Newbie pool owner with rusty fill water

We moved to our house in January. We hadn't planned on ever having a pool, but the house we liked the best happened to have one, so we decided to take the "plunge". I'm so thankful for all of the information that I have found here.

We just had a pool service open it for the first time. The process looks totally doable for next year, but we were busy and intimidated this first time. I just ordered my Taylor K-2006 test kit, and I intend to use the BBB method. Seems easy enough to me after reading the details about a hundred times.

The only thing I'm not certain of is rust. We are topping the pool off with well water. I know, we are asking for trouble with the well pump, but we figured we would try this time and cross fingers. The pool guy said that there will be visible rust in the water, so I might have to go with something beyond the BBB to remove it. I'm sure I'll be able to find my answer by searching this forum.

If you haven't yet, check out the metals forum in the testing and treatment section. As a trial user, you'll have to log out to see the rest of the site.

If you have any way to top off the pool with other than well water with known rust in it, I would advise doing so. It is a hassle to deal with a metals contaminated pool.

Like so many aspects of pool care, avoiding problems is MUCH easier than fixing them. Even so, dealing with metals is tricky. Here's a list of things that will help:

1. Get a K2006, and learn to use it. Accurate test results are even more important when dealing with metals problems.

2. Always fill SLOWLY through the skimmer.

3. Make sure your filter is in good condition and functioning well.

4. If you have a large pool, and a sand or DE filter, using these tablets as a chlorine source will help you manage incoming metals much more effectively: CCH Calcium Hypochlorite 2 5/8" Tablets 50 pound bucket (Don't get these unless you have a large pool -- they are nasty to work with the 2nd year, if you have to store them.)

5. If you want more help, complete the PoolForum pool info form: http://pool9.net/pf-equip-form


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