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Too Much Metal Chelating Agent


Parrick

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Additional Info: I did some checking & found that Spa Metal Free is a citric acid based product. From what I have read this is not the most effective chelating agent. I have always used Leisure Time Metal Gon in the past (phosphoric acid based). (Should have checked - pool store guy said it was the same thing) Now I am wondering if this product is going to have the desired effect & if I can or should add Metal Gon now? The water always has had a slight blue tint when viewed in sunlight (before & after application) but I have never had any staining issues that I have noticed. I have used Metal Gon in the past simply because the manufacturer recommends it at each new fill. The fill water is trucked-in city water & I don't know if I really need any of this stuff anyway. On the up side I notice that the Spa Metal Free bottle recommends adding a couple of ounces every week for "maintenance" so I assume that the citric acid dissipates over time & I probably don't have to worry too much about the over-application.

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When you add chlorine, it will oxidize the citric acid (producing some chloroform as a result) so you'll get rid of it that way. The "maintenance" recommendation sounds pretty lame to me, at least in a chlorine spa, since chlorine will react with the citric acid.

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I guess the big question then is: Do I really need this stuff at all...either citric acid or phosphoric acid based? As I recall, both the dealer & the manufacturer recommended adding the Metal Gon during the fill process & I got the impression that it was very important. This is the last of the dealer-recommended concoctions that I still hang on to. I guess partly because they made it sound very important to the health & longevity of my spa and partly because I figured that it couldn't hurt. After all, it is only added once per fill & isn't that expensive. Now I am seeing information that only the phosphoric acid version is effective but that phosphoric acid may not be all that healthy to have in the water. Like I said before, the water appears to have a slight bluish tint but the spa is 4 ft deep & has a white bottom. Adding the chemicals (either version) doesn't seem to affect the bluish tint at all so I assume what I am seeing is not a metal problem anyway...just deep water. I have been searching topics but not finding much info on this stuff. Any insight would be appreciated.

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Well after some more searching it looks like clear water with a slight bluish tint is good water. I don't have any brown, green or cloudiness so it looks like I don't really need to worry about metal issues. Hopefully I am on the right track because I'm planning to omit the metal chelation stuff altogether from here on out. I think I have answered my own question but any expert confirmation/input would still be appreciated!

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You could get your fill water tested for metals. If it's municipal water typically from rivers and reservoirs, it's probably low in metals. It's usually well water where you see more iron.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is a great site. Alot of good questions, alot of great advice not just from users but experts. High comfort level here for this beginner.

So, my question on the theme: i have well water, not tested yet, but I understand that it is high in iron. In the white sink i can see brown color in 3 inches of water. If I fill my white tub with 325 gallons of my well water will the solutions described here get rid of high iron? Will I need the weekly dose? (I may not be here every week). Will one of those metal-reducing water sticks work for a well fill with high iron? I know i need to get a chemical test of my own water to know what the limits are specifically for me.

Also, If I plan to truck in clean water and store it in a separate tank just for the tub am I getting into a separate water chemistry situation with the tank? It has no pump for circulation, so what to do? I was thinking a 1000 gallon tank to give me a fill for plumbing flush (tub not used for 2 years), a fill for use, and a quantity for topping off,drain, refill down the line.

Advice? Thanks

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You probably want to use one of the iron filters for the fill water since that is best when you've got a lot of iron. The sequestrant is an imperfect solution as it generally just binds to the iron without getting rid of it (sometimes it will precipitate, but usually not). If you use separately trucked in water without iron, then you won't need to worry about metals in the water. If you keep the tank in perfect darkness, then it won't get algae. You could add some chlorine to it to prevent bacterial growth.

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Thanks, the trucked water sounds like the plan. Neighbors know the very clean source as they needed it trucked in several times when they lost their well this summer. I may be headed toward installing a filtration system for my own well between my tank and the house. Unfortunately there is no dark spot for the tank, so chlorine will be the order. I have hung a length of copper tubing in my house tank on advice of an old gentleman. Is it a wives' tale or effective for some conditions? Thanks.

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The copper tubing is to have some copper ions in the water, but it won't be very much. If you wanted to go that route, you would add copper sulfate to the water, but then that water could stain your spa so I don't think that's such a great idea. Copper ions are an algaecide. If you want to use an algaecide that lasts longer than chlorine, then add Polyquat 60 to the water. That way, if the chlorine runs out you still have a backup.

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  • 6 years later...

My hot tub water keeps going green after a week or two despite treating it exactly as stated on the instructions. We shower before getting in so I’m not sure what the problem is. It is completely transparent but green in colour. Any ideas??? I have tried changing filters and using a clarifier but still went clear green. Could it be metals?

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  • 8 months later...

I think I messed up the order of chemicals. I filled my hot tub with our well water. Then I tried balancing the ph/alc levels. Thought I had it. Then added the recommended amt of Metal Magic (high iron content well) and the water turned very brown. Now, I retested and had hi concentration levels of ph/alc. I added ph down. Water is still brown. Waited a while (probably not long enough) and added more metal magic. 
It’s still brown and now foamy. I’m in a slight panic. 
I need advice, please

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@PetesnacksPlease post a full set of test result and the testing method (strips, liquid reagents, store testing). What sanitizer are you using and what is the sanitizer level. Clear green is either copper or algae but without knows a bit more it's impossible to tell. Also, what is the color of your hot tub shell? IF it is blue then iron (which causes a tan to brown coloration of the water) can appear green.

 

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@MJoPlease post a full set of test result and the testing method (strips, liquid reagents, store testing). You said you have well water and my guess is that it has a very high iron content. Metal Magic (an excellent product, btw) will not cause the iron to oxidize and turn brown. Chlorine or bromine will. Did you shock the tub? High pH will also cause iron to precipitate out of solution.  Without knowing the actual parameters of your water we really can't help you.Post those test results and all chemicals that you are using and what sanitizer you are using.

IF your well water has a high iron content you might want to invest in a prefilter that you can attach to a garden hose when you fill that will help filter out the iron.

 

METALTRAPS-POOLSIDE.jpg

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