New Pool Owner With High Iron

[labdi01]

Thank you so much for all your time and attention!

I had some leftover PH Up in the shed, so I tossed some of that in and changed the pump/filter to circulate.

Pool looks a little hazier today, I'm nervous about a bloom - can/how should I algaecide (used as a verb)?

Also, should I toss more sequestrant in because my iron level last night was 0.5?

I have water and bleach in a bucket (it's 6% bleach) - how long would it take to know if metals are still present? I saw some slight yellowing initially, but the bleach is the $1.50 special and is extremely yellow. ;oP

So, the alk level is not a concern?

[aylad]

With no chlorine and no algaecide, you're probably on the edge of a bloom--if the algaecide you have is Polyquat 60, then I would go ahead and add it, leaving your filter on recirculate.

Regarding the sequestrant, I'm not really comfortable advising you whether or add more or not, or what the effect of the alk is, since this isn't really my area of experience. I do know that the more sequestrant you add, the more chlorine it's going to take to get up to baseline levels when you start raising it--but I'm not sure how much is enough. I've asked Marie to come take a look at this thread. Hopefully she will
be by soon and I'm sure that she can answer more fully for you.

I would think that the metal staining would show up fairly immediately. In the worst case, I guess you could always bring the chlorine up and deal with the stains if they show, but it's an expensive venture and I'd hate to put you through that unnecessarily.

I'm sorry I can't be more help, but I don't have any experience with metals, other than what I've learned from Marie!

Janet

[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.