How Do I Remove Metal and Stains From My Pool?

[rusty37]

I am preparing to start installing my AGP as may know if you saw my first post, but here is another question. I am on well water so I will have a truck fill the pool. Problem is with keeping the water topped off, I would have to use our water. In the past we had tried a couple of different "easy up" style inflatable pools and filled them with the well water. As soon as chlorine was added the water turned heavy yellow and would stain your bathing suit. I believe the chlorine was bringing out the iron in the water.
Since I know already I cannot use chlorine what would be an acceptable substitute?

[sunlove]

You can still use chlorine if you have metals :)

[rusty37]

do the sequesters really work? I know on the small pools I tried one and it did not clear up the pool, and the cartridge type filter would get dirty quick. Is it a matter of the filter unit being too small to really do the job? I just dont want to end up with a huge brown pool.

[PoolDoc]

Sequestrants 'work', though some work rather poorly, and I suspect none 'work' the way you mean. All they do is keep iron (or other metals) dissolved; they don't get rid of them

The ONLY way to get rid of the metals, is to get them out of the pool,

by causing them to settle to the bottom of the pool, and then vacuuming them out, OR
by filtering them out, OR
by using the CuLator* units to capture them, while they are still soluble.
So, having a cartridge filter "get dirty quick" is EXACTLY what you want, because when you wash that dirt off, you have removed that much of the metals. The small filters that come with Intex pools make it harder to remove them, either because they fail to capture the metals, OR because they stop up so quickly.

Getting a LARGER Intex filter will make it easier, as will replacing they Intex cartridges with higher grade US-made cartridges that will last all season, if properly cleaned each time. This is pretty easy to do IF you have a least a pair of cartridges, and preferably, with metals, three cartridges.

* We think, but are not completely sure yet, that these work more or less as claimed.

[rusty37]

I will have to see what filter setup I have that came with my doughboy pool, if needed I can change styles. Do the earth filters work better than the media style when it comes to removing metals from the water?

[PoolDoc]

Not necessarily. But DE (diatomaceous earth) filters don't have as much of a problem with over-sized pumps blowing dirt through, as sand filters do. And, virtually all AG pool combos oversize the pump, and undersize the filter.

[rusty37]

so even if my pool water ends up yellow, I can get the metals out and get the water clear? I guess my main concern is the liner getting stained, when this happened to my small ezup pool the water would stain your bathing suit brown if you got in it.

[aylad]

You can use ascorbic acid to remove metal staining, once you get the metals under control. Take a look at the sticky in the "metals" forum, written by mbar for more information.

[mbar]

There are also some posts that describe making a filter from batting on the hose while topping off with your hose. The main thing to do is to put in a sequestering agent before you put in the chlorine. Keep your ph on the low side (7.2- 7.4) Make sure you keep up with the pool so that you don't have to shock. Keep in mind that high ph with high chlorine is what causes the metals to fall out of the water. Follow the best guess chart - meaning keep your chlorine levels in line with your cya levels so that you keep your chlorine at the lower end of the chart. I know this is a lot of info - so if you have any questions it is easier for me to answer them as you ask

[rusty37]

all great info since I am learning all I can about the chemistry of the water. What is CYA level? What is added to the water other than the sequester to adjust the PH level to where I need it before adding the chlorine?

[Watermom]

CYA is cyanuric acid and is kind of like 'sunscreen' for your chlorine. Without it, the chlorine in your pool will be lost fast especially on a hot, sunny day. For most pools, we suggest a CYA reading of around 40-50. You can either add it separately or use a stabilized form of chlorine such as trichlor pucks or dichlor shock powder, both of which have CYA in them as well as chlorine. What are you planning to use as your source of chlorine? Trichlor tabs would be a good choice for you. (See the other thread linked below as to why that is.)

To adjust pH, you use 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart) to raise it and muriatic acid to lower it. (There is a link in my signature explaining how to use muriatic acid.)

Here is another thread where Ben just made a post for another member who is also dealing with metals. It might help you to read it as well.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?16812-Filter-Aid&p=93958#post93958