Newbie metal issues - manganese and Bioguard Pool Magnet

[kearpaul]

Hello,

Hoping for some insight into a recurring metal problem.

Pool is IG 22.5k with cartridge filter. Autofill is well water through a SlimeBag Pool Filter.

Chemistry follows:
FC 2
CC 2
TA 110
pH 7.4
Cal 400
CYA 40

Weather is mid-90s and dry; we have minimal algae problems. BUT the pool 'greens up' from time to time, especially after shocking. Accompanying this is a stain, on things like our floater and pool sweep, which is a dark bronze color. Our well water is known to have mucho manganese -- 0.9 ppm if I remember right.

The local pool store has sold us Bioguard Pool Magnet. We add 2 quarts when the pool gets green, then a maintenance dose of about 1 cup per week. Seems to do the trick.

A couple of questions:

Why do I still have metal incursion?
What should I be doing to prevent it?
(Perhaps there's a 'sticky' on these subject, but I didn't see it.)

Lastly, is there a cheaper substitute for the chemicals I'm using? Pool Magnet is $16 per quart!


Cheers from the Sierra Foothills,
Paul

[doggie]

Do you have a pool heater? That's where our metals come from. We treated with Natural Chemistry Metal Free then have continued on a maintenance dose each week. That cured our staining problem.

Let's see what Marie says. She's the forum expert on metals and staining

[kearpaul]

Thanks for replying doggie. But no heater here at all.

Best,
Paul

[aylad]

Hoping for some insight into a recurring metal problem.

Why do I still have metal incursion?
What should I be doing to prevent it?
(Perhaps there's a 'sticky' on these subject, but I didn't see it.)

Lastly, is there a cheaper substitute for the chemicals I'm using? Pool Magnet is $16 per quart!

Once the metals are in the water, they don't go away, which is why you continue to have problems from it, and you are getting them from your well water, which you already know. The Pool Magnet that you're using only keeps it suspended in the water and off of your pool's sides. I believe that keeping your alk, pH, and chlorine on the lower side of normal ranges will help prevent the staining, but Marie is the expert--hopefully she'll be by soon to give you some more complete advice.

Janet

[mbar]

Well water will have metals in it, and many municipal water company's do too. The only thing you can do is to keep the metals suspended in the water, and keep your ph on the low side, Just like Aylad said, especially when adding high amounts of chlorine. What kind of pool do you have? Is it vinyl, gunite, or fiberglass? Your calcium level is a little on the high side, and if you are using calhypo to shock, it will keep increasing. Calcium is a metal also, and when the calcium is high, it sometimes reacts to the metals in the water when the ph and chlorine are high, and this makes metals more likely to fall out onto the surface of the pool. IF you have a gunite pool, you need to keep your calcium at about 250, and if you have a fiberglass, under 200. A vinyl liner doesn't need any at all. Using a sequestering agent like you have is really the only way to stay on top of the stains. You also have your chlorine at 2 with a cya of 40 - it should be at a minimum of 3 to 6, and shock level would be 15. If you see stains start, then drop the ph down to 7 - 7.2, add your sequestering agent, and the stains should disappear. If you have any stains that don't lighten up, then you can use ascorbic acid (vitamin c). Feel free to have any other questions you may have

[kearpaul]

Hi Marie -

Thanks for your thoughts.

Pool is colored plaster.

I switch between cal hypo and liquid chlorine for shocking. So, I'll stop using the cal hypo and monitor calcium.

As to the chlorine level, it's been discouraging to get it much higher, as the water seems to 'get green' as it rises. [Weird, I know.] Well, I'll try it again and also get my ph a bit lower.

Someone asked me the other day if I had any hobbies. I said, "Are you kidding? I have a pool!"

Thanks again,
Paul

[mbar]

Sounds like there may be a little iron in the water, or copper. Since your water colors when the chlorine gets high, I would add a sequestering agent (some kind of metal out). This will bind with the metals and keep them in suspension, taking away the green Just get something like metal free, metal magic, jack's magic, sequasol, anything that says "metal out" I know - my pool is my "hobby"

[kearpaul]

Thanks again Marie.

Two follow up questions:

1. You mentioned a few sequestering agents. They appear to be about $20/qt. What I've been using is Pool Magnet by Bioguard. (Also $20/qt, grrr.) Would you know if this is the same kind of thing?

2. Are there any homemade sequestering agents?

Best,
Paul
_ _ _ _ _
They laughed at Joan of Arc, but she went right ahead and built it.
Gracie Allen

[mbar]

Yes, Pool Magnet is a sequestering agent. It will bind with metals in the water to hold them in suspension. Yes, they are expensive. You can find them cheaper on the web sometimes. Unfortunately I don't know of any "homemade" sequestering agents After a while you will get to know how to work your own pool. The important thing to remember is high ph along with high chlorine will make any metals that are not sequestered fall out. What I usually do is add a little sequestering agent (about 2 oz) a week (if I remember), and watch for stains (with this expression If I see them start, I lower the ph down to 7 and add a little more sequestering agent (about 8 oz.) and let it circulate. It usually removes the new stains. Sequestering agent breaks down, and is lost, so it does need to be replaced, and it is expensive, but keeping on top of it, by watching the ph and keeping the chlorine up to good levels so you don't have to shock, makes the process less painful

[kearpaul]

Thanks so much, Marie.

Trudging on . . .

And cheers once again from the Sierra Foothills,

Paul


_ _ _ _ _
When I can walk into a restaurant with a pipe in my mouth, and have the hostess ask, “Smoking or nonsmoking?” I know that I have the right pipe.
Lee von Erck, pipe maker