What to do about iron staining...?

[Pharming]

I moved into a house with an inground pool a few years ago. Last year we identified some iron staining and completed an AA treatment, which cleared it up beautifully. We did not however begin adding sequestrant weekly.

Of course this year the staining has returned. I've never used any algaecide other than good ol chlorine, but I have no idea what the previous owner used. There is some rusting on the metal ladder, and I've also noticed some rusty nails in the light, and the skimmer opening, which could be possible sources?

It is a vinyl liner, so from what I understand completely draining and refilling is not an option. I have been trying to come up with a game plan, and so far this is all I have. Any suggestions/tweaks, or an alternative plan altogether would be greatly appreciated!

1- Perform AA treatment again
2- Drain as much water as I can; replace rusty items
3- Refill, and then commit to adding sequestrant, at the tune of ~$30 per month.....(using Jacks Purple, at a dose of ~12oz per week, bought off of amazon)

I really hate to commit to spending that much every month/year just to keep things looking clear...

I guess the other option is replacing the liner altogether? There's no obivous damage to it, but I'd imagine it is quite old, and we really do not like the design anyway. What kinda of cost would I be looking at there? ~$3-4 k?

Please let me know if I am missing anything here, any advice is more than welcome!!

 

[Texas Splash]

You have the right idea. Replacing the liner may only be wasteful if you see staining return. It would help if you knew the source of the iron. It may be from some exposed metal parts around the pool, a pooly maintained pH in the past, and/or from a well. Even some city water can have excessive iron in it. You would know that from porceline items around the house. Pre-filtering is a viable option if you can't have fresh water delivered. Then once the water is clear and the AA treatment complete, make sure to monitor the FC and pH since either of those at high levels can cause iron to react.

Stains in Your Pool

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[JoyfulNoise]

Stay on the low end of your FC/CYA ratio and stay on top of the pool to avoid any algae issues. High sanitizer levels will drive up the possibility of staining. Keeping the pH on the low end and keeping the FC tightly controlled will help. It will also make the sequestrant last longer. Taylor does sell a test kit for various types of phosphonate-based sequestrants so you could try to actively manage the sequestrant level rather than follow the blind maintenance dosing instructions. There is an optimal amount of sequestrant for pools and so their blind dosing regimen basically just overshoots that in an attempt to make it easier for the pool owner to add the chemical. The downside is obvious - you use more product than you otherwise would. But, it’s up to you and your level of interest in staying on top of the pool. It can easily become a chore and then it’s all pointless.