Printable View
I will be using the Metal Free today or tomorrow and was wondering if there are any tips or just use as directed? I will be adding muriatic acid tonight as my pH is up to 7.8 Can I add the Metal Free within a few hours of the acid or is it best to wait until tomorrow?
Thanks!
Poolbee, my experience with this process is limited, let me see if I can't get mbar to look at this thread, she knows thew ins and outs of removing unwanted metals
If you have MINOR stains use metal free after you have slowly brought down your pH with muriatic acid to 7.2 (over a few days) - no more than 16 oz acid per day per 10,000 gals. You will notice a larger usage of chlorine, so it is best to drop the chlorine down low and add Algaecide 60 (not the fifty or below algaecide as this normally contains metals) to control any potential algae bloom.
If you have MAJOR stains go the Ascorbic Acid route (do a search for this). Drop the pH to 7.2 in a vinyl pool and 7.0 in a concrete/gunite pool. I dropped mine to 6.0 but I would NOT recommend this. Use 1 1/2 to 2 lbs per 10,000 gals of ascorbic acid depending on how bad the stains are. Completely draining afterward is recommended to flush out all the metals.
Mbar is an expert on this so look up her replies.
The only thing about draining, is if you have metals coming back into the water, you will be at square one again, unless you have a really bad stain problem, then as smallpooldad says, it may be a good option to consider. I just make sure I keep any metal in my water in suspension. You can add the metal free any time. I always add the metal free when I open, when there is a lot of new water in the pool, and whenever I see any staining start to form. I would add it first, then the muriatic acid, you can add them within minutes of each other. If you have a sand or DE filter you can put a puck in the skimmer basket - keep your pump running 24/7. When you add bleach - do not add it in the skimmer if you have a trichlor puck in it - add it in the stream from the return jet. Hope this helps, if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Thanks. I think because of the process I'll wait until fall before closing to do this. It's been so hot here (and everywhere) that we"re in the pool every day.
My 12 y.o. had a grand time the other day, outfitted in his snorkle gear, using the vit. C to get the spots off the liner. He was amazed that scrubbing with the MC Magic Eraser couldn't do it but a few rubs with the vit. C did. He was a cleaning fool! Knock yourself out I say!
Anyway, I am hoping we can stay ahead of the stains with the vit.C until fall.
I do not think it is my water, but that the pool builder used Morton's table salt for the SWG. He put in 550 lbs of it. They were in 50 lb. brown paper bags. I remember seeing the word "restaurant" on the bags so it didn't concern me. It said that it was 99.6 or so pure which I thought was fine.
I have learned otherwise;that the anti-caking used in it has iron in it.
So, I don't think it will be a recurring problem. I am going to take my tap water to the pool store to have it tested for iron to be sure. My water authority claims 100ug/liter-not sure how that equates to ppm.
Thanks again for the info.
One big question-since I have a vinyl pool and can't drain it, is there even a point to using the Metal Free? I had been under the impression that it would be filtered out.
You may want to wait until spring to do it - I closed with staining one year and when I opened in the spring the stains were gone. I don't know why, maybe between losing cya, and the ph getting low. Water does strange things sometimes over the winter!