Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Stains on the pool surfaces, pool equipment
or on the swimmers, or off-color swimming pool
water. Discolored but clear pool water.
mschimno

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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!

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby heatherh1972 » Mon 06 Jul, 2009 19:45

how much biogard sparkle up did you use?
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
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Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

brown pool water

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

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!!! :o) 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!
mel t

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby mel t » Mon 20 Jun, 2011 13:13

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



Do you remember how murky the water was at its worst? How many ladder rungs could you see from the side of the pool? Could you see the first step under water? or the second? We can see the top rung (obviously, its out of the water) and the next rung, but nothing below that.


I think your idea is WONDERFUL and we're giving it a shot. I'm actually using microfiber shop towels instead of a white towel. Hopefully I'm catching more gunk...faster!
kiwipool

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby kiwipool » Thu 29 Dec, 2011 23:31

You do not say what type of Filter you are using but if you fitted a Sand Filter and instead of sand use White Quartz (You may get some from Wet Edge Technologies and put that in the filter) because when the water passes through the quartz it creates a Ion Charge that attracts the Iron in the water to it like a magnet. when you backwash the polarity is reversed and you will see what looks like black coffee coming out.

Quartz will filter down to 3 microns (email kiwipool@vodafone.net.nz
kiwipool

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby kiwipool » Thu 29 Dec, 2011 23:32

You do not say what type of Filter you are using but if you fitted a Sand Filter and instead of sand use White Quartz (You may get some from Wet Edge Technologies and put that in the filter) because when the water passes through the quartz it creates a Ion Charge that attracts the Iron in the water to it like a magnet. when you backwash the polarity is reversed and you will see what looks like black coffee coming out.

Quartz will filter down to 3 microns (email kiwipool@vodafone.net.nz
Pritchard_2011

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby Pritchard_2011 » Mon 28 May, 2012 20:52

Alright...I usually search the internet for information, use that information, and go on. However, after our brown water experience I decided to post our results so readers (like me) can hopefully come to a quick, and cheap, solution.

We filled our pool with our well water, and as soon as the chlorine was added --BOOM-- brown water. I spent WAY TOO MUCH money adding different chemicals as suggested from other users. We were getting ready to try the sock and towel trick, and my husband decided to try the Iron Out first. For $12, he purchased a jug of Iron Out...added about 1/4 of the jug into our pool...and within 10 minutes the water was clear. And, the pool has continued to be clear.

So, thank you to the many users who suggested Iron Out...I wish I had went with that 2 days and $100 ago :)
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

Help ME! Brown Water from IRON~

Postby chem geek » Mon 28 May, 2012 22:52

Just so we are clear, is it Summit Brands Super Iron Out? If so, they note the following in this FAQ:

Can I use Super Iron Out in a swimming pool?
Super Iron Out is not recommended for pool water. Super Iron Out is safe to use in an empty pool to remove staining from walls, liner, etc. just not in a full pool.


Based on their MSDS which contains a variety of reducing agents I believe the issue is that it will consume a lot of chlorine and if you eventually add enough chlorine so that it starts measuring again then you may get restaining unless you add a metal sequestrant preferably based on HEDP (like Jack's Magic). So the product is good at removing stains where you can then remove the water, but they figure no one is going to drain/refill their pool after using their product. See this old thread on another forum about this issue.

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