Metals in Your Pool Water


Staining in your pool can be caused by several things but the most common stains are from metals that enter your pool water and then drop out onto the pool surface. Once the metal ions drop out of the water they appear as stains on the pool surface. Besides metal staining your plaster pool can also have what appears to be staining but, is normal mottling of the plaster. I will touch on both and help you understand the differences of what is staining and what is normal aging of the plaster.



Metal ions in your pool water, Copper, iron or manganese to name a few can cause your water to be discolored and cause staining on your pools surface. Besides draining your pool and refilling there is a process you can follow to remove the metal ions from the water:

The first step it to test your water to see if metal ions are present. Most fill water has been purified to eliminate metal ions but there may be enough trace amounts entering your pool, especially if you are filling it or refilling it after it has been drained. Well water is a common source of metal ions.



Metal ions can cause your water to change color.
Copper- Green tint
Iron -- Brown Tint
Manganese -- a dark color such as Purple

Sometimes you will also notice your hair or nails turning green after swimming. If you find that your pool does have metal ions in it the video walks you through the steps. Here are some points to also be aware of:

METAL SEQUESTRANT AGENTS
When you use a metal sequestrant agent it will lower your chlorine level as the chlorine bonds to the sequestrant. I would start with a 3.0 ppm level and try to keep it near 1.0 -1.5 during the process. Many people think that the Metal Out agent causes algae and it does in a way by lowering the chlorine level. You also want to keep your pH level low -- around 7.2-7.6 for the sequestration agent to be more effective. If you need to add a little chlorine, add more of the agent also. Note that If the stains reappear you will have to start the process over again from square one. It is not a failure of the sequestration or CuLator but a failure to keep the water chemistry in balance. 

You must also note that the sequestrant agent will NOT remove the metal ions from the pool. All it will do is keep it from activating and staining the pool. Once the sequestrant agent wears off the metal ions will reactivate and cause staining. That is why you will need to use the CuLator product.

CULATOR:
This is the only product on the market that actually will remove the metal ions from the water. CuLator takes conventional chelating groups and binds them to a novel, unique, insoluble, non-toxic polymer backbone. This allows for the permanent removal of the metal from the water. he chemistry to produce these insoluble chelating polymers was developed over 23 years.
 
Conventional sequestering agents surround the metal ions and slow down the oxidation and precipitation of the metal oxides onto the pool surface. These agents break down over time. Many of these agents are phosphate-based. CuLator® is the world's only true metal eliminator. Developed for the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Program, these polymers are the only compounds that are insoluble in water, rapidly bind metal ions, and are non-toxic.

You also want to use CuLator when you start up a new pool or after you drain and acid wash your pool.

I ran this 20,000 gallon pool 10 hours a day so that it would have good circulation and allow the CuLator to work effectively. For best results leave it in for a month.

The bag did have a slight blue tint to it. I could see it very well but I am not sure if it is as visible in the video. If you have more questions about the product you can check out their website or call the company directly:  877-900-1213.

Other related videos:
Ascorbic Acid Treatment for Removing Stains in Your Pool: http://youtu.be/9kgyASHiiAw
Removing a Rust Stain in your pool with Vitamin C - Ascorbic Acid Treatment: http://youtu.be/iEprPq7YrdU
How to Diagnose and Test Swimming Pool Stains: http://youtu.be/1Q15qb5oLMQ
Jack's Magic Stain IDentification Kit: Testing a Metal Stain:  http://youtu.be/zHqUe6IQANI
How To Test and Adjust Calcium Hardness in a Pool: http://youtu.be/qArcEmqMUKo
How to Acid Wash Your Pool: http://youtu.be/OMj7KNKCkS8
Treating Metals in your Pool Water: https://youtu.be/_f7DQgbmmr0

Visit my Website: http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/

eBook: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/swimming-pool-care-ebook

YouTube Video Index: http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2014/03/swimming-pool-tips-reviews-how-to-video.html – A list of all of my videos:


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