New Pool Owner With High Iron

[labdi01]

You've been a lot of help Janet. I'm kind of stuck right now until the pH comes up a bit. Gonna go check now.

The bleach water is yellow - but not as yellow as straight bleach. Not sure if it's staining or the bleach itself. Ugh - so confusing. I feel like I'm so close, yet so far away (to be able to shock).

I did put some algaecide in the pool on Sunday because the temp was approaching 90 and the pool is in direct sun. Same scenario today. I thought they were good for a week - but that's probably for a chlorinated pool - not a cesspool! ;oP

[labdi01]

pH still reading 6.8 after "pH Up" and one hour of circulation. I added 1.5# of Borax to the skimmer, with pump/filter on "bypass to pool" which I presume is circulate.

I bought algaecide for black algae (which I don't have, but), it was the only one I could find that says poly-something-something-ethylene 60%. I diluted that and added it to the pool, just in case - I don't need to add to my list of problems.

I'm gonna let those 2 circulate for an hour or so.

Still on the fence about shocking vs. adding another bottle of sequestrant. The bleach/pool water concoction was still yellow and had a brown tint to it. It was such a long, expensive road to get from opaque brown to clear-ish green, I think I'd rather fight chlorine levels than metal levels. Even 50 gallons of bleach will cost less than $140 (which is what the sequestrants have cost me so far)

Once I do shock, I know I have to do it slower than those blessed with healthy water. Never having used the BBB method (because I've never owned a pool before this season), how much liquid beach over how much time is 'slow'? And do I bypass to pool (circulate it) or filter it?

[labdi01]

Just an update. After Borax, pH too high (7.6-7.8), so I added leftover pH down.

I also decided to add the Iron Away (sequestrant?) rather than start shocking.

I got clouding after algaecide (dead algae?) and would like to filter that for a couple of days to get back to a clear-ish pool, and since I'd be filtering anyway - I decided to treat the trace metals. Hoping to start shocking on Friday. From what I'm reading, I'm probably going to have a hard time getting a chlorine level and I'm guessing the 8 gallons of bleach I bought today is not going to be nearly enough.

Would I have to use the same amount of liquid shock from the pool store?

Does anyone know of anywhere to buy larger bottles of bleach or buy in bulk for the cheapest price?

[polyvue]

Just an update. After Borax, pH too high (7.6-7.8), so I added leftover pH down.

I also decided to add the Iron Away (sequestrant?) rather than start shocking.

I got clouding after algaecide (dead algae?) and would like to filter that for a couple of days to get back to a clear-ish pool, and since I'd be filtering anyway - I decided to treat the trace metals. Hoping to start shocking on Friday. From what I'm reading, I'm probably going to have a hard time getting a chlorine level and I'm guessing the 8 gallons of bleach I bought today is not going to be nearly enough.

Would I have to use the same amount of liquid shock from the pool store?

Does anyone know of anywhere to buy larger bottles of bleach or buy in bulk for the cheapest price?

I've been reading through this thread and realize that you're hoping for a response from the forum's 'chemical expert' but my non-expert input is this: slow down a bit, don't continue to add chemicals at this rate! It can be a bit complicated when you have both metals and a possible algae bloom simultaneously, but I think you'll get better long term results by treating one thing at a time. Sequestration of metals, as I'm sure you know, does not actually remove the metals from the water, so staining can recur. If you have good fill water you might want to drain some of the pool while these metals are in solution and the pH is in range.

Then focus on shocking if that is needed.

[labdi01]

Hi - thanks for your time!

I thought I was treating one thing at a time. Metals. pH has to be low, can't add chlorine til levels are zero, so I'm trying to stave an additional issue of algae while I work the metals out. (and I do realize I'm not getting rid of the metals, just the water staining of the metals).

My fill water is from my well, which is riddled with iron. Had I known what a nightmare metals can be in a pool ahead of time, I never would have filled it from my well.

I've since purchased a pre filter to fit the hose (looks like a pillow in the shape of a bat) - but can I take confidence that it will remove all metals before getting to the pool?

Even if I partially empty/refill at this point, I'll still be dealing with metals for the life of the pool, no?

I can't completely empty because the liner could shrink. What are your thoughts on emptying to 1.5', refilling over the course of a few days with the prefilter, then emptying down 1.5 and refilling - think it might reduce my metals down to a point that I won't have to spend $140 in sequestrants? Makes some sense to me saying it - but what I don't know could fill a warehouse.

[polyvue]

Hi - thanks for your time!

I thought I was treating one thing at a time. Metals. pH has to be low, can't add chlorine til levels are zero, so I'm trying to stave an additional issue of algae while I work the metals out. (and I do realize I'm not getting rid of the metals, just the water staining of the metals).

