Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

stevet99uk · Postby **stevet99uk** » Thu 18 Oct, 2007 23:53

HAVE 2 INTERCONNECTED POOLS AND A JACUSSI ALL WORKING ON THE SAME PUMP. IN THE DRY SEASON HAVE TO TOP UP POOL WITH WELL WATER. THIS INSTANTLY TURNS BROWN WHEN IT MEETS THE CHLORINE.
I HAVE A SAND FILTER, I JUST USE THAT, 1 PASS AND ALL THE BROWN IS REMOVED AS THE WATER RETURNS TO THE SECOND POOL AND JACUZZI NICE AND CLEAN. NO EXTRA CHEMICALS NEEDED, JUST TIME TO FILTER ALL YOUR WATER, AND A FEW BACKWASHES TO THE FILTER.
FLOCULATS SPEED UP PROCESS, BUT THEN U HAVE TO VACUUM THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL ALSO.

Himadri · Postby **Himadri** » Sat 12 Jan, 2008 04:25

Please add alum with chlorine....the brown-green color comes fron the chlorine acting on the iron. Alum settles the iron which can be cleaned after 2 days from the bottom. All u have to do is have patience for 2 days.

AUSPoolman · Postby **AUSPoolman** » Sun 27 Jan, 2008 07:14

Himadri wrote:Please add alum with chlorine....the brown-green color comes fron the chlorine acting on the iron. Alum settles the iron which can be cleaned after 2 days from the bottom. All u have to do is have patience for 2 days.

Hi Himadri. Good advice however I must point out that Alum should be vacuumed to waste, as it's toxic. So now swimming during treatment too! Alum is great for dropping anything out of water.

For removing stains Bicarb Soda (baking soda) helps but slowly.

Some metal stains i.e. magnesium stains can be removed by using vitamin C (calcium abscorbate). It's expensive though, so best way is about 20 grams in a sock dabbed onto the stain directly. They will dissapear instantly with magnesium stains

.

AUSPoolman · Postby **AUSPoolman** » Sun 27 Jan, 2008 07:18

Sorry, should read:
So no :roll:

swimming during treatment :roll:

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Sun 11 May, 2008 10:00

MAKE SURE YOUR PH IS STABLE FIRST!!!

Buy some FLOC , around $20! Put it in the water (16 oz per 15,000 gal) and let the filter run for a couple of hours to mix it. Turn off the filter overnight. DO NOT DISTURB THE WATER! The metals will settle on the bottom then "vacuum to waste" the bottom carefully as not to disturb the water... at least as little as possible). Make sure it is going "out" of the pool! After its vacuumed out... clean your filter "or replace it" and turn it back on.

If you do not have a filter that will vacuum "out" then use a water bed fill kit and a water hose. It is best to use a large aquarium cleaning vacuum hose with a wide mouth on it.

It takes a while but works great! The orange is gone... Crystal clear water! Good Luck!!

mschimno · Postby **mschimno** » Wed 17 Jun, 2009 12:02

I can help you!!! I too have had a pool store say that there is nothing you can do but keep filtering. That is partially true. The ONLY way to remove iron is to physically remove it - thus the filter. However, you can speed this process up SO MUCH with a product called "SPARKLE UP". It is a very lightweight powder that you mix with water and then pour slowly into your skimmer so that it goes in and coats the filter. The filter then removes the iron so much more efficiently. If you pool store doesn't carry this, find it!!!!! You will be amazed. The other thing we've found is that we need to add a metal chelator at least once per week to prevent this problem from recurring. Also, when you fill your pool next year, do the metal treatment and sparkle up for several days before adding ANY chlorine at all!!!! Good LUCK!!!! I've been exactly where you are with brown water, but my pool looks great this year. Oh, the metal remover that I prefer is called seaquea-sol by GLB.

wannaswim! · Postby **wannaswim!** » Wed 01 Jul, 2009 11:58

having same problems...although i do not have well water and my ph is on the lower side.

just cleaned my filter good and threw in a box of baking soda and more metal out
trying to get it cleaned before my 4th of july party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let ya know what happens!!!!!!

heatherh1972 · Postby **heatherh1972** » Mon 06 Jul, 2009 19:45

how much biogard sparkle up did you use?

Postby **chem geek** » Mon 06 Jul, 2009 20:04

BioGuard Sparkle Up as shown in this MSDS is cellulose. It will help remove physical particles from the water, especially if you have a sand filter since that normally does not filter as well (many clarifiers will do this). When they say it will remove metal, they are talking about SOLID metal particles, not metal ions. You still need to use a metal sequestrant to hold metal ions in solution to prevent them from staining. The only way to remove such metal ions is with dilution of water that does not contain them.

