Pool liner and fiberglass steps turning brown again.

Stains on the pool surfaces, pool equipment
or on the swimmers, or off-color swimming pool
water. Discolored but clear pool water.
Jimmyc
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Joined: Wed 12 Jun, 2019 18:27
My Pool: Inground mountain lake design, vinyl liner ~ 35,000 gallons

Pool liner and fiberglass steps turning brown again.

Postby Jimmyc » Wed 12 Jun, 2019 18:37

My pool liner has slowly been staining brown for the last couple of years. This year after opening, I decided to get some help. I had the water tested, everything was normal except phosphates. It was a little high. The owner of the pool store gave me very expensive bottles of Ascorbic acid that worked well on the part of the pool it was applied. I used regular vitamin c tablets on the rest of the pool. I used four bottles. The pool looked brand new. However, chlorine levels were now zero. So I shocked the pool twice and put an inordinate amount of chlorine tabs in the pool to bring the level back up. It took almost two weeks before it started holding chlorine again. When the chlorine level finally held, the steps and liner started turning brown again. Why? There were no metals in the pool water. How do I correct this?

Addendum: the pool owner asked me if I was using chlorine from Costco, I said yes. She said their chlorine can do this, anyone know why?


Teapot
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Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Pool liner and fiberglass steps turning brown again.

Postby Teapot » Thu 13 Jun, 2019 02:42

There is iron in your water! Stupid pool store knows nothing!! Ascorbic acid does not remove phosphate! It reduces iron to a non staining in solution iron, as you have found, as soon as you re oxidise it with chlorine the iron turns back into the staining form of iron.
You need to remove the iron, I recommend Dr Dryden's Activate glass filter media or the Polly fibre balls seem to work as well but with Activate media you only fit it once and it filters far better than sand
Denniswiseman
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My Pool: 10k inground fibreglass, Telescopic Cover, Hayward Powerline pump, Quality filter with glass media, 27kw output heat pump, K-2006C test kit
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Pool liner and fiberglass steps turning brown again.

Postby Denniswiseman » Thu 13 Jun, 2019 03:08

Why did you use AA tablets powder would be easier
With an AA treatment it does take a long time to get the chlorine level back up
As Teapot says it doesn't remove iron just the staining, apart from doing what Teapot says you need to add a sequestrent to hold the iron in solution which is an on going process
I doubt that the iron was introduced from chlorine from any source
Teapot
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 1337
Joined: Tue 17 Oct, 2017 10:52
My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
Location: UK

Re: Pool liner and fiberglass steps turning brown again.

Postby Teapot » Thu 13 Jun, 2019 04:51

Teapot wrote:Always remember Jack's magic is just a sequestrant! Magic is always just an illusion!!
Your chlorine will now be trying to burn out the sequestrant so you use more chlorine and then have to buy more sequestrant. In short the pool store has a hotline to your wallet.
Yes the Polly fibre balls will remove some iron but you'll need to buy a few bags and best to slow down the filtration rate.
Dryden's Activate is fantastic filter media even if you haven't got iron in the water. You only need to buy it once! It's good for the life of your pool.

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