Pro Team Metal Magic Problems

[derrikm]

I have a 10 year old IG 10,000 gal plaster pool. I have had dark brown metal stains (appear to be from nails) on the floor ever since I bought the house and pool several years ago. Also my CH is extremely high at about 650, mainly due to my high calcium fill water (400ppm). I have been using the BBB method for about 1 ½ years now with excellent results. I have not had a single algae bloom and water has been crystal clear all year.

Last Monday (7 days ago) I lowered my CL to about 2 ppm and my ph to 7.2, then I added 1 ½ qts of Pro Team Metal magic in an effort to remove the metal stains. The literature also stated that it would help reduce CH in the process. The water turned to milky white cloudy. I assume that is the calcium, which has bonded together into filterable sized particles. The filter is able to slowly clear the water. I have been removing and cleaning my cartridge filter at least twice a day, as the pressure rises. The filter is loaded with white residue, which I am able to clean easily until the water flows clear. I can see and feel that a lot of the old calcium scale buildup is being removed from the floor of the pool. The floor feels a lot smoother and also has a better appearance.

After cleaning and restarting the filter I have been adding bleach to bring my CL back up to about 2 ppm. Within a few minutes of adding the bleach, the cloudiness becomes more prominent again. Seems that I am right in the middle of a vicious cycle here. Filter does it’s job and then bleach seems to produce more cloudiness.

My numbers as of last evening after cleaning filter and adding bleach are as follows:

TC – 2.0
FC – 2.0
CC – 0
PH – 7.2
TA – 80
CYA – 55

I have not been testing for CH because I assume it is still very high due to the ever-returning cloudiness.

What to do? Seems like I’m running in circles here. Anyone else had this experience? I do have quite a bit of patience as long as I know I am on the right track. But it seems the track is obscured by my ever returning cloudiness.

[waterbear]

post your calcium numbers....also bring your fc up by 1 ppm per day after the treatment

[derrikm]

post your calcium numbers....also bring your fc up by 1 ppm per day after the treatment

New numbers as of Noon today:

TC - 0
PH - 7.4
TA - 80
CH - 600 (No change dispite 6 days of filtering??)

All tests performed with PS234.

Question concerning raising CL by 1ppm per day. I've been bringing it back to 2ppm each day, usually drops back down to about .5 or zero). If I take it back to 2ppm this afternoon, and it drops to zero or .5 by tomorrow, do I then take it to 3ppm tomorrow anyway? 4ppm the next day, etc? Do I need to continually check it and add bleach during the day to keep it at that days level?

With full sun most of the day, and these low levels of CL, it is almost guaranteed to drop to close to zero during the day unless I continually add bleach. Prior to this treatment I was running the pool at about 5ppm due to 50ppm CYA level.

[mbar]

You are precipitating metals out of the water when you add bleach - this is a good thing - the metal magic is binding with the metals turning them into a salt so that they can be filtered out. I would take the chlorine up to 5ppms - doing it slowly by using bleach - I would put 1/2 jug of bleach in, let it cloud, and add more. Get it up to 5 or 6ppms. You are losing the chlorine because the chlorine is getting used up with the metal magic. It is clearing the pool. You can also use a floc if you run out of patience. You can put it in, let it circulate and turn the filter off overnight. Vacuum to waste in the morning. Don't let the ph get any higher than 7.4, you may want to bring it back down to 7.2. Let us know how you do

[derrikm]

Okay, I raised the CL to 5 over a 4 hour period and also lowered the PH to 7.2. Water turned very cloudy again, as expected. I am running filter 24/7 and also running my Dolphin. Dolphin bag is getting lots of white deposits out as well as the filter.

It is absolutely amazing just how much is being removed. But pool floor and fixtures are looking a lot better. Because most of these deposits were already in the pool when I purchased the house, I had no idea just how bad they were. Granted this is a very time comsuming project. but it appears that it will be well worth it. I guess I'm just making up for all the time I've already saved by using the BBB method.

Thanks for the assistance, I'll post again as the project progresses.

[derrikm]

You are precipitating metals out of the water when you add bleach - this is a good thing - the metal magic is binding with the metals turning them into a salt so that they can be filtered out. I would take the chlorine up to 5ppms - doing it slowly by using bleach - I would put 1/2 jug of bleach in, let it cloud, and add more. Get it up to 5 or 6ppms. You are losing the chlorine because the chlorine is getting used up with the metal magic. It is clearing the pool. You can also use a floc if you run out of patience. You can put it in, let it circulate and turn the filter off overnight. Vacuum to waste in the morning. Don't let the ph get any higher than 7.4, you may want to bring it back down to 7.2. Let us know how you do

Well, Its been almost 2 weeks and water still clouds up whenever I add bleach. Been keeping it around 5 - 6 ppm range. Seems like this is a never ending process. Clounding as not quite as prominent as before but still a hazy, milky white. I clean cartridge filter at least twice a day, and it is loaded with white precipitate.

Have not checked for calcium because first of all I am running low on testing reagents and also it seems fruitless due to continued cloudiness.

Will this never end?

[mbar]

You may want to try a floc now. It will combine to the the particles and clump them up so that they can be vacuumed to waste, or at least to the filter. We ususally don't reccomend floc, but since it has been two weeks, you may want to try it to clear the water up faster. Your water will eventually clear, but the floc will speed it along. Follow the directions on the bottle. Let me know if you have any more problems.