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Brown Pool water


Guest Erin

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Hey..we bought one of the easy set pools from walmart...our water turned brown as soon as I filled it up and put shock in it..I took a sample to our local pool store..They gave me alkalinity plus and pool magnet...I put those in and it cleared up REALLY FAST!!! But, about 3 days later it turned green then brown again...I bought alkalinity plus and something called scale and stain remover from Home Depot in the pool supplies..This did NOT work...I really dont wanna spend 40.00 each time I get stuff from our local pool store to clear it up for 3 days...anything else that I can do to clear it up? Thanks

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Are you using chlorine? I bought a pool kit at my local store that only cost me $18. It is for these small pools. It included the chlorine tablets and shock needed to maintain the pool.

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Hi Erin...I was just looking around on the web for any suggestions for my brown pool water. I can't even begin to tell you my miserable story of the last couple of weeks fighting brown/green pool water. To make a long story short....after several trips back and forth to the pool supply store and several other places for chemicals. (trying to save a little money on a few items) ....... I come home and decide I'm going to win this battle with my brown water. Well...like you...I get it cleared up for a day or two.........and guess what.....only to have it turn back brown again for two or three days. I have had a pool for 2 weeks and enjoyed swimming in it only twice. I am still determined to win this battle even though I have spoke with 3 pool supply stores and researched the internet only to find ....no one can help me. So...here I go off to the pool to change my brown rusty filter again. Oh...by the way...I do have well water....I have used about 6 bottles of Metal Out/Pool Magnet Plus...had my water tested several times...went through about 8 filters (and thats reusing and cleaning over and over again)...along with several other suggestions given to me. I am still determined that my family and I will have a pool this summer and we will have clear water at some point.

Sooooo....with all that being said.....please let me know if you find out any deep dark hidden secret on clearing brown/green water and I'll do the same for you.

Good luck. P.S. as for the money end of it...I have definitely spent more on chemicals then what I paid for the pool itself....only in two weeks time....by the time its over....I probably would have been better off putting an in the ground pool.....hahaha

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Hey Tina!! I can relate to everything you're saying..I've spent way too much on this pool....But, Im gonna tell u what I did and what my pool supplier said...The first stuff I tried was alkalinity plus and pool magnet (which i've already told u) that stuff worked great...But, it went brown again after a few days...I will NOT spend 40.00 again on buying that stuff so I went to home depot and got the same stuff..(must not be as strong) I THOUGHT that it didnt work..But, It did...It took several days...as to where that other stuff cleared it up instantly...YOu can get the same stuff at walmart...(not as strong) I put 7 lbs of Alkalinity Plus in it and I put the whole bottle of Scale and stain remover...(or if u wanna buy pool magnet)...It's much much cheaper and it does work...My pool still has a tint of green to it..But, It looks a heck of a lot better than It did...Everytime you put new water in your pool...You're gonna have to do this again...Let me know if this works or not.

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The best way to remove heavy metals is using a hose filter. Once the metals are in the pool it can be a real pain to remove or keep them from oxidizing. Unless your contamination isn't that significant... Do some research on the Eco One hose filter. It removes heavy metals and other contaminants found in water. It has worked flawlessly for my metals problem, which i have been battling for years.

If you run a pump and start removing some of the water from your pool at the same time you are adding water through the filter. You will slowly reduce the concentration of these metals. This will allow you to get near the threshhold that these metals start oxidizing at.

Once you reduce the concentration in your pool to a certain degree, the chemicals will work much easier. Your concentration levels are most likely just too high at this point to allow any chemicals to work... That is, unless you have the luxury of being able to drain and refill your pool entirely using the filter, which most people do not.

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Sounds like you have alot of metal still there. You may want to consider draining/

refilling pool. What water source did you use to fill it? Well water by chance??

May account for the high metal. I'm new to this forum, and it's sadly lacking in any

real knowledgeable pool owners that help on a regular basis.

Go to www.poolsolutions.com and join forum. Many very sharp people who will help you out. Also, have a current reading from your testing to post, since this is what they'll ask for. Free chlorine, combined chlorine, pH, alkalinity, CYA, (you don't need to worry about calcium or water hardness since it's a vinyl pool).

For now, pour about 4 gallons of unscented ultra bleach in it and run pump continuously.

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I agree with Stanley, it's best to remove the iron from the water before filling the pool. Iron in water is very common and I've seen houses with red iron stains in the sinks, shower and toilet tank. It would be best to truck in some iron free water, or find an iron filter or water softener to remove the iron before it is added to the pool, and then balance the water for alkalinity, hardness, pH, and then finally adding chlorine.

