Brown stain on Vinyl Liner

[fbrooks]

Have a brown stain that I can remove very easy with Conquest stain remover. All is well until I bring my chlorine level back us.

As soon as I can get a chlorine level reading the stain returns.
I've gone through this 3 times now.

Any suggestions on how to correct this problem ?

Thanks

[Watermom]

Are you filling from a well by any chance that has iron in it?

[fbrooks]

No. It is not well water. I have had the water tested on 3 occasions and it shows not metals at all ?? That's what is throwing us off on what is causing the problem to keep coming back.

[PoolDoc]

Removing stains is neither easy nor quick. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Metal testing is unreliable (as you've found!) for a variety of reasons.
2. Stuff that "removes" stains (like Conquest) only re-dissolves the metal: it does NOT remove the metal from your pool!
3. Almost nothing that "removes" stains is chlorine compatible; chlorine tends to 'set' stains (oxidize the soluble metal into an insoluble form).
4. Most of the descriptions of 'how' to remove stains, both on and off line, are incomplete or even wrong, because the writers either don't know, or don't want to scare off sales by explaining what's REALLY involved.
5. In most cases, metal removal has to be followed by long-term 'metal management', since most likely what ever route of entry brought metals to you the first time, is still in place and continuing to bring metals.


OK. Where should you start?

1. Let's verify that the stain IS metal, probably iron. Get a bottle of Vitamin C tabs and a bottle of Iron-out from Walmart (or your preferred equivalent) Put several tablets on the stain in an area where the liner shows through, but is brown (NOT on a DARK brown area). Also, put a 1/8 cup of Iron-Out on a spot - but either not near, or not at the same time, as the Vitamin C. If neither one of these affects the stains, it's not metal.

2. Assuming that it IS metal, lets do the REAL test for metals in your house water: the TOILET TEST! Open the tank of a white toilet in your house, and check the interior. If it's still tan or light gray, there's probably no metals in your FILL water. If it's brown, orange, blue, blue-green, then you DO have metal in your fill water. (Ironically, this is a VERY sensitive test for metals in your water!)

3. Managing your stains will be MUCH easier, if you can test your water accurately. Please get a K2006, and possibly, a K1000. These kits will ALSO make managing your pool generally both easier and cheaper. See http://pool9.net/test/

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