New Pool Owner With High Iron

[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.

[mbar]

You should not be honored to hear from me, I am only a pool owner that has dealt with metals for 10 years! Thanks for the complement I would still use the aeration method since your alkalinity is so high. Just keep watch, and add muriatic acid to bring the ph back down as it rises until the alkalinity is in range. Sequestering agent also brings down ph, and using pucks in the skimmer basket will add cya and lower the ph. It just goes to show how everything you add to the water reacts against each other, that's why it is so important to put the least amount of chemicals in the water You will know that there is not anything growing in your water, or anything that needs to be broken down, when the chlorine remains steady overnight. Once you hit this milestone you can work more on what is going on with the stains. Do you have any calcium in your water? I know that vinyl liners don't need calcium, but I have found that in my pool some calcium works to keep the staining away. I am not sure if it would be the same in a vinyl liner (i have fiberglass). Once you are sure there is not any algae, we can move ahead from there. As for the sequestering agent, it seems that you have put a lot in your water already. You can try some more to see if it will do anything for the color now, but sequestering agent uses up chlorine too, so if you are dealing with algae (I think you are since the water cleared with the chlorine), I would just continue doing the chlorine until it holds steady overnight. I will check back later to see if you have any questions. Keep the faith - you will have a clear pool soon!

[labdi01]

Hi Marie - thanks again for sharing your experience/knowledge with me!

I took another sample to the pool store this am because my drop-kit is less than stellar (I ordered the Taylor kit this am).

He said all my chemicals were in check - pH was at 7.6, so I'll still get that down. My TA was 130 and my CL was 4 (he said that was a tiny-bit high and I forgot to ask for FC and CC). He advised no more CL (I remain confused about everything I read about shock levels to 15 and keeping it there...)

When you say staining are you referring to the water or to the liner. I have no liner/filter/ladder staining - just the water is brownish/yellow with maybe a teeny hint of green. It is clear - though there seems to be some 'interference' with the clarity, not sure if it's sediment or just the color - if any of that makes sense.

Pool-Store-Guy told me not to add more sequestrant, saying once metal reacted with the CL, the best way to get the color out is filtering using Sparkle Up - so I purchased a 10# bag of D.E. and put 1.5# through the skimmer and I'll monitor the pressure and backwash as needed.

Please advise if I should be doing something different.

[labdi01]

Correction: I put 3/4# of D.E. in - not 1.5#.