biologically sourced metal

[purplegirl]

My pool water was green upon fill; apparently I have iron in my water due to corrosion in my pipes (brought to my attention by Pool Doc). I am wondering if anybody has any clever ways of oxidizing the iron so I can vacuum the settled rust? My pool is very green and I can't bring myself to let my kids swim in a green pool no matter how sanitized and safe it may be.

Metal removers don't work, I have an Intex pool and therefore an Intex filter (aka: useless) and I'm desparate. I was thinking Vitamin C but I don't know how much and if that would even work.

[PoolDoc]

Uh-h-h, purplegirl . . . you and your family bathe in that water. You cook with it. You brush your teeth with it.*

I'm a firm believer in the idea that folks -- myself included -- cause themselves all sorts of problems by allowing themselves to believe they live in a different world than the one they are really in. We have medical problems, in part because people like to imagine doctors can do something, when they can't. So the people demand antibiotics, and doctors prescribe to them rather than gently insist that people live in the real world. So, we have MRSA (flesh eating bacteria) and so on. It's not *quite* that simple, but almost.

Iron is NOT toxic, except to a few men with some rare blood disorders. Even then they have to drink it, to have a problem.


Why wouldn't you swim in it? I'm pretty sure your kids won't mind. And it won't hurt them. So Mom, man up, and let 'em in!


-- But, to answer your original question, I don't know of a magic wand to de-green your pool --

PoolDoc



* Even if you have some sort of softener, a lot of iron is probably still getting through. Look inside the tank in of one of your toilets: if it's dark brown . . . you are eating and bathing in iron water.

[purplegirl]

Pool Doc you make me laugh. When I saw you responded to my thread I laughed imagining how you were going to reprimand my desparate attempt to find a "magic wand" as you put it. lol

You are right my toilet tank is dark brown, which is funny because I just assumed everybodies tank was brown. But I do not eat with that water I use bottled water for all my cooking, I even use bottled water to make ice cubes. We do bath in that water but my neighbors don't see it. I know it's lame but I guess I am more worried about what my neighbors and whatever company I may have think about us swimming in a green pool.

I just want a clear pool like everybody else has. I don't think that's too much to ask.

But I do appreciate all your help and guidance. If it weren't for your insight I would still be battling with this pool with no answers and a lot less money in my pocket.

[CarlD]

Ben,

Is there a way to precipitate all the iron OUT of the water so it falls to the bottom? Then it could be vacuumed to waste and be gone.

[PoolDoc]

I know it's lame but I guess I am more worried about what my neighbors and whatever company I may have think about us swimming in a green pool.

I just want a clear pool like everybody else has. I don't think that's too much to ask.

+ So, don't swim in it -- just let your kids swim in it.
+ Tell your neighbors you are trying to stamp out iron deficiency.
+ Tell your neighbors that, even though you aren't one of Al Gore's floozies , you are trying to be green.
+ Get a fence and tell your neighbors not to peek: you've decided to be "one with nature" and lose the suits.
+ Get a piece of plastic sign board, and a big magic marker, and put up a sign that says, "It's NOT algae, it's iron! The Pool Doc says so. So there, you nosy neighbors!"
+ Tell your neighbors it's a high tech / dual use pool. You keep your fresh fish in it between swims, so your family can avoid that nasty week old grocery store fish.

I might think of more later.

PoolDoc

[purplegirl]

Hysterical!

[mbar]

You made my day

[Watermom]

Marie,
Isn't this situation kind of like what the poster named labdi01 had where she rigged up some kind of system using buckets and a fluffy material of some sort to try and remove the iron?

[waterbear]

There may be ways to precipitate the iron but I think the point Ben is trying to make is "why bother, it's not worth the work and effort".
The point of a pool is to enjoy it.
IMHO, if you want to play around with strange homebrew filters, ORP and pH controllers, Zeolite filter media, etc. then set up a few aquariums! That's how I got it all out of my system!

(Not saying that there aren't times when "extreme measures" are needed but lets not lose sight that a pool is to enjoy, not lose sleep over. If the water is safe go swimming, I say!)

Watermom, that homebrew filter will work with brown iron oxide (rust particles) that have precipitated out, which is a different situation than this.

Ben, not trying to put words in your mouth either but I don't believe you will disagree with me.

Purplegirl, just tell the neighbors that you had the pool water tinted by your decorator to offset all the lovely purple designer pool furniture and pool toys then go get a purple pool noodle to float on the water and a purple chair to put next to the pool.

[mbar]

Waterbear is right, the filter she made was to catch the brown sediment that was going into the pool. The only other thing I can think of is to add a little calcium to the water. One time my water was tinted green and when I added calcium it turned blue - I still can't figure it out, but I saw it with my own eyes Maybe someone can tell me why this happened. I was shocked, but I added it to my "things that night work" list