daughter came home from college with her pod of fiends for two days... "Daddy, can we fire up the spa?" "Of course dear, crank it up!" The next morning the pool is a smoky, milky mess again... HUH!?!

And here I thought I had missed my opportunity to take advantage of the white water... nope, this was my chance... So I fired up the water features and let'er rip!
20210424_083043_cropped.jpg
So I think the slowing rising pH from my SWG and the bubbles from the spa pushed it over the edge and brought more Iron out of soln.. but there was enough residual MM to cause a reaction... That's my best theory unless someone else has a better one. It seems to be following the same pattern as the last smokey process.

(Any yakers out there? This is the final boof before the chute into the pool. The side eddy's are hecka fierce so you have to be ready to high brace on impact, oh and you have to beat the dogs away with your paddle on the setup for the drop.)
 
Last edited:
(Any yakers out there? This is the final boof before the chute into the pool. The side eddy's are hecka fierce so you have to be ready high brace on impact, oh and you have to beat the dogs away with your paddle one the setup.)
Lol. Your entire last paragraph is like reading Greek!
 
Like pool talk, every sport has their lingo! ;) Have you ever heard surfers and climbers talk? you need a translator.... And curlers, whoa!
Man, I’m apparently still a super amateur yakker. I can find my way around sweepers and strainers but I’m not in the know of boof’s and eddy’s and dogs.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.