How To Identify And Remove Pool Stains
Whether you are a new pool owner, or someone who has owned a pool for a long time, you should already be well aware of one of the many realities of pool owning: you are going to need to undertake some swimming pool stain removal at some point during the life of the pool. This is not a huge deal, it’s something that is relatively easy and inexpensive to do, but identifying and removing stains can be a real chore if you don’t know what you are looking for, and what you are doing. Below are some tips for helping you to identify and remove pool stains.
The Two Types of Stains: Metal/Rust-Based and Organic
Metal can accidentally be introduced into your pool either from well water, or corrosion off of copper piping. Organic stains are those left behind by leaves, berries, worms and organic debris. Green, brown, red and blue stains are typically those left behind by organic matter. Those caused by metal are most often blue, green or black. If the stain is a mix of green, brown and red, iron is likely the culprit. A brown, black and purple stain is likely being caused by manganese.
Getting Rid of Organic Stains
Getting rid of organic stains simply involves blasting the water with chlorine and then brushing the stains away. The pH should be between 7.4 and 7.6 for this, and the alkalinity between 100 to 150 parts per million. The larger the stain, the more you are going to have to up the ratio. Once you have hit the stains hard with the increased chlorine levels, you can then brush them away. You will have to let the pool cycle for a good 8 hours after this to get all of the excess chlorine out.
Getting Rid of Metal Stains
The unfortunate thing about metal stains is that they often require going to the swimming pool refinishing pros for help. If you think your pool is suffering from metal stains, the first thing you are going to want to do is to take a water sample to your pool guys to find out what the metals are. After you have figured out what the metal stains are, your pool care specialists can recommend a special water treatment to help get rid of the specific metal(s).
While pool stains are certainly unsightly, and the downtime while you are dealing with them is unfortunate, they are, thankfully, quite easy to deal with if you know what you are looking for, and know how to go about remedying them. Keep the above swimming pool stain removal advice in mind and know how to get rid of pool stains fast.