New Pool Owner With High Iron

You water may have a greenish tint because there is some staining. Blue from the color of the liner, with the yellow stains can make the water look green, but so can algae:eek: Watermom is right - I meant Borax not baking soda. However your alkalinity is fine now. Your cya will take a while to measure in the water, so that is why I suggested to leave a puck in the skimmer so that some stabilized chlorine will in the water while the sun is out. It will be impossible to keep your water at shock levels on a sunny day without cya. Until your water holds chlorine within 1ppm overnight, then you are fighting something in your water, and you will end up with another algae bloom. I would suggest putting in a little calcium - sometimes it can help clear up the colored water. But most important keep the pool at shock level which is at least 10- 15ppm like Carl said until it holds overnight. It is true that getting the water balanced and without stain is tough for a while, but once it is done it is easier to maintain. Water is so sensitive to the chemicals, and it is hard to be sure how it will react to the different ones that are already in the pool - That's why we suggest getting the water sanitized first - then balance the rest. It is why it is so good to have a good test kit - this way you can take care of your own water. Try to relax - you will be swimming in a nice clean pool:) One gallon of bleach will raise the chlorine by 5ppms in 10,000 gallons of water.

Thank you so much Marie for checking in on vacation. I hope you're having a great time with your sister.

So, should I add one gallon of bleach at a time (and how much time in between gallons) - sorry I'm a little dense.

I did put a puck in the skimmer like you said - should I replace each time it's dissolved?

I ordered the Taylor 2006 test this am - not sure when I'll have it - I'll bring water to pool store (30 mins away) every couple of days if that's acceptable). It seems the drop test I have is way off from pool store testing.

You test your water as many times a day as you can (2 at the minimum -- more is better) and each time you add enough bleach to get back to shock level.

How high does your chlorine tester that you currently have go up to on the scale? 5?

You're gonna have to test it yourself everyday -- not just every few days at the pool store. There is a dilution method that you can use to make your tester go higher than 5 which is what I expect the limit is on yours.

Take one part pool water and one part distilled water. Mix together and put some of this in your test vial. Test as usual and then multiply the result by 2. If this doesn't go high enough to help you, take one part pool water and two parts distilled water, test and multiply the result by 3, etc. This method is not super accurate but will at least get you by until your kit arrives.

Remember, each time you test, add however much bleach you have to (all at one time, don't have to wait) to get back up to shock level.

Hope this helps and I hope you get your kit soon so it will make it easier for you to clear your pool.

One more thing. Take a deep breath. Now take another one. Relax. This is gonna be cleared up before you know it and you'll be enjoying your pool!

Thanks Watermom. Woke up to coffee-brown pool this am. Several heavy sighs and serious thoughts of just draining the thing. Came to the Pool Forum, read your post, took some deep breaths and now I'm just hiding from it. I'm out of several supplies (Borax, bleach, distilled water, reliable test kit) and can't restock until this evening. I added cal-hyp just so it doesn't fester all day and, unfortunately, that's all I have in the way of chlorine right now - and I put a puck in the skimmer.

Is Pool-icide a crime??? Kidding - thanks for sticking with me and holding me up through this. The only faith I feel right now in this pool is coming directly from you guys.

Someone posted on the forum a while ago that had very high iron in his well water. I don't have time not to search for it - but you can look through old posts. They said every year they add a strong flocculant and after it circulates they turn off the filter and let it sit for 48 hours. Then they vacuum all the stuff that falls out on the bottom to waste. I will try to find it when I have more time, I am off to a graduation. If someone else remembers the post or wrote the post:D please let us know.

Hi Marie.

I actually found a way to remove iron - really remove it. No more chemicals!!!

We took a 5-gal bucket (Fresh Step kitty litter, plastic bucket). My husband drilled holes all over it, he put a big hole in the lid (to accommodate a hose), got his sump pump, hooked a hose from the output on the pump, stuck the other end of the hose in the hole he made in the lid of the bucket, filled the bucket with pillow stuffing (a whole pillow's worth), put the lid on the bucket, sunk both the pump and the bucket (now connected to each other) in the pool. Some batting came out of the bucket and settled in the skimmer - and 15 hours later, we can see under water across the pool (it was opaque brown when we started this). We pulled out the bucket (and gross brown water flowed from it - it made a yucky cloud in the pool), but we rinsed the stuffing out (kept it in the bucket) and removed the stuffing from the skimmer (BROWN), cleaned it and put the bucket back in the pool and clean stuffing in the skimmer. I can't tell you how absolutely amazing this is.

We were searching for pool-water deliverers and making plans to drain/refill. It was going to cost us another $300 - and that plan wasn't perfect, because we still have to fill from our well.

We weren't sure what to expect - but I can tell you, we didn't expect this.

I'm still shocking like mad. I have to test for all my levels today at the store (no kit yet) and we continue to collect the iron.

I'm so incredibly excited - It's not clear - and it's still brown (diluted iced tea with a hint of green) - but not only can we see the bottom, we can see the bottom across the pool! I'm hoping by tonight, we might actually have clear water!!! Then I can focus on getting in it rather than finding another way to deal with the iron - and all that comes with having iron.

I'm also surprised I haven't seen this mentioned in this thread - so I'm waiting for the bad news about this method from you

Further progress, comments and advice continued under thread called "New Pool Owner with High Iron Manually Removing Iron"...

Locking this one, so the other one can continue....

Janet