Re-occuring Metal Problems

[toddmac]

I'm having a problem controling metals in my water. The first time it happened I used a sock/vitamin c treatment on the steps and it worked (I've done this just about every year. This year though the stains started coming back about a week later and my water started getting cloudy with a yellow tint. So I took 2lbs of ascorbic acid and spread it around the parameter and by the next day the water was clear. Now I added a bottle of Algaecide and I added quart of PB Metal-Plus X out (memphis Pool's version of a sequestering agent), and the water looked perfect, but low and behold a week later the stains came. I did the routine again, and once again clear water that turned cloudy/yellownish and all plastic/fiberglass turned brown (steps, drain, outlets, baseket, etc). Is there a way to permanetly remove the metals from the water or is this going to be a year long task, that is getting very expensive to control.

Water readings for all of these occurances

FC 0 - 8 (0 when adding the ascorbic acid)
CC 0
PH 7.2
TA 80
CYA 100

[mbar]

I don't know of anything that permanantly gets rid of metals in the water. However, what I suggest is to do the ascorbic acid treatment, add enough sequestereing agent - a little more than the bottle recommends, just to be on the safe side. After all of the stain is gone, and you have the sequestering agent in, add some flocculant. Let the filter off for 24 hours, and let the water settle out. Vacuum to waste. If you need to add water to your pool, add it into the skimmer with a trichlor puck in it only if you have a sand or DE filter -DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE A CARTRIDGE FILTER. THis way when well water hits the chlorine if there is any metals going to fall out it will stain the filter first. I assume you are using well water and that is how metals are introduced to your pool. If not, then it would be a good idea to find out where the metals are coming from, so it will be easier to deal with. Keep your ph in the 7.2 range - you will have trouble keeping it at that level until all of the ascorbic acid is gone - chlorine will be used up fast too. You want to add chlorine slowly, do not shock for at least 2 weeks after an ascorbic acid treatment - you can add some polyquat algaecide before you start the treatment if you are worried about getting algae. Hope this helps - let me know if you have any other questions

[toddmac]

Thanks for the advice. We have a sand filter and regular city water, but as fast as our city is growing I wouldn't doubt the water quality may have slipped. And I do think that's where my problems are sourced from. I'll up the sequestering dosage and see how it goes