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=What are the Effects of Copper in Pool Water?= | =What are the Effects of Copper in Pool Water?= | ||
*Green to black stains<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/i-added-copper-now-what.184866/post-1631184</ref> | *Green to black stains<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/i-added-copper-now-what.184866/post-1631184</ref> | ||
| − | * | + | *[[Cartridge Filter Use and Care|Cartridge filters]] turning a turquoise blue-green color |
| − | *Blonde or gray hair turning green | + | *Blonde or gray hair turning green<ref>https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/538197</ref> |
| + | *Possibly emerald green pool water indicating presence of copper with other [[metals|Metals]], likely copper and iron. | ||
=How Does Copper Get Into in Pool Water?= | =How Does Copper Get Into in Pool Water?= | ||
| − | *TriChlor tablets, sticks, and granules | + | |
| + | Sources that may add copper to pool water include: | ||
| + | |||
| + | *[[TriChlor]] tablets, sticks, and granules | ||
*Shock products with "PLUS" in them<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/causes-for-high-copper.12419/post-102787</ref> | *Shock products with "PLUS" in them<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/causes-for-high-copper.12419/post-102787</ref> | ||
| − | *Algaecides | + | *[[Algaecide|Algaecides]] |
*Mineral systems | *Mineral systems | ||
*Ionizers | *Ionizers | ||
*Deteriorating heater copper heat exchangers | *Deteriorating heater copper heat exchangers | ||
*Rarely from groundwater | *Rarely from groundwater | ||
| + | *Deteriorating copper water pipes in your house. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Copper may be in pool chemicals and not disclosed in the ingredients. Sometimes the word “blu” or “blue” on the product label indicates copper is in the product. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Even though city water does not contain a lot of copper, the water coming out of your backyard faucet may contain a significant amount of copper. And that is because some houses have copper plumbing throughout and if that plumbing is not properly grounded, copper can jump off the pipe at the faucet and build up in your pool water.<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/copper-mystery-need-advice.266246/post-2331459</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | You should have water from the faucet you fill your pool with tested for copper to determine if that is what is occurring. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This issue happened to a pool many years ago. The water was tested in the front of house and no copper was found, which confirmed the city water report. Then the water was tested at the backyard faucet and it contain a lot of copper. A plumber was called to check the house plumbing, which had copper piping, and he found some aluminum bonding fittings that were loose. He changed them to copper fittings and made them very tight. Problem corrected. Drained pool, performed acid wash, and re-filled with copper free water. | ||
=How to Test for Copper In Pool Water= | =How to Test for Copper In Pool Water= | ||
Latest revision as of 14:29, 21 September 2023
You do Not Want Copper in Your Pool Water
You do not want copper in pool water. Yet manufacturers are adding copper to many pool products. Products names or labels that say "Blue" are a hint the product contains copper. Alternative sanitizers and "chemical free" pools--The Truth! discusses why copper is put in pool products.
Copper can only be permanently removed from pool water by replacing the water.
In general, less than 0.5 ppm copper will likely not have much effect on pool water. 0.3 ppm is even safer. Over 0.5 ppm you may have some staining or water discoloration, depending on pH.[1]
What are the Effects of Copper in Pool Water?
- Green to black stains[2]
- Cartridge filters turning a turquoise blue-green color
- Blonde or gray hair turning green[3]
- Possibly emerald green pool water indicating presence of copper with other Metals, likely copper and iron.
How Does Copper Get Into in Pool Water?
Sources that may add copper to pool water include:
- TriChlor tablets, sticks, and granules
- Shock products with "PLUS" in them[4]
- Algaecides
- Mineral systems
- Ionizers
- Deteriorating heater copper heat exchangers
- Rarely from groundwater
- Deteriorating copper water pipes in your house.
Copper may be in pool chemicals and not disclosed in the ingredients. Sometimes the word “blu” or “blue” on the product label indicates copper is in the product.
Even though city water does not contain a lot of copper, the water coming out of your backyard faucet may contain a significant amount of copper. And that is because some houses have copper plumbing throughout and if that plumbing is not properly grounded, copper can jump off the pipe at the faucet and build up in your pool water.[5]
You should have water from the faucet you fill your pool with tested for copper to determine if that is what is occurring.
This issue happened to a pool many years ago. The water was tested in the front of house and no copper was found, which confirmed the city water report. Then the water was tested at the backyard faucet and it contain a lot of copper. A plumber was called to check the house plumbing, which had copper piping, and he found some aluminum bonding fittings that were loose. He changed them to copper fittings and made them very tight. Problem corrected. Drained pool, performed acid wash, and re-filled with copper free water.
How to Test for Copper In Pool Water
Taylor Technologies has the K-1264 test kit for copper and iron.[6] It is expensive if you are going to use it one time.
Find a pool store that can do a "total copper" test, not just a "free copper" test. Free copper is just the amount of copper ions in solution but does not typically include copper that is sequestered by a metal sequestrant chemical. Total copper uses an acid digestion step which frees up all the copper in solutions and gives you a total amount. [7]
Copper tests only test for copper in the water. So, any copper in stains or that is sequestered will not show up on a "free copper" test.[8]
How to Remove Copper Stains
Copper stain treatment does not remove the copper from your water, it only removes the solid copper stain from the wall by making it dissolve back into solution. So you still have copper in your water.
Sulfamic acid ([NH2]HSO3) is normally used to remove copper stains. Although it is extremely effective at lifting stains, sulfamic acid drastically affects water chemistry.[9] You find Sulfamic acid in Jacks Magic #2 Copper and Scale Stuff.
The most effective sequesterants for copper are based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives. Some of the top sequestrants are:
- ProTeam's Metal Magic
- Jack's Magic The Pink Stuff (regular)
- The Blue Stuff (fresh plaster)
- The Purple Stuff (salt)
Jack’s Product Faq says while both products can be used to help remove any kind of metal, The Pink Stuff is more aggressive with iron stains and scale and The Blue Stuff is more aggressive with copper stains and scale.[10]
Metal Free is not one of the sequestrants we recommend, it is inferior to the other choices. You can also find other brands with similar active ingredients, some of which are noticeably less expensive.[11]
Sequestrant doesn't get rid of metals, it just holds on to them so that they can't form stains. Sequestrant wears out slowly and must be constantly replaced. The only way to get rid of metals is to replace water with some water that doesn't have metals in it.[12]
Jacks says that copper captured by their sequestrant can be filtered out and removed with a filter cleaning or backwash.
Read the copper section Stains in Your Pool for more on removing copper stains.
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-much-copper-is-too-much-copper.123694/post-1093280
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/i-added-copper-now-what.184866/post-1631184
- ↑ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/538197
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/causes-for-high-copper.12419/post-102787
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/copper-mystery-need-advice.266246/post-2331459
- ↑ https://taylortechnologies.com/en/Image/GetDocument/580
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-much-copper-is-too-much-copper.123694/post-1093342
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-much-copper-is-too-much-copper.123694/post-1093293
- ↑ https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/differentiating-stains-and-determining-treatment/3/
- ↑ https://jacksmagic.com/product/metal-solution-too-the-blue-stuff/
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/copper-green-pool.62536/post-532105
- ↑ https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/causes-for-high-copper.12419/post-101174
