We've been running behind, ever since mid-week before Memorial Day. Hopefully, we'll get caught back up this week.

If you find dealing with metals confusing, you're not alone. This is my site, and I've been working with pool chemistry for 25+ years, and I *still* haven't worked it out. It doesn't help that pool chemical companies mislabel and misrepresent their products. For example, none of the liquid "metal removers" actually remove metals from your pool! They can help keep metals in the water in a soluble and clear form, but the metals are mostly still there.

Do NOT use Metal Free -- Natural Chemistry has been changing the contents of their bottles, without changing the labels to reflect that. I'm not sure what's in Doheny's product, so it might be helpful, or it might not.

Basically, the process you want to follow is:

1. Remove as much iron as possible BEFORE the water goes into the pool. We don't have any sure-fire solution at this stage.
2. Fill cautiously, and add HEDP to keep the metal in solution, rather than orange mud in your water or on your pool floor.
3. Filter constantly, so as the HEDP breaks down the iron ends up on the filter, rather than in the pool.
4. Improve your filtration with a larger Intex filter OR a better cartridge (Unicel, rather than Intex)
5. Avoid new problems by topping off with more well water, slowly and by using a trichlor tab in the skimmer.
6. Managing your pool well by keeping your chlorine and pH levels stable, and changing them (when they need changing) gradually rather than all at once.

Here's a list of items you may want, with possible sources. Please note that you probably do NOT want or need everything below!

HTH 6-way *drops* test kit @ Walmart
(A cheaper and acceptable substitute for the Taylor K-2006, if available. Only some Walmarts have them. The kit is made by Taylor.)
Cheap OTO / phenol red kit for daily testing (available at Walmart, if the HTH 6way is not)
K-2006 test kit -- 'THE' test kit we recommend and use. Read the test kit page in my signature.

20% KemTek HEDP @ Amazon
Kem-Tek trichlor tabs @ Amazon
(you can buy locally, but watch out for blended tabs -- avoid if the chlorine % is less than 88%, or if copper is listed as an ingredient!)
Kem-Tek 60% polyquat @ Amazon
(algaecide and clarifier that will NOT mess up your pool -- see www.poolsolutions.com/polyquat.html )
Vitamin C for removing stains @ Amazon (if you only need a little, it's probably better to buy Vitamin C tabs locally)

Unicel C-4607 replacement for 'A' or 'C' cartridges @ Amazon
Unicel C-5315 replacement for 'B' cartridges @ Amazon
1lb Savogran 10621 Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) @ Amazon
Rubbermaid BRUTE Gray 10 Gal Container w/o Lid @ Amazon
Round Brute Lid For 10-Gallon Waste Containers, 16" Diameter, Gray
(Get the super-heavyweight Rubbermaid can if you like, but something similar locally is also fine)

Finally, you can get free 2-day shipping from Amazon, if you get their 'trial' of Amazon Prime. Just be careful to cancel it, if you don't want to keep it.