Dosages are listed on the label and are shown here.

iron out · Postby **iron out** » Sat 11 Jul, 2009 09:09

In Michigan our iron is wet and you can even smell it when the softner needs cycled.
We have a 4000 gal pool and all we do is add 'IRON OUT' which can be purchased at the local grocery store, Walmart, Menards, etc. Very easy to find and very cheap $4.32 for 1lb,14 oz. I Just walk around the outside of the pool and sprinkle estimated 14 oz. into the water. Don't breath the dust, sprinkle very close to the water surface. Disolve 1/2 cup in gallon of water and pour slowly in front of filter intake. Then wait for 1/2 hour and check the results. You will be amazed. We swim in it at that time. Chlorine seems not to effect the life and our water is always crystal clear with no 'iron slime' at the bottom. Change your filter often, We spray the paper cartridge with the garden hose and reuse it again and again.

KristyP · Postby **KristyP** » Mon 17 Aug, 2009 08:15

I tried everything...but what worked was hooking the hose up to our washing machine faucet. The water softner helped and our water is not brown at all.

widiker_girl31 · Postby **widiker_girl31** » Mon 31 May, 2010 13:19

We are in wisconsin too. Just keep filtering it through. The chlorine reacts with the iron and turns it brown. The good news is the kids can still swim. It will not hurt them at all. Ours is already lightening up and we are swimming in it regardless. It just doesn't look that pretty. We clean our filter every couple of hours by spraying it down with the hose. If you shock it some of the iron should settle on the bottom and then you can vacccum it up. If you leave your pool up for the winter,just drain below the hoses and in the spring add iron remover before you refill.

veronica · Postby **veronica** » Thu 21 Apr, 2011 08:24

trina46580 wrote:use rustout or rust and scale (any product that drops all the rust to the bottom of the pool) and then vacuum the pool, but if you have a blue pop up pool here is the trick...remove your cart.filter and disconnect the return tube (lay it on the ground) so when you are vacumming your pool all the nasty stuff is going to the ground instead of back inside your pool. you might loose 1-2 inches of water, just try to be speedy and you can always pour some soft water back in the pool to fill it up or wait for the first big rain...but trust me enjoying my pool today when indiana reached 98degrees, i did not care about my 1 inch of water!!! i have an 18x4 foot pool and it was great! email me at rtjmspringer@wmconnect.com w/any q's
trina

how did you keep it clear when adding chlon.

spdv · Postby **spdv** » Tue 24 May, 2011 12:17

Hey all you out there with the intex pools and brown iron filled water. I DO have a solution for you. This is our fourth year with the problem but we finally figured it out. First, you can buy a cylinder shaped filter that screws onto your hose before filling the pool and it will get SOME of the iron out, but not all. Now don't fret, because if you didn't do that, and already have a full pool of brown water, it's okay. Here's what we do now every year. Disconnect the tube that goes from your filter back into the pool. Zip tie three thick tube socks over the end really tight, then wrap it all carefully in a thick white towel. Prop the toweled end up over the top of your ladder and let it hang down above the first step with the towel propped so it doesn't come loose. Turn your filter on and within an hour or so your towel and socks will be NASTY orange! I then turn the filter off, unwrap the towel and spray it out with our hose, front and back and wring it out. I lay it to dry in the sun and after squeezing out the socks and spraying them off too the best I can, I wrap them up again in another towel and reprop. I cycle the towels and if you can't spray them out very well, you can throw them in the washer with Iron Out powder but as thick as that iron will be, I'd try and get most out with the hose first. It's a bunch of work, but if you stay at it faithfully and clean everything every couple of hours, in a couple of days you'll have your clear water pool! We put the metal Magnet in also before the whole process because it makes the iron easier to catch in the socks and towel. We wait to put chlorine in as the filtering will just pull it all out. Kind of a waste until the water is clear as long as you get it there soon. You'll know you're making progress when you see the color of the towel! It is the ONLY thing we've found that works and the price is right! I'm on my sixth towel change since last night and I can now see the bottom. Another day or so and we'll be good. Good luck!!

spdv · Postby **spdv** » Wed 25 May, 2011 19:49

I'm back to say that now, one day later from my initial post, our pool is TOTALLY clear!!!

) I'm telling you, the layers of tube socks zip tied over the end of the incoming tube from your filter is the answer! Wrap the sock layers with a towel and then spray it out every few hours when the towel is totally dark orange. I'm so happy to have our pool up and ready for chlorine now two days before the holiday weekend. Hurray!