What you have to remember about iron is that is has the ferrous (clear) state and the ferric (red) state. The water is coming out of the well with ferrous iron but exposure to air converts it to the red ferric state which is turning the pool water brown. Adding chlorine just makes things worse because chlorine is an oxidizer which just helps to convert the iron to the red ferric state faster.

Adding alkalinity increaser (Arm & Hammer baking soda) will not fix the iron problem permanently. It creates ferrous bicarb, which is clear and soluble, but with aeration the iron just goes back to the red ferric state (in a couple of days apparently) so don't waste your money.

Sequesterants are getting overwhelmed and can't hold that much iron in the water so if Stain-Out is not working I wouldn't bother buying more.

Draining and refilling the pool doesn't work because the fill water again has iron.

The red ferric iron is is getting filtered out (good) but clogging the pool filter (bad).

Can you get the pool filled by truck from an iron free water source? This might be the easiest solution?

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This definitely sounds like a mineral problem, which is treatable at the time of filling the pool. You don't have to use special water or filters when filling. A sequesting agent added when initially filling the pool and allowing to circulate for 24 hours before adding chlorine will keep the minerals suspended and not allow the chlorine to oxidize them (which is what turns them colors that you can see, such as brown). Once oxidation has occurred you have to wait for the filter to take the particles out. It sounds like several of the responces here have smaller pools with cartridge filters, this makes the process take longer because of the lack of water flow through the pump. It was the filter that took out the particles that had oxidized, it wasn't the chemicals finally working after being in the pool for days. Getting your chemicals from a trained, professional pool store (not all of them fit in this category) will help to reduce the problems you have with your water. Keep in mind that your filtration is inadequate for the gallonage you are trying to treat, so you are still going to have work on your hands to keep the pool water clear and clean.

Hope this helps in the future!

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My water is back to coffee brown!!! I've had this pool almost 2 months and I've been able to swim in it maybe 3 days..I've tried looking for a hose filter...I cant find one..Went to Ace Hardware and they looked at me like I was crazy..I've searched the internet..Cant find anything..Im at a loss as to what to do...Vaccuming it out when it settles on the bottom isnt even an option..The stuff is like powder...Plus, the crappy lil vac that came with the pool isnt helping the matter...as of right now..It hasnt dropped to the bottom of the pool..My water is just BROWN..daaarrk brown..LOL...If someone can give me a link to where I can buy a hose filter..or tell me exactly what I need to get..that would be great..any help is appreciated..Thanks........ Erin

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Guest Bert Desmeules

I

I think I get the same problem with my water.After trying almost

10 different products on the market,I still have the problem,the

water is brown.

Now I know the answer why I get this problem:my water is ferrous,and when you put chlore in ferrous water it becomes

brown.

The solution for this problem goes like this:You need a chelator agent to stop corrosion action of iron.Fo those who wants more

information about thoses agents contact me .

Bert

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my water has iron too but its yellow - not brown. we just keep the PH & chlorine levels right and swim anyway - heck you have the same water on your house and you take a bath/shower in it right? i go out everyday and wipe the sides where the iron tries to stain the pool. i also put iron remover water softener pellets in my float while the pump is running - gets the hardness out and does seem to help some with the iron.

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First thing to do is get rid of the metal laden water. You'll always have these problems return if using this type of water. Try a different water source FIRST, then get CYA in pool (read label). You can get CYA called Stabilizer/conditioner at pool stores, walmart, hdepot. If you use tri/dichlor pucks, they already have CYA in them....the thing is to keep your CYA levels around 30-50 ppm. Get a drop based test kit at walmart or splurge and get a taylor kit at pool store. I use ultra unscented bleach to chlorinate, since it's cheaper than pucks and I can better control CYA levels. Remember, once CYA gets too high, only way to get rid of it is draining pool...SO ONLY USE PUCKS FOR A WHILE, THEN CHANGE TO BLEACH. Chlorine works better with < 50 ppm CYA, so the higher your CYA level, the more chlorine you need. Don't buy pool store chemicals, just go get Borax and baking soda to raise pH/alk and muratic acid to lower pH. Pool store people don't tell you these alternatives since it hurts their business. I maintain my pool for around $20 a month in chemicals.

