Swimming Pool Cleaning

I got tons of iron in my water it turns everything orange i wanted to fill our swimming pool up i got for my kids, i did this last year and they came out of the water orange, it was so funny! but i got a pool w a filter and wanted to know what kind of chemicals to put in the water to take the iron out

Tagged fill, Iron, pool, Want, Water

§ 5 Responses to iron in my water and want to fill my pool?"

• Cap'n One-Aye says:

  05/18/2011 at 2:58pm

  Take a sample (1qt) to your county health department and the local pool supply retailer and have them test it and make recommendations. The CHD should test for tannins and mineral contaminants. The only time I have seen water turn something orange is when a well was drilled into a coal vein. You may have to pre-treat your water before filling the pool.

  Reply
• SueyN says:

  05/18/2011 at 3:29pm

  We had that problem and had to put in a water treatment system. It used a special salt to get rid of the iron. We were on a private well and my neighbors had to do the same thing as me. My dishwasher was orange and it turned the dishes brownish orange. It worked just fine.

  Reply
• GTB says:

  05/18/2011 at 4:19pm

  Iron in water will turn things orange as the iron, under exposure from oxygen in the air, oxidizes from the soluble ferrous (Fe2+) to the insoluble ferric (Fe3+) state. The ferric iron’s insolubility is the orange color.

  Unless the iron is removed via an iron removal process, you will have this problem. Many thing adding chlorine bleach will solve this – in fact it accellerates the oxidation as the hypochlorite is a stronger oxidant than is oxygen. Remember that pool shock is 10% sodium hypochlorite, household bleach is 4 – 5 % sodium hypochlorite – so you must remove the iron from the water.

  There are commercially available iron removal systems that basically convert the ferrous to ferric ion, induce the formation of the insoluble precipitate, and filter it out. The water that results is very low in iron and this will likely work well for you. These systems are moderately costly.

  The other option is to use water that is not iron containing. Rain water, and surface water (e.g. lakes, streams, etc) would do the job.

  Reply
• Scott L says:

  05/18/2011 at 5:13pm

  Another option would be to use a sequestering agent, and follow with a good filter aid. The sequestering agent holds the metal in the water, and the right filter aid will help pull it out, so you are not fighting the metal all season long.
  A good filter aid will be a tight enough media to pull most of the metals out of the water (DE filter media). A great one also attracts metals, are usually cellulose based, and can be purchased at specialty pool and spa dealers.

  Reply
• propreno says:

  05/18/2011 at 5:31pm

  Water color resulting from oxidized metals can come in an assortment of colors, and is mostly translucent in its early stages. Green, red, brown, and black are some of the more common colors produced by dissolved metals. Green color is usually produced by either copper or iron. Red and brown colors are generated by iron. Black/brown pool water is usually caused by manganese.

  Often these colored water conditions appear after a pool is initially filled or after a shock treatment. If the fill water contains metals, it should be treated with a sequestering agent and/or clarifier prior to chlorine additions. A shock treatment can cause metals to oxidize, which allows them to fall out of solution and become more visually apparent.

  1. Adjust pH & alkalinity to recommended ranges.
  2. Add sequestering agent & run filter.
  3. Two days later, shock treat the water.
  4. Retest pH & alkalinity. Also test hardness levels &, if necessary, raise to 200 ppm, minimum.

  Take a pool sample to a pool professional for dissolved metals testing immediately after treatment and at least once a month.

  Reply