Iron in water source

[stcohen]

New liner in 22000 in ground pool. Filled with well water. Now green-brown. Would like ti REMOVE iron if possible. No other water source available.

[PoolDoc]

You have 3 options:

1. You can remove the iron directly from the fill water, using a "greensand" filter or various types of water softeners, filled with properly selected ion exchange resins. This approach only works with iron that is still soluble. You cannot use this method with iron that is ALREADY orange and cloudy in the water.

2. You can set up a small Intex type pool, to pre-treat the water, and allow the iron to settle, before pumping iron-free water into the pool.

3. You can attempt to manage the iron AFTER it goes into the your pool.

None of these approaches are effortless. The first one is likely to give the best results, but ONLY if you install a large system, and meticulously follow the maintenance requirements to maintain the ion-exchange media.

The 2nd approach is probably the cheapest, requiring a $400 Intex pool and maybe $100 for a transfer pump, piping, and hoses.

The 3rd approach is, of course, what's typically done, and usually leads to stains, since it's difficult to actually REMOVE the iron from the pool, once it's in the pool. You can re-dissolve it, lifting the stains, but that simply MOVES the iron from the stains, back into the pool water.

[PoolDoc]

Filled with well water. Now green-brown.

1. Purchase 4 - 6 quart of polyquat => http://pool9.net/polyquat/
2. Run your filter 24/7.
3. Add a DOUBLE dose of polyquat immediately, directly to the pool.
4. Purchase a K2006 testkit ASAP => http://pool9.net/tk/
5. Purchase a cheapo OTO/phenol red drops kit locally. Use it to adjust your pH to near 7.0 . . . but NOT lower.
6. Order a quart of 60% HEDP or 3 quarts of 20%:

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

7. If you KNOW your pool is already stained, order -- but do not use yet -- several pounds of ascorbic acid:
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

8. Continue dosing with polyquat every 2 days.
9. If the pool remains green, consider adding borax; 60 ppm of borates will make it easier to kill the algae. On your pool, this would require about 22 boxes of 20 Mule Team borax and about 7 gallons of 31% (full strength) muriatic acid. (See http://pool9.net/ma/

The problem you have is that adding chlorine to a pool full of iron tends to make staining inevitable. Ideally, you need to remove the iron BEFORE you begin chlorinating. BUT, you can't let the pool become a slime pit during this period.

[stcohen]

As I feared, would really like to get Fe out. Have been using BBB method for years. Did great until liner need replacing and could not get anyone to deliver water this time in this very rural area.
I have Taylor K2006c & K1000 test kits
Pool Specifics:
IG vinyl; 22,000 gallons; sand filter, 1HP pump
FC: 5ppm
CC: 0.5 ppm
pH: 7.6
Ca hardness: 80 ppm (turns purple, not blue)
Alk: 160 ppm
CYA: 70 ppm
Plan to decrease pH to 7.2 with muriatic acid tomorrow
Will get the polyquat
No stains currently-removed with Vit C
? past point for a Culator or do they even work?
Thanks for your help.

[PoolDoc]

CuLator units work . . . very slowly and ONLY on dissolved iron. If it's orange, or in a stain, the CuLator has no effect.

Use the methods above, but order these:
CCH Calcium Hypochlorite Tablets 50 lb bucket

You can use cal hypo tabs like these in the skimmer -- ONLY in the skimmer -- to remove iron and place it on the calcium residue from the cal hypo, which is then trapped by the filter.

Chemically, what's happening when you use these correctly is pretty complicated, but practically speaking, it's very, very simple. Let me know when you have them, and I'll walk you through it.

[stcohen]

OK, got the chems
6 quarts polyquat
1 quart Jacks Magic Pink
50 lbs Ca hypochlorite

pH 7.2
FC 0
Water deep green, almost clear with Fe sediment on bottom. Vacuumed to waste what I could. No stains apparent.

Waiting for instructions. Thanks

[PoolDoc]

OK, great.

1. Add a label dose of Pink Stuff -- I don't know what the label says, but just follow the label

2. Add 1 quart of polyquat. Then follow that with 1/4 quart every 2 days.

3. Make SURE there is no trichlor or any feeder in the skimmer or in the piping between the skimmer and the filter.

4. Make sure the pump is on 24/7. (Low speed is OK, if you have it.)

5. Clean the skimmer basket, then add 1 - 2 cal hypo tabs in to the skimmer.

6. Report how long it takes to dissolve the tabs. Don't add more than 1/2 pound per day.

[stcohen]

It took 2 hours for 2 hypo tabs to disappear (1 tab in each of the 2 skimmer baskets).
Approx. how many tabs in 1/2 lb. for daily use?

[FormerBromineUser]

Did you weigh them maybe? Weigh a bunch that you can measure on your scale and do some division. (Really just poking your thread because it might have gotten missed). You're doing great following instructions @pooldoc

[stcohen]

lol. Saw that as soon as I hit the send button.
Something slowly happening.
pH went to almost 8, lowered back to 7.2 with muriatic acid
Backwashed filter twice since started this. Discharging milky water, clears with in 2 minutes
Will stick with PoolDoc's regimen