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Guest calvin collum

Brown pool water is probbably the most common complaint Hear about pool water. The first mistake people make is the determination as to whether the water is brown or a combination of brown and green. If you have algae on top of and iron or mineral problem you are really in for it. This problem is fixable. You will use a metal remover first.Chlorine will worsen the visibleness of the iron but the iron was already there. Now you can truly see what you are dealing with. The easiest way is to dump the pool and use a clean water source. {NOT WELL WATER}. The alternative is to add metal remover based on the manufacturerers recomended dosage for your pool. Continue to shock your pool regularly and keep your free active chlorine levels up with tablets or granular chlorine for the prevention or eradication of algae. Vacuum and hose of the filter. Vacuum and hose of the filter or backwash as the case may be. Vacuum and hose of the filter. Vacuum and hose of the filter. Vacuum and hose of the filter. You get the idea. Never turn your filter off, even if your water is clear. Adequate filtration is not achieved without constant circulation. I got ahead of myself on the steps. Long day. Make sure your water chemistry is balanced {ph alkalinity total hardness...} before you start on your metal removing quest. Best of luck to you. If you stick to this process your water will get clear. In the prevention of a future recurrence of this problem. DO NOT TOP OFF YOUR POOL WITH WELL WATER. I can not emphasize this enough. Deal with these problems every day. Comments or questions feel free to write.

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Guest new to the pool

Boy are we experiencing the same thing. I have an easy set pool. We have been to the pool store around a dozen times. We have tried Ulta Secure, Clear-It, Chlorine, etc. We have cleaned the filter around 50 times in the last two weeks and still our water is diarreah brown. The pool clerk says it is safe to swim in, but I can't see my hand 12 inches below the surface. The chemicals have made it worse.

My ph is 7.2 and my chlorine is a bit on the high side at 4.0.

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I have the exact same problem with probably the same type of pool and I have been battling the problem for about 8 yrs now. I use to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars ever year to try to change my pool water color and to no avail...(The darn stuff didn't work!) Ok first of all, it's my well water. We do swim in slightly tented brown water usually, it will not harm to you, it's just the color of the water. The best way I have found to treat this is by using household (cheap) chemicals and a splash of algaecide occasionaly maybe once per week. 1 cup of bleach and run your pump constantly as long as you are not in it. Keep that chlorine level to about 1.2 or slightly higher. Use a splash of baking soda for higher PH and a splash of Borax to lower it.I don't measure, I just guess and then retest in about 2 hours to see if I was right. You don't want to use too much algeacide because your pool will smell like toilet water if you do. I empty my pool out about once every month and 1/2 if the water looks too bad or if the bottom of the pool looks like there's mud in it...but it's not mud. The only thing you should invest in is pool pump filters and change them once per month, in between time, I clean them off with a hose about every 3 or4 days. The main idea to all of this is to keep that pump running when you are not in it. My pool right now is 16ft round and 3 1/2 ft deep...that should give you an idea on what I do with mine & compare it to yours. If we did'nt swim in our pool when it was a discolored brown...we would never use it. By the way, the regular pool chemicals dry rotted my first pool within 2 years of use including the hoses from the pool to the pump. These new pools out that are easy set up should last you a good 5 years if taken care of properly. You will also realize that when you get another pool...you can easily save parts from the old pool to use on the new one if something happens and you need an extra part. I'm not an expert, but I have been dealing with this problem for about 8 years now and refuse to put any more money into pool chemicals when they don't work!

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Guest Norman Dobransky

I have the same problem with my easy set pool 18' x 4'. I filled it with my well water with 4ppm of iron. I could not see more then a few inches thru the brown mud. I shocked it and shocked it some more. The next day I shut it off left it that way for a week. The iron fell to the bottom of the pool. You can see it has all gone to the bottom. I hooked the cleaning hose they sell at Wal-Mart up to the filter and it just passed thru the filter so I use it so siphon the iron/mud out of the pool and onto the lawn. I did this about 4 more times and WOW the pool is so much clearer you can see the bottom of the pool now. The cheap cartridge filter will not work to filter this iron out. I have not tried chemicals yet other then sockit and the chlorine tablets. I left the filter running this week and will have someone shut it off 2 days before I get to the pool so I can try this again. It is still a little brown so I hope in time I can clear it up. I only have access to the pool on weekends. So it's tuff for me to fix this. Here is my brown water I will update this link as I try and fix the water in the pool. http://www.dobransky.com/pool

