iron and copper

[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.

[archdiane]

It appears that the iron that was in my well water is almost gone. I might need another bottle of metal magnet to completely finish it. Once my water is back clear, what do I do then? I am afraid to shock it because that turned my pool dark brown and it's taken days to get it back clear. Should I stick a chlorine tablet into my skimmer? I have an 16' x 48" intex AG pool with the little filter that came with it. It has a paper filter in it. At what point can someone swim in it?

Thanks,

AJ

[bonni]

I just did a quick test this AM and cl was 2.5 and ph at 7.2-7.4. I will get
the rest of the #'s when I get home this afternoon. The clarifier did not say
to turn off the pump like a floc so I kept the pump running. I am afraid
to shock because everytime I have done so the water has turned brown.

[bonni]

well here are my numbers:

TC 2
FC 2
PH 7.2
TA 120
CH 300
CYA 70

my guess is that maybe my CYA is too high and the cholrine is less effective?

[mbar]

AJ, you can take your chlorine up to your level according to the "best guess chart". If you have the sequesterer in, it should have binded with the metal, and you will not get brown water again. DO NOT put a chlorine tab in the skimmer with a cartridge filter. You can add regular laundry bleach - add a cup at a time, if the water starts to turn brown stop and put in more sequestering agent. Keep your ph low - under 7.4 but above 7. You can swim in the pool as soon as you put in the bleach. Check often and keep the bleach at the level for your cya.

Bonni, with a cya of 70, you will have to keep your chlorine at a minimum of 5 to be effective. You can take it if to 10 to help get rid of the cloudiness, and if you want to shock, take it up to 20 - you can do this by using regular bleach. I find that bleach works best when coming off a stain treatment. You can add your bleach in small increments to get to shock level, if you don't want to shock, it will just take longer to clear the water, but it should clear if you stay consistant with the bleach and you have no combined chlorine.

[archdiane]

MBAR, sorry I already put the Tab in this morning, before I read your note.:-(, what now?, I have the chart but don't understand it. Should I put the laudry bleach in still?

Stabilizer . . . . . . Min. FC . . . . Max FC . . . 'Shock' FC
=> 0 ppm . . . . . . . 1 ppm . . . . . 3 ppm . . . . 10 ppm
=> 10 - 20 ppm . . . . 2 ppm . . . . . 5 ppm . . . . 12 ppm
=> 30 - 50 ppm . . . . 3 ppm . . . . . 6 ppm . . . . 15 ppm
=> 60 - 90 ppm . . . . 5 ppm . . . . . 10 ppm . . .. 20 ppm
=> 100 - 200 ppm . . . 8 ppm . . . . . 15 ppm . . .. 25 ppm

[mbar]

THis is how I understand it, chlorine comes in 2 parts, stabalized chlorine and "fighting chlorine" If there i isn't enough of the "fighting" chlorine in the water to fight anything that is introduced to the water, you can get an algae bloom. The cya binds onto chlorine and stabalizes it - which is good, because there will be a level of chlorine always maintained in the water. This will keep it sanitized, but if something new comes in there is no "fighting" chlorine to battle it. That's how so many people get into trouble with their water - they have enough chlorine in the water according to the kit, but the chlorine is binded with the cya, therefore not leaving any "fighting" chlorine in the water. Ben came up with this chart to keep you with enough of the fighting chlorine in your water depending on how much cya is in the water. Hope this makes it more clear for you, so you can understand the importance of keeping up with the chart. If you keep your levels consistant, you shouldn't have to shock. Just bring your chlorine up slowly and if you start to see the water change color add more sequesterant and take your ph down to 7.2.

[bonni]

All of the sequesterants that I have seen want you to have your chlorine below 2 before you can use them, is this really necessary? I have a hard time getting my chorline up to 5-10 where it should be, once I hit 3-4 it starts to stain again and then I have to drop it to put in the sequesterant. I feel like I'm in a cylcle that can't be broken.

[mbar]

I always add the sequestering agent no matter what the chlorine is. I think the reason it is stated to have the chlorine low is to give the sequestering agent a chance to work before the metals fall out of suspension when you raise the chlorine. You need it to get the green out - with a low ph it should work. I wouldn't lower the chlorine.