Help!!! New pool owner with copper levels at 1!

My father recently passed away and now I live in his home that has a 18x36 inground pool, vinyl liner, Hayward sand filter and a Caribbean Clear ionizer system. I took a water sample to the pool store, today the copper level was at 1, I had taken a sample to a different store a few days ago and the copper level was .04. It was probably a few weeks after my dad's passing that I saw that the ionizer was set at maximum for some reason, normally he has it set at either 2 or 3. I'm figuring the high copper in the water was from that but I don't understand why it has risen more since I haven't added anything to raise it. Now I DID add some Algecide 60 as per the pool store before I noticed the ionizer setting.
I'm starting to see what appears to be copper?,rust? spots on my steps and inside where the skimmer basket sits, and a few on the liner. The pool store told me to use 2.5 qts. of Pool Magnet but I've been reading how not to add these types of products to pools with copper ionizer's, true? I have had the ionizer off for quite a few days now, I'm only adding bleach twice a week and if the PH gets too high, a little muratic acid. Please help me, I just want to get this water all balanced so I can CLOSE this pool and finally get some sleep at night! Ph reading today was 7.3, TA 88, TDS(?) 600.

Hi Smoovie;

I guess the first thing you need to know is that, here at the PoolForum, we're not very enthusiastic about using copper in pools.

The reasons are fairly simply:

• copper is a good algaecide, but is NOT a sanitizer.
• chlorine -- which is BOTH a sanitizer & a good algaecide -- is STILL necessary.
• copper + chlorine = stains!
• if you use chlorine properly (ie, BBB method), copper does not produce ANY savings.

Bottom line: we'll help you run your pool well without copper, but if you want to try to continue to use copper in your pool, we can't help.

That settled, do this:

• run your pump & filter 24/7.
• keep your chlorine below 2 ppm for now.
• adjust your pH to just below 7.2 (add acid to reach 7.2, and then add a little more!).
• turn off your ionizer and REMOVE the copper elements from the water.
• once you've removed the elements and removed / turned off ALL other feeders, etc) use trichlor tabs IN THE SKIMMER to maintain 0.5 - 1.5 ppm chlorine.
• wait 5 days, and add a dose of Jack's Pink Stuff (undiluted HEDP).
• brush the stained areas daily.
• continue using polyquat 60 maintenance doses 2x per week.
• after a week, clean your filter and then begin using BORAX to slowly raise the pH to 7.8. Do NOT increase the pH more than 0.2 units per day. DO continue running the pump and filter 24/7.
• Hold at pH 7.8, and then retest for copper. If you are below 0.2 ppm, add another dose of pink stuff, a winterizing dose of polyquat, and close your pool. Otherwise, report back here.