Intex type pool filled with manganese & iron

Hi there... hoping that someone out there can provide some help & advice on our pool water issues. I've been reading different threads for the last 3 hours! Some contain new ideas and suggestions that I will try but I just wanted to get my info out... each situation is different. Keep in mind, we are first-time pool owners. We know nothing! Also keep in mind that in our area, we have no pool dealers. The only so-called help we're able to receive is from the place of purchase.

July 2/11 bought an above ground Bestway Steel Pro Frame Pool from our local Canadian Tire Store. 18' x 48"... 6000gal (23,062L). We're using the filter pump that came with it... flowclear model#58121 (5,678L or 1,500gal per hour). We went with a salt water system... Hydro-Force Flowclear Chlorinator model#58215 .

We purchased the 'majority' of the water when we had it filled. $200 for 4000gal. The water company charges a flat rate for their water, no matter how many gallons, 4000 being the maximum their truck can hold. The remaining 2000gal came from our well! For 3 days the water was perfect, beautiful even! Day 4 the test strip indicated that the PH was low. The place of purchase suggested we put in some PH+... we purchased the product from them and did so according to the products' directions. When the salt water chlorinator came on the next morning to run for its programmed time, within 2 hours the water was completely brown with an almost hazy greenish tint. I'm thinking the chlorinator reacted with the PH+ product. Our well water does contain iron and manganese, but wouldn't the water have turned that color prior to adding the PH+?

Back to our place of purchase, they suggested putting in Stain Remover for metals... that we did. They also told us not to run the chlorinator until the color cleared up. I spent many hours researching online as to how to remove the water without removing the water. For 3 days straight I did the 'white stuffed sock with towel' method. It worked great, although exhausting. I wrapped our filter in a white towel and placed a white sock stuffed with pillow stuffing over the output where the water comes back into the pool. For 3 days I changed the filter, towel and sock contraption every 1-2 hours. The water was back to its original clearity and it looked great once again. I continued the filter,towel and sock procedure for 2 more days until everything came out white with no staining. Day 8/9 I snapped the chlorinator back on just to have the same thing happen all over again. Shut off the chlorinator and began the process all over again. 2-3 days of flitering/straining. We haven't added anymore of the PH+. We have added more of the stain remover product as per container instructions. So, back to the clear nice water. Decided on our own to only run the chlorinator off and on throughout the day. We thought that 4-6 hours of continuous running was too much at one time so we divided up the time and ran it at intervals. This 'appeared' to work for 2 days. Yesterday morning I went out to put on the chlorinator... within 53minutes it was tinted brown/green again. I am back to the filter, towel, sock contraption once again.

We haven't added anything else to the water. We haven't topped off the pool water with more water. Did a test strip yesterday and all was well but the chlorine which was low. The water is slightly discolored this morning... a sort of minty greenish color, but the water I'm rinsing out of the filter, towel and sock is brown like tea/coffee without milk! The color of our liner makes it look greenish/yellow. Anyhow, I shall continue to do the filtering even when the water 'appears' clear, but eventually I have to put that chlorinator back on and run it for its entire duration to get that chlorine level up. I'm so disgusted and exhausted, disappointed and sick to my stomach because of how much all this has cost. The husband didn't want a pool due to the problems and maintenance of one, not to mention the costs! However, I kept harping about it for myself and the kids. We have a beautiful lakefront property but due to cyanobacteria, our lake has been closed going on our 3rd summer, therefore we can't use it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions and/or advice for me? Aside from draining it and starting over with two loads of purchased water and not topping it off with our well water. TIA. Leigh.

There is no easy fix, especially for a pool with both manganese and iron in it. Here are your options:

A) - Drain, refill with purchased water (which may still have metals in it, from the truck). If you are metal free, you can go ahead and run a normal BBB pool . . . until you have to add water.

B) - Swim in brown water. Neither manganese or iron are toxic to swim in, or even drink (in moderation;). Maintain adequate chlorine levels for sanitation. Use normal BBB methods. Very easy to do, but you won't want to wear any 'nice' swim suits.

C) - Go to the pool store, buy $100 - $300 more chems, mess around for a couple of weeks and then give up.

D) - Try to clean up. If you are able to get the water back to clear green . . . you probably can clean it up, but it will be somewhat labor intensive, and will take about $100 worth of chemicals plus a $60 testkit. Another downside? We haven't fully tested this, because none of the moderators have operated an Intex type pool with well water, and so far, we haven't had a PoolForum user who has followed all the way through on this.

If I seem a little weary of this, I am.

We have had a bunch of Intex-type pool owners with well water this year, and most of them have ended up opting for "E", as in you can choose "A", "B", "C" or "D", but they choose "E", because they don't like A-D, even though there is no "E".

We didn't create the mess you're in, and we can't make it easy for you. And, we can't help you, unless you are ready to face your reality, which is not ideal. Your situation is not your fault, but it's not ours either. We could have made it fairly easy, if you had asked us BEFORE you filled, but that opportunity has come and gone. Now,before we start spending time trying to help you, I want to know that YOU have made a choice and are committed to seeing it through.

We've all gotten sort of tired of trying to help people who, after we've spent hours in some cases trying to help for free, aren't willing to follow through in the end. I hope I don't sound heartless, but the fact is, we can only help you do stuff; we can't do it for you. And if you aren't willing to go the distance, there's no benefit for either of us in wasting time here.

PoolDoc

Thanks for the reply PoolDoc - I appreciate that you took the time. I knew there would be no 'quick fix' for our problem or even a fix at all. We didn't do enough research prior to purchasing a pool. I thought you bought a pool, set it up, fired some water and chemicals into it and used it... I'm slowly and painfully learning the hard way! My husband is basking in the glory of constantly reminding me that ... " I told you so dear!" However, it is what it is and I will follow through or die trying!

I'm leaning towards options "B" and "D". I don't give up easily. I am determined to keep what water I already have in the pool, as clear as possible... for this summer anyways. I will continue to keep the chlorine level at optimum and continue to use my 'white towel, filter, sock" contraption when I notice the water starting to turn. I thought perhaps there was a chemical out there that could somewhat 'speed up' the removal process. Maybe, in time, before the summer is over, I will have succeeded in removing all discoloration manually and I will be this forums' first success story. I will let you know! Next summer I will make sure that I do not 'top off' the pool with our well water. Afterall, we learn from our mistakes.

Again, thanks for your time.

Leigh

"B" is what I'd do, most likely.

Be aware that there's a fair chance you'll end up with permanent stains. Also, if you care about a swimsuit, do NOT wear it in that pool. Metal stains are very hard to remove from swimwear, without damaging the fabric. (Especially, Lycra.)

Also, research would not necessarily have helped you; only PoolForum and maybe TroubleFreePool would have given you correct information. The vast majority of swimming pool sites are focused on selling their chemicals, not on solving your problem. Even then, the 'method' I would have given you is unproven. The Intex pools are showing up in a lot of places with bad water (from a pool point of view), 'where pools have never gone before'!

But long as your pH is between 7.0 and 7.8, and your chlorine is in range (see Best Guess chart for the appropriate range), the pool is safe to swim in. And when it is hot enough, people's tolerance for discolored water goes right up.

One key point: you also need to know your stabilizer level: without that, you're not going to have the information you need. You may be able to get reasonable results from a pool store, but if not you will have to get a test kit . . . and strips really aren't accurate enough, when it comes to CYA.

Finally, I wouldn't rule out using well water. On small pools, you will have enough splash out, so that you will NEED to be able to 'top off' without hiring a water truck. So, use this summer to learn how to manage your pool . . . and make plans to do better next spring.