iron and copper

[mbar]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you - I have been battling floods - in the basement, and in my pool!. Anyway, your water won't show metals if there is enough sequestering agent in the water because the sequestering agent bonds onto the metals and keeps them from showing up - it also keeps them from staining the pool and water. It does not matter what kind of chlorine you use, as long as you follow the "best gusess chart", which can be found as a sticky at the top of the chorine forum. So it doesn't matter if you don't use bleach.

You don't have to shock if you A) have no combined chlorine, and B) if your pool is holding it's chorine overnight, and the water is not cloudy.

I would suggest you add more sequestering agent (pool magnet), any chemical that says it will get rid of metals. It doesn't hurt to have more sequestering agent in the water than you need, but not enough and you will get stains. Then I would keep my ph low whenever you want to shock your water, or run your chlorine on the high side. If you have a sand or DE filter you can keep a trichlor puck in the skimmer - it helps to let any metals that will precipitate out stain the filter instead of the pool. DO NOT put a puck in the skimmer if you have a cartridge filter.

Hope this helps, please feel free to ask any questions you may have. It took me a long time to understand stains - and I a still learning!

[szampino]

Sorry to hear about the flooding! I hope you win!

Just wanted to give an update.

Bonni - if you haven't had any luck try what I just did.

Mbar- Thanks for all you posts it really helped a lot.

This is what I did so far. I went to my HealthFood store and bought 2 (8oz) bottles of Vitamin C (Crystals) (expensive but I was desperate). The Vitamin C will bring down the Chlorine levels fast, and Pool Magnet works at 1pm Chlorine levels. Then I followed some of the instructions that Mbar has posted. Turn the filter off, put the C in and I let it sit for about 1/2 hour. Then I turned the filter back on, added 1 qt of Pool Magnet Plus and let it run overnight. I woke up this morning and it looks like the water is almost back to its Crystal Blue state. Don't know how much impact the rain had but whether it was a little help from God or the Metal Forum Gods it appears I'm on the right track.

The next plan is as follows (would welcome some input).

I expect my pool to get cloudy (due to the pool magnet) I'm going to get a flocking agent and try it. Then I'll vaccum the pool.

I am going to slowly raise my PH to (ok) levels. Then I'm going to slowly (did I say slowly) raise my chlorine levels to the lowest possible (Ok) level. I will be continually adding the maintenance dose of Pool Magnet per week.

Q. I was told by my pool store that they make a non-chlorine shock. Do you think it will react with the metal? Do you have any experience with this?

Do you have any other suggestions for me?

[mbar]

If your water didn't get cloudy yet, it probably won't. Keep your filter running 24/7 for a while. Don't use a flocking agent unless the water does not clear with filtering - sometimes the less you do to the pool the better. I only suggest flock when the water doesn't seem to clear once you hold chlorine at the proper level for about 2 days, and there is no combined chlorine.

Here is a link to get ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which I am sure is cheaper then buying the crystals at a health food store, you might want to keep some on hand - sometimes when you are prepared you don't need it (ha ha), that's what happened to me this year!

http://www.msm-msm.com/store/agora.c...scorbic%20Acid

[szampino]

thanks a gazzilion!

***I'm sure I'll be back, but right now, I feel pretty successful that I understand the problem, and can adjust accordingly.

Thanks again.

[bonni]

Thanks,for all the info, I will start the process today. I really appreciate all your help!

[bonni]

My pool has been back to blue for almost a week now, but it is extremely cloudy. I've been vacuuming and backwashing everyday. I have also tried Sea Klear clarifier. Since I can't shock because of the metals, any suggestions?

[mbar]

What are you numbers? cl, ph, alk, cal, cya? Did you use any ascorbic acid, or just the pool magnet?. You can also put a stocking leg over the skimmer basket to catch the smaller particles. After you put in the clarifier, did you turn the filter off overnight? If you see anything on the bottom you can vacuum to waste to get it out of the pool. If you have only used the metal magic, I think it would be ok to shock now after a week. Take it up to shock levels slowly by raising it 1 to 2ppms per hour. Let me know how you do.

[mdecrow]

I too had iron in my water, have been fighting this battle for 11 days. Started by filling the pool with brook water (14,600), adding 4 gallons of super shock 12.5%. Water turned green within an hour. Tested positive for Iron. Added two quarts of mineral magnet - kept pool filter running for days. No better. Balanced pool for alk & ph and added one more quart mineral magnet. Nothing. Got a second opinion at another pool place. Rebalanced water & added 4 more gallons of super shock to adjust free chlorine. Added two quarts of ez-loc drop out. I quart is suppose to treat 40,000 galloons of water so we did a heavy dose. Shut the pool pump off. Waited two days, no improvement since the day we first added the water and got it green with orginal shock. Add two more quarts of DROP OUT yesterday and this morning still no better. Call the pool guy, he said bring him a sample again and we will have to add a clarifier! HELP!

[szampino]

I'm no pro but think I have a pretty good handle on the blue/brown metally water. The brookwater concerns me because I don't know how to deal with Bacteria.

The first think you need to do is drop your ph to 7.2. The next thing you might try is Ascorbic Acid (Vitaman C). My water wasn't Brown it was more of a Greenish color. I used a bout 1 lb of Acorbic Acid for my 8000(+-) gal. pool. This amount may need to be adjusted based on the size of your pool.

Shut your filter down, drop the Ascorbic Acid down the sides of the pool and let it sit there for at least a 1/2 - 1 hr. Then Turn on the filter and let it run overnight. The AA will eat the chlorine up very quickly and bring it to a 0 level. This should clear up the water if it is in-fact metal. (worked for me)

After your water gets clear the next step is to prepare the water for Chlorine. I learned from this forum that Metal in water never disappears, it's sort of like living with a disease. You have to add a sequesterin agent (pool magnet, metal magic, etc) to keep the metal in what is called "in solution" this means the agent keeps the metal from reacting to chemicals (Chlorine). If the agent isn't added, the chlorine and higher PH will cause the Metal in the water to become visable and actually stain the pool liner and stuff. this is called "falling out of solution". To effectively use this site, I suggest you read through all the different posts that have simmilar problems. you will learn a lot.

Keep posting and people will help. I learned a new acronym last week POP (pool owners patience). I'm now dealing with cloudy water and it is definately testing my POP! Good luck

[huskerfan]

Marie was very helpful for me also, in learning to control my iron. She gives great advice!

The only thing I might add/question, is about your comment of using a maintenance dosage of pool magnet weekly. Once your iron is under control, the only time you need to use the pool magnet again, or any other type of metal out is when you have to fill/add water to your pool that contains iron - due to evaporation, splash out, refill after draining down for winter...

You'll get the hang of it, have patience! Our local pool store tried to tell me I couldn't use a DE filter, bleach, or many other things because we have iron in the water in all of NE - - trust the forum and the advice you get here! My pool is gorgeous and glistens!