My fill water is from my well, which is riddled with iron. Had I known what a nightmare metals can be in a pool ahead of time, I never would have filled it from my well.

I've since purchased a pre filter to fit the hose (looks like a pillow in the shape of a bat) - but can I take confidence that it will remove all metals before getting to the pool?

Even if I partially empty/refill at this point, I'll still be dealing with metals for the life of the pool, no?

I can't completely empty because the liner could shrink. What are your thoughts on emptying to 1.5', refilling over the course of a few days with the prefilter, then emptying down 1.5 and refilling - think it might reduce my metals down to a point that I won't have to spend $140 in sequestrants? Makes some sense to me saying it - but what I don't know could fill a warehouse.

Well, I think you're on track with this idea... but draining a liner pool (in-ground, right?) to 1.5 feet is a chancy proposition in comparison to draining a gunite pool in a dry climate. If this were my pool I think I would test the effectiveness of the pre-filter first. If it worked to contain a significant portion of the iron, I'd do multiple partial drains --- not down to 1.5 feet but perhaps just 12" (from the top) at a time. You could also drop a solar cover or large plastic sheet so that it roughly separated the incoming flow from the outflow and pump to waste while infilling on the other side of the sheet with your pre-filter in place. Other members who have experience with this may want to comment on this procedure.

[labdi01]

My pool is actually an above-ground pool (24'). If I'm understanding you correctly, you think I should fill from an opposite point from the 'drain'?

You guys are all so wonderful and I thank you for any suggestions and ideas you may have. Here I was thinking I could fill, shock and swim all in one day! CLEARLY a newbie!

I've heard others using towels, pillow-batting contraptions, socks and the like to capture all the metals - but it's too late for that for me, since I've got most of them in suspension now!

[mbar]

hi, sorry i haven't been on the forum - I'm in texas visiting my sister. If it were my pool, this is what I would do.

First if your ph goes back down to low, you can turn your return jets up. This will lower the alkalinity while raising the ph naturally. You want you ph 7.2 to 7.4. I would start to add bleach. Do not add anything other than the algacide. Just start adding the bleach slowly. Take it up to shock levels. If the stains start, add more sequestering agent. I am afraid that the pool is starting an algae bloom, and you are just fighting a losing battle. You can deal with the stains when you know that the water is sanitized. When adding water add it through the skimmer - so it goes through the filter first. It sounds like you should have enough sequestering agent in the water. See the problem is that sequestering agent uses up chlorine, and so does algaecide. So you will have a very big chlorine demand with all the chemicals you have in the water. The chlorine breaks down the sequestering agent and algaecide, so that is why you always have to add a maintenance dose of these chemicals. I know it sounds confusing, but the most important thing is to get the water sanitized. You can swim with stains, but not with unsanitized water.

1. Start to bring the chlorine up to shock level, which if you have no cya will be 10ppm.

2. Keep the pump running 24/7

3. You will have to keep adding chlorine or keep a puck in the skimmer because if it is sunny out the chlorine will just get eaten up with sun because you have no cya. Pucks have cya in them so they are stabilized chlorine, or you can add cya (stabilizer)

4. If you add a puck, your ph will go down, so you keep your returns up to aerate the water, which will bring the alkalinity down while raising the ph. I the ph goes below 7.0 add baking soda to go up 2ppm.

You will have to have a little patience with the staining. If you get the water in balance to swim, and you still have stains we can deal with them later.

I know this is long and confusing, but please feel free to ask any other questions you have - I am sorry it took so long for me to answer, but I will be checking the forum from Texas

[labdi01]

I'm honored, that you replied.

We put 6 gallons of bleach in, turned the light (return jet to pool) to the surface to aerate (that's all we have). Tested pH - it was low. Added 1 cup Borax to pool. Gonna let it filter all night. Good start? Should I throw in sequestrant (HATE problem water - in and out). I'll apply POP. Thank you so much! You are Pool Master!!!!!!!!!!!

[labdi01]

Good Morning, Marie.

This morning the pool is definitely clearer, but the color is darker (yellow/brown). The pH is really high (in the 8s).

Can't tell what the chlorine level is - the only drop-test I could find from local non-pool-stores is a "4 in 1 test kit" and when testing for chlorine, the color-comparison range are yellows and our test came out dark orange - the test instructed to compare chlorine color within 10 seconds, then wait 5 mins and if there's a drastic color change, superchlorination is required. It remained dark orange.

I had a little bit of muratic acid and added that to get the pH down so I can add metal sequestrant later on.

I also turned the return jet, to stop aeration.