Freaking OUT! Brown stains on my gunite pool!

[waterbear]

SmartPure is the name that Blue Haven pools puts on their SWCGs, Ozone units, and Mineral cartridge systems. As to who actually makes them, it's anyone's guess. This way Blue Haven keeps people coming back to them (and keeps their profit margins up). Del Ozone does make a combo ozone/SWCG called the TrioPure and Autopilot makes the CoPilot addon ozone unit for their PoolPilto SWCGs. My monoy is on the unit being a Del Ozone one.

[PoolDoc]

I know some of this is trial and error and I feel like I'm really getting the hang of the "error" part.

I'll have to remember that one!

OK.

1. Turn off the ozone generator; it just complicates things. If you can get money back do so, but turn it off regardless.
2. See if you can get the HTH 6-way kit at your Walmart (check availability)
3. If not, get a cheap OTO/phenol red test kit. You'll still need the K2006 (see the test kit info page in my sig), but the regular suppliers are currently out.
4. Lower your pH to near 7.0, using muriatic acid (guide page linked in my sig). Keep it in the 7.0 - 7.2 range.
5. Use PLAIN 6% household bleach to maintain chlorine levels in the OTO yellow to medium yellow range.
6. Remove tabs and ALL chemicals from your skimmer, feeders (if any) and system. Then, use the skimmer to add bleach, 1/2 gallon ONLY at a time.
7. Do NOT add anything to increase alkalinity.
8. DO get your pool store to check your calcium level, and tell us what it is.
9. I'm going to have to wait awhile for the stuff in your pool to break down, before we can use other stain chemicals. Otherwise, we could get into an unpleasant mix.
10. Consider using CuLator:

1 ppm Culator, direct from Amazon
1.5 ppm Culator, sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
4 ppm Culator, sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic

We don't know that they work . . . but we think they do, and IF they do, they'll remove any metals that are STILL in your water.

If you get them, get this, too:

Poolmaster 16242 Poolmaster Skimmer Basket Liner

and put the CuLator UNDER the sock -- that way, you'll be able to use it till it's saturated with metals, rather than having it get plugged with pool goo.

11. See if you can get some polyquat locally (info here)
If not, you can get it here:

Kem-Tek 311-6 Pool and Spa 60-Percent Concentrated Algaecide, 1 Quart

You need to keep your chlorine low, to avoid further staining; the polyquat will help prevent algae for now.

12. Do a white bucket test for metals in your fill water -- we need to figure out how the metals are getting into your pool:

+ Get a WHITE clean 5 gallon plastic bucket.
+ Add 4 gallons of whatever water you fill your pool with
+ Add 1/4 cup of plain 6% bleach and 1/8 cup of baking soda. Mix and cover.
+ After 24 hrs, inspect for sediment. Note quantity and color. Recover
+ After 24 more hours, inspect again. Let us know what you find.

THEN

+ repeat the process with your POOL water.

. . . that's enough for now.

[dblomom]

waterbear/PoolDoc,

We have had a TON of rain (and bad storms) the last several days so my pool problems have been put on the back burner. We are supposed to have better weather this weekend so I hope to have something to report back with the information you provided in your post(s). Thanks!

Amy

[PoolDoc]

Just don't make the mistake many do, of letting chlorine levels drop when it rains!

[Watermom]

Funny, I was just thinking the very same thing!

[dblomom]

PoolDoc,

I'm looking at the links you provided and getting ready to place my order(s) on Amazon...
how do I know which CuLator product that you recommended of the 3 to purchase? I can't seem to figure out which one I need.

TYA,

Amy

[PoolDoc]

Did you do the bucket test?

The CuLator products are distinguished by how much metal they can collect. If you have a LOT of metal (lots of colored sediment in the bucket test) OR if you are pretty sure you have metals in your FILL water, you might want to get the biggest one. If you do NOT have much colored sediment, and do NOT have metal in your fill water, then the smallest will probably work.

But . . . either way, you probably want to get skimmer socks, to protect the CuLater from gunk that could otherwise clog it, and render it useless.

[dblomom]

No, I did not do the bucket test...yet But now that you've explained it again, it makes sense that I need to do that first.
Thanks, I'll get that done and report back.
Until then, thx!...
Amy

[dblomom]

OK, life (and a ton of rain) got in the way, but I have done the bucket test. It yielded zero sediment in the bottom of the bucket. Do I still buy the CuLator product(s) you recommended?

Also, I do have an algae problem. Not sure if I had the algae all along or just because of all of the rain. I tried to stay on top of the chlorine test, but apparently, failed. I know, you warned me. I shocked it last night, after brushing the visible algae off of the tile line(s). I turned the chlorine level up a bit as well. The water is still crystal clear.

While scrubbing the algae, my husband dove down to the bottom where the drain is. Is it normal 1) for the drain to only pull from maybe 1/3 of it's length? (it's not a round drain but a horizontal one) and 2) for the 2/3 that it's not pulling from to be very dark (maybe even greenish) in color?

As far as the spots that initially got me to this site, they are still there, they don't appear to be any bigger, smaller, darker or lighter.

I feel like I have so many questions, I hope I'm not too all-over-the-place. I've given up on my pool company; I called them yesterday to get 4 lbs of shock for my chlorine pool (I called 1st b/c they're sort of a drive for me). Low-and-behold, they didn't have any. What pool company doesn't have shock? Really?

TYA,
Amy

[PoolDoc]

Hi Amy;

You can shock your pool with bleach -- 3 gallons of PLAIN 6% household bleach will do it, unless your CYA level is high. (Did you ever get a K2006?)

Regarding the CuLater, we recently got a bit more evidence that that work. So, if you don't mind the expense, keeping one in your skimmer will reduce the likelihood of an recurrence of your stains. And, it should last till it is used up, if you keep it from getting contaminated with pool goo, so remember to get skimmer socks, if you get the Culator.. I wouldn't depend on one to last more than a season, though. You can get the small one, if you like, since you may not even have any iron. If it DOES begin collecting iron, it will discolor.

You *really* need a K2006, even if you don't use it regularly. I don't know what your TA, CH, or CYA levels are, so I can't advise you as well as I'd like.

Also, if you'd please complete our new Pool Chart form -- it takes about 30 seconds -- we can answer your questions more appropriately.

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

And, one more thing: you did the bucket test, on your pool, right? If so, you should ALSO do it on your tap water, to see if there are metals in the water you are adding to your pool!