slimy, gelatinous strings of goo ruin a good dip.........

[PoolDoc]

Sorry it's taken so long to respond, Leyla.

OK. Do this:

1. Get a bottle of Vitamin C tablets.
2. Put a few on a stained area, wait 10 minutes, remove, and then confirm that the stains are gone. (We don't want to use a stain removal process that doesn't work on YOUR stains!)
3. Do a COMPLETE set of tests on your pool water: FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA, and report the results.
4. Do a metal bucket test on your FILL water -- presumably that's where your stains came from, but we need to check:

Bucket-test-for-metals

Then, once we've confirmed that your stains are metal, and that Vitamin C will remove them, you can go ahead and get what you'll need.

I've copied the list of Amazon links that I gave you earlier, and put them below. For your size pool, you'll want

• 2 lbs of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• 1 quart of 60% polyquat
• 2 quarts of 20% HEDP or 1 quart of 60% HEDP (corrected!)
• 1 lb of sodium thiosulfate (to remove chlorine)
• 1 package of skimmer socks
• 1 or 2 1.5 ppm Culator units
• 1 gallon of muriatic acid (Lowes)
• 3 boxes of borax (Walmart)

The thiosulfate is not listed below, but here it is: Photographers' Formulary Sodium Thiosulfate, 1lb

Before you buy anything, read the ascorbic acid stain removal page and make sure you understand what you're going to be doing.

Products for metal control and clean-up:

HEDP is a liquid phosphonate that is pretty chlorine stable, and very good at keeping dissolved metals IN the water, instead of ON your pool surfaces. It can lift recent stains, OR it can be used along side of ascorbic acid, to keep the metals in the water, after the ascorbic acid is consumed by chlorine.

Jacks Magic The Pink Stuff 1qt (60% HEDP) @ Amazon
20% KemTek HEDP @ Amazon

Using polyquat during metal clean up accomplishes two things: it helps kill or prevent algae, letting you run lower chlorine levels, and it is a very good clarifier, that helps you filter out any small metal particles that may form.(Probably available from pool stores, and possibly some big box stores -- but you MUST learn to ID it correctly. See the polyquat page for more info.)

Kem-Tek 60% polyquat @ Amazon
Nava 60% polyquat @ Amazon

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) can be used to remove copper and iron stains from pool surfaces, and put the metal BACK into your pool water. (Not likely to be available locally, except as Vitamin pills.)

Ascorbic Acid Powder @ Amazon
Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C Powder USP Pharma Grade 11 Lbs @ Amazon

The CuLator product is a special patented plastic material, contained in a bag that goes into the skimmer, that can slowly take metals OUT of your pool water. We think it works, and have some evidence that it does, but not proof yet. (Not likely to be available locally.)

1 ppm Culator @ Amazon
1.5 ppm Culator sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
4 ppm Culator sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
Poolmaster 16242 Poolmaster Skimmer Basket Liner @ Amazon (to protect CuLator from being damaged by scum)