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Okay..So anyway...LOL..I filled my pool back up again...Its actually a lot better...I filtered the water with 2 thick socks on my hose...My water is green...I poured in some Metal out stain and scale remover from Walmart..(dont know how well it works) My pool hasnt turned brown though!! But, its a clear green color..I can see the bottom really well..The thing is though..My Ph is low, my alkalinity seems to be fine..and the chlorine is low..I've got to get chlorine in the water without turning it brown..How am I gonna do that? I was told to put a chlorine tablet into the skimmer..But, can you believe that walmart here doesnt even sell chlorine tabs? Is stabilizer tablets the same as chlorine tabs? I put 2 of those in the cartridge thing of the filter...I got in today and vacuumed all the brown off the edges...But, all it does it stir it up..Went outside a lil later and there were brown buildups on the bottom...So, I'll be in there tomorrow stirring that up trying to get it filtered out. The bottle of the pool in some places in a lil slippery..what is that? My main question is..How am i gonna get chlorine into the pool? LOL..any help is appreciated..thanks!!!! P.S anybody have a magic wand? lol

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Ok for all you well water people that can not put chlorine in their pools, here is what I did and I have some bad well water. This came to me after searching for years on this problem.

There is a very good non chlorine pool chemical called baquacil which can be found here http://www.baquacil.com/about_products/products.asp

I used to have the same problem as everyone here, my pool size is 15' x 52"

As everyone said here the problem is when adding chlorine to the well water.

Im not an expert, all I know is that I had the same problems as everyone else here and after chainging to Baquacil my pool has been crystal clear since and a lot cheaper and more enjoyable.

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Hey Erin, I experienced the same thing with brown build-ups at the bottom of the pool. I have city water, though. The slipperiness in the pool is algae. I have an easy-set pool like you, and this happened to me. There was brown algae at the bottom of the pool, and everything was slippery. The solution? Go to wal-mart and get some Aqua-Chem Shock plus Clarifier. It has chlorine in it, and it will kill the algae. The water will become cloudy with dead algae (you have to stir it up first), and the filter should filter it out with in a day or two.

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Hey

We got one of those simple set pools from Canadian Tire and filled it with our well water. But as soon as we put the shock in it turned brown. So we went had it tested and got some chemicals. They did not work. We have been filtering our water through the pump normally and with a sock over the end, didnt help. I am thinking that there is too much iron for the pump and the flimsy filters to handle and will empty some of the water out and filter some more. Does anybody have any ideas on how else to fix this annoying problem??

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Hey

We got one of those simple set pools from Canadian Tire and filled it with our well water. But as soon as we put the shock in it turned brown. So we went had it tested and got some chemicals. They did not work. We have been filtering our water through the pump normally and with a sock over the end, didnt help. I am thinking that there is too much iron for the pump and the flimsy filters to handle and will empty some of the water out and filter some more. Does anybody have any ideas on how else to fix this annoying problem??

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You can try a sequestering agent (metal out, pool magnet etc)...If I were you I'd dump the pool and refill...before you put anything in the water..put the metal out in it...BUT, the problem is being able to put the chlorine in it without the metals falling out of solution...This is what I've done...and I have the same problem...I started filling my pool..bought some of that (metal, stain, and scale out) from walmart...I put half the bottle in...Let the filter run for a few days..Everything fell to the bottom...I put a sock on the end of my vac...vacuumed the bottom..it helped a lot...this was a week ago and I still have stuff on the bottom of my pool...the stuff gets in big clumps so..get in there and stir it around..so the filter can get it..it wont hurt u..start raising ur chlorine..SLOWLY....dont put a lot of bleach in or your water will be brown again. Dont fool with shock...just use regular bleach..get one of those 15.00 test kits from walmart..check ur ph..alkalinity..adjust it..keep that filter running..it'll get clear..but getting that stuff off the bottom is the problem..jump in there and move it around..ALSO..dont clean ur filter all the time..Let it gook up..catches the stuff a lot better...I just rambled on a lot..LOL..sorry..But, I've been dealing with this for about 3 months...havent been able to enjoy my pool yet. BUT!!!! Good news is that my pool is crystal clear with a lil bit of brown on the bottom..If u have any questions just let me know..

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Hey,

We just bought a simple-set pool at Canadian Tire also along with the $29.99 starter kit made by Dolfino - chlorine tabs, shock, and algaecide. The instructions say to use a dispenser for the chloring tabs...our Canadian Tire doesn't even sell those things and they don't have them online either. Has anyone just added the tabs directly into the water? I'm tempted to just toss the first batch in...but I don't want to screw things up if that's a no-no for some reason. Any have any advice??

Dave

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