Vinyl liner stain, above waterline

[Rangeball]

In the past we had a water supply issue right after I topped my pool off on opening. I shocked, pool turned brown.

Ran to pool store, they said water plant had a problem and loads of iron in the water. Gave me some things called Ferr-tabs (sp?). Said to put them in the skimmer, leave the pump running and they would cause metal to bond together and fall out of solution and gather in front of my return the next day.

Lo and behold they worked just as advertised. Issue resolved.

A few years ago I was using a copper algaecide, got the blonde hair green result, replaced a bunch of water and quit using the algaecide. Half way through the next year I found this place and started using bleach, and bought some Clorox Ultra, the new stuff with the added chemical that apparantly is some sort of metal sequesterant. The next day I had small piles of brown stuff in front of my return. Looked exactly like when I used ferr-tabs, but smaller quantities.

Do everything you can to get the metal out, don't add any and the green hair will go stop. Well, once you get it back to blonde, anyway

[mbar]

If you are using a copper algecide, or some trichlor pucks now have copper in them, or some time of mineral system, then you should use a sequestering agent. You can take your ph down to 7.2, add enough sequestering agent according to the directions on the bottle (more is better than not enough) and then after a few days raise the ph back to normal. You can tell if it is metal by rubbing a couple of crushed vitamin C tablets in a sock on the stain. If it comes off it is metal, if it doesn't it is organic. If you use any type of copper in your water, then you will have to add sequestering agent on a maintainence plan. You cannot remove metal from the water, unless you wanted to go through a very complicated method. You can however keep your pool fine by keep the metals in suspension.

[ckelly]

Well, I tried the magic eraser. Not much luck, with A LOT of scrubbing, some of it came off, as did some of the liner print

I also tried the vitamin c, without the sock, but just crushed some tables and sorta rubbed it on the stain, didn't seem to do anything either.

Any more ideas? Can I use some form of cleaning agent or perhaps even a diluted muratic acid to disolve or loosen the organic stain? Not sure how the acid will treat the liner, but I know it works great in plumbing, cleaning showers, etc. without harming plastic. I tried simple green too, no luck.

Is the sequestering agent a pool store product, or is there some other sources for it? What kind of maintenance program do I need to follow with it. As if I can't detect the suspended copper, how do I know when to treat again?

Thanks so much,
Clay

[mbar]

Too bad that niether worked. I f the vitamin C didn't work, then I am thinking it is an organic stain. I don't know about the diluted acid on a vinyl liner. I don't have a vinyl liner pool. Have you tried some diluted bleach? Maybe spraying some on the stain, then using a small scrub brush would work ,it should if it is organic. If when the level of the water was raised, it took off the ring, then I would think bleach would work. I know that there are pool cleaners that break down enzymes, like body oils and such, but I have not used them either. Maybe some others can say what they use.

As for the sequestering agent - you can buy it at any pool store. The directions are on the back, and it tells you what you need for a maintanence dose. You will be able to tell if you are using enough when you have no more "green hair". I would also read the trichclor puck container and see if they are the source of copper. Last year when I was buying them, I had a heck of a time finding the pucks without the copper - it seems a lot of companies put copper in them to act as an algacide., Too bad it only causes problems.

[tundraSQ]

I am using "shaklee's" "liquid at ease" cleaner right now and it seems to be working...active ingredient...calcium carbonate....