Iron in water source

[FormerBromineUser]

Retest FC 1 hour after the tabs dissolve. I am thinking you need more cal-hypo but retesting will tell you. Get FC up to >5.0 SOON !
Please don't backwash (rinses out DE and calcium layer) until you absolutely have to. (don't vacuum to waste either)

[BigDave]

I agree that you should keep FC at or above 5ppm. Use the cal-hypo tabs to maintain FC at 5.0ppm. Let us know how the pool responds as pH and FC rises.

[stcohen]

So, this am pH 8, FC >>5. Pressure at filter and water appearance unchanged.
Slowed return by approx. 50% by adding more DE (used an additional 1/3 cup).
Water began clearing. Vacuumed to filter until began to come out of return.
Backwashed when psi increased and flow slowed-rust in discharge.
Then added 1 cup each DE and polyquat. 1 cal-hypo in each basket.
Will check in am.

[FormerBromineUser]

.
I am optimistic! Good job! Did you adjust your pH down a tad?

It still may take a while, but keep up with the system: DE, cal-hypo, and holding off on back-washing until you must. It sounds like the filter is working just fine. I could be wrong, but I think you might have just been back-washing/vacuuming to waste too often for the system to work.

Don't hurry, but next time you are at the hardware store, get a new, large white bucket (usually in paint dept for under $5). When you stop seeing symptoms of iron you will want to run a metals-bucket test to make sure it's gone. Here's the link so you can begin reading up:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...est-for-metals

[stcohen]

pH 8.0, FC >>>5
Lower pH to what level? Do I want Fe back in solution? What would that do to captured Fe in filter?
Felt like filter couldn't capture/hold Fe until flow decreased significantly.

[FormerBromineUser]

Can you get it down to 7.8? You do need to keep iron in solution, so just a tad.

Hard to tell about the filter cause more than one variable was changed... Just keep up with what you're doing unless an expert chimes in. Your method seems to be working. I am not very knowledgable about filters but I did have PoolDoc holding my hand through the process of removing my iron. He wanted my pH no higher than 7.8.

By the way, just curious. What part of Virginia are you from? My son goes to college there and I spend a lot of time in-state. (Headed there Saturday, actually)

[BigDave]

pH 8.0, FC >>>5

How high is the FC? Is there any CC?

Lower pH to what level? Do I want Fe back in solution? What would that do to captured Fe in filter?

I would wait until FC drops back to 5 and the filter must be backwashed then backwash, bring pH to 7.6, replace DE, start chlorinating with cal-hypo again.

Felt like filter couldn't capture/hold Fe until flow decreased significantly.

I agree, this is good.

[stcohen]

Improving slowly. pH now at 7.8
I can see this will take some time but I think I've got the filter working thanks to the DE. Think I had been going in circles until able to reduce flow which improved the sand filtration.
Live in Mathews, VA... near Chesapeake Bay. Lived in Richmond, VA mostly but retired to our river home last year.
Thanks for your help and support.

[FormerBromineUser]

Your years of pool ownership paid off figuring that out! BigDave was wondering about FC and CC. Any numbers for him?

I got off topic with VA. Sorry, but I love VA. I still have some living relatives there; the rest of them are in Hollywood Cemetery... My SAR and Jamestowne Society (1620) son wanted VA for college. Got accepted at Univ of Richmond, William and Mary, Washington and Lee, and Bridgewater in the Shenandoah Valley. He chose Bridgewater for many reasons, mostly because he made the tennis team. He also made both the tennis and golf teams at VA Weslyan but chose the mtns over the coast. Ok, I'm done.

[stcohen]

No obvious improvement overnight. Pressure up 2-3 psi so probably caught something.
pH 7.8 - 8.0
FC 10
CC 0.5
Not sure what to do right now.