Metals in water and staining the filter

[kalan]

Hi,
I remember reading somewhere before the big crash that the only way to get metals out of the water was to stain something, preferably the filter. But I don't remember how it was done. A friend has metals in the water and want to use metal out. I would like to tell him how to actually get the metal out rather than just resuspending it.
Thanks Ken

[mbar]

It is very difficult to remove metals from the water. Most of us chose to just keep it in suspension with a sequestering agent. Here is a post from Pool Doc that gives you an idea of what you can do.

Using softened water will definitely help; water softeners remove most metals from water, and not just calcium. However, you may need to 'regenerate' your softener several times during the filling process. Otherwise, the iron can 'break through' and enter the pool.

I need to post a metal removal HOWTO, but I've got to get all the PRE-ORDERS filled first. Short version:

* start with your pH low (7.0 - 7.2)
* do NOT shock when you fill
* do use polyquat for the first week, and keep chlorine low (less than 2.5)
* add a SINGLE dose of a liquid stain/scale product
* run your filter 24/7
* *GRADUALLY* raise your pH to around 7.8, over a week's time
* Then, *GRADUALLY* raise your chlorine to around 10 ppm. Use bleach or cal hypo.
* Make 100% sure that you have no sort of inline feeder. Once you've done that, you can add small doses of bleach or cal hypo via the skimmer ONLY IF the pump is running and the skimmer circulating properly. This can be VERY DANGEROUS if there is any sort of feeder with chlorine in it. Trichlor is NOT compatible with bleach or cal hypo!
* Clean your filter as needed, but not more than that.

If you have a properly functioning filter, this process will cause most of the metals to end up in the 'goo' on your filter. It's especially effective if you can use cal hypo.

It's important that you follow those instructions carefully. The order is important, for the results. And making sure that you have no sort of inline feeder is VERY IMPORTANT for your safety.

Ben