New to pool forum - TA problem

[Gregg]

I owned a hot tub quite awhile ago (had it for 5 years), in that system I was using bromine. I've not been doing any chemical water maintenance for at least 10 years!

My wife is concerned about her dyed hair turning green and insisted on pristine blue as it's "non-chlorine".

If I try to go full chlorine now, how much do I add and what do I do about my relatively high metals in my water now?

Thanks in advance!!

[PoolDoc]

My wife is concerned about her dyed hair turning green and insisted on pristine blue as it's "non-chlorine".

Unfortunately, you are now in a "darned if you do, and darned if you don't" situation. Copper can turn hair green by itself, but adding chlorine makes it MUCH more effective at staining. Essentially, your wife needs to keep her hair out of the pool till ALL the copper is gone. Here's what I'd recommend:

1. Buy some polyquat (info page) and use it to keep your pool algae free, till the copper is gone and you can use chlorine without causing copper stains.

2. Keep your pH below 7.2, till the copper is gone. By the way, high TA also makes the copper more likely to stain, and interferes with its ability to kill algae, which is probably why the Pristine people wanted to get it down quickly: they would get blamed for algae, but not for a damaged liner!

3. Run your pump & filter 24/7 -- the metal will tend to eventually come out on the filter.

4. Consider using CuLator packets to strip the copper from the water.

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)

5. If you use the CuLator, then you can ALSO use HEDP to keep the copper in a soluble form, so you can chlorinate AND let your wife swim, without a high risk of staining:

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

6. Maintain low levels of chlorine, 0.5 - 2 ppm, while using polyquat.

7. After a month, the copper should be gone. (The CuLator units work slowly, and only as the water passes over them.)

By the way, if your wife is skeptical about the copper being the source of stains, have her cut off a bit of hair where it won't show. Separate it into two parts. Mix 1 cup of water with 1/4 teaspoon of Pristine Blue. Put 1/2 of the hair in that cup, and then add 1 teaspoon of baking soda (alkalinity increaser) & mix. Mix another cup with 1 teaspoon of bleach, and add hair. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to that cup, and let stand. After 24 hours, remove the hair from both cups, and dry on a paper towel. Compare the colors.