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Thread: Brown water in pool- from Iron

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  1. #1
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    Default Brown water in pool- UPDATE-appears water is mostly clear but brown on bottom of pool

    I purchased an 15' by 48" (4400 gallons) Intex metal frame pool this year and filled it up with well water. It looked ok at first but once it got about 1/4 of the way the water started looking brown. Not knowing any better I went ahead and filled it the rest of the way up and it is very brown. Started running the filter and it is continually changed to rust orange. I added some liquid cholirine (just under 1 gallon) and ran the filter which didn't help. I also have the intex saltwater system so I added salt but havent started running the saltwater system yet. At this point it sounds like the problem was iron from the well water. I really want to be able to swim in this thing as soon as possible but don't know what to do. I bought some HTH metal treatment stuff from walmart today. My plan was to drain about 1/4 to 1/2 the water out of the pool and refill it from a hose hooked to my kitchen faucet (has been through water softener) instead of the hose outside. I will also use the HTM metal stuff or soemthing else if you guys can recommend something?

    The pool was only 250 dollars so I don't want to spend all summer and a ton of money on getting clear water..Does a partial drainage and adding HTH metal sound like a good plan? If not what else should I do? Will I have to continue to use metal stuff all year?

    This is my first pool so I also need to know at what point if any I should add more cholorine and when I should turn the saltwater system on.

    I have the strip chemical tests and it looks like my ph is over 8 and my alkalinity is off the scale on the high end.
    Last edited by newguyjosh; 06-03-2010 at 09:19 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Brown water in pool- from Iron

    Until Marie (our metals expert) gets a look at your post, I would suggest that you go and read some of the other threads in this section. You will learn a lot from hearing what she has told some of the others to do. She'll be along shortly to help, although by then, you may have read enough that you can go ahead on your own. Also read the stickies at the top of the forum. I would also suggest that you go buy the $15 (or thereabouts) 5 or 6-Way test kit at Walmart that is a drops-based kit and use that instead of test strips. You'll get more accurate results. Good luck.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Brown water in pool- from Iron

    It does certainly sound like you have metals from your well water. You can try the drain and refill, however I would add the sequestering agent (metal out) before you start to add the water from your faucet. You also need to have your other chemistry numbers because if the ph is high - then when you add chlorine, the combination of high chlorine and high ph is what causes the metals to fall out of solution. The sequestering agent is what binds with the metals to keep them in suspension. Some people who have had really badly colored water added a flocculant, turned off the filter and then let the rust fall to the bottom of the pool and then vacuum it out. I have never tried this, but I have not ever had discolored water, just stains. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you, but I would try the metal out and the drain first. Let me know how you do, so we can all learn from each other.
    Northeast PA
    16'x32' kidney 16K gal IG fiberglass pool; Bleach; Hayward 200lb sand filter; Hayward pump; 24hrs; Pf200; well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:7.5

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Brown water in pool- from Iron

    So HTH told me I had to wait until the the free chlorine level was below 1 to add the metal control...is this correct?

    My chlorine is measuring around 10 ppm from the intiall shock dose I added I guess...I do not have any stabilizer in there...how long should this take to return to a low enough level?

    Also waht level of chlorine is safe to swim in?

    Thanks

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Brown water in pool- from Iron

    actually as I look at it more closely it appears the iron/rust has actually collected on the bottom of the pool and walls making the water appear orange...if i brush the bottom of the pool the water below it looks fairly clear..so is there a wait to get this out...the vac that came with the pool sucks and not in a good way
    Last edited by newguyjosh; 06-03-2010 at 09:20 PM.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Brown water in pool- from Iron

    The only way I know to get it out is to vacuum it out, which I would do if you've managed to get it to fall out in solid form. Without stabilizer in the water, by tomorrow afternoon your chlorine should be just about gone. Safe level for chlorine depends on your stabilizer level, but since you have none I'd say safe to swim at 3-5 ppm.

    Welcome to the forum!!

    Janet

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