Freaking OUT! Brown stains on my gunite pool!

[dblomom]

The HIGHLY anticipated arrival of my K-2006 has occurred! I am now the proud owner. I just tested everything, I have no idea what it all means, but here's what I have:

FC: 4.0ppm
CC: 0.2 ppm
pH: 7.2
total alkalinity: 90ppm
Calcium hardness: 320
CYA: 90ppm

OK, so I posted the metal results from my local water supply in a previous post. Also to clarify, my water was from a hose and not trucked in. So, now what?

I think my thread has sort of been back and forth so just to paraphrase, I am dealing with:
1) brown stains, which btw have not gotten any bigger or smaller during this whole process over the last few weeks. Also, just b/c I could, I kept the water in my "white bucket test" for over a week and never had any sediment in the bottom, ever
2) algae, which I scrubbed w/ a brush off of the edge of the pool while I was in it yesterday
3)perfectly, crystal clear water that my whole family has been in during this process.

Slowly but surely, I a might be learning! I really don't want to hire out the maintenance of my pool, I just really want to know what I am doing.

I do still need to order my CuLator & skimmer socks. I got so hung up on this K-2006, that I let that purchase go to the back burner.

THANKS!!!!!

[dblomom]

Should I start a new thread to get some direction on where to go now that I have the results up from my K-2006 test kit?
THANKS!
Amy

[BigDave]

Congratulations on getting your new k-2006 - it'll make life with your pool much better. One note: there's no need to use the 25ml sample for chlorine testing, the 10ml sample is fine and your reagents will last longer.

Your FC of 4.0ppm is too low for your CYA of 90ppm (hence you have algae). Per Ben's Best Guess Chart your normal FC is between 5ppm and 10ppm. Never let it go below 5 and I'd try to stay on the high side of the normal range.

One metal missing from the list above is iron. Brown stains may be Iron, may be something else.
Did you do the bucket test on pool water and hose water or just on hose water?

Your bucket (hose water) test showed no brown staining.
Your Vitamin C test brought a strange black/purple temporary stain but did not clear the brown stain.
The brown stain was somewhat lifted by a chlorine tab (trichlor, I presume).

Maybe you don't have a metal issue (sorry to disagree with you Ben).

Maybe the brown stains are algae (or something), and so is the stuff in your main drain.

If you didn't do a bucket test on your pool water, I'd recommend you do one now. If the pool water bucket test shows no staining, then I'd recommend you Shock the pool.

How have you been chlorinating? shocking?

[dblomom]

BigDave,

Thanks for the reply! I'll remember to use the smaller sample next time I'm testing the chlorine.

I am going to spend some time this evening studying Ben's Best Guess Chart. I will also do the bucket test on the pool water as I only did it on the hose water that was used to fill the pool. I'll report back with those results in a day or so.

In the mean time, to answer your question my chlorination has been from the chlorinator-thing that was installed on the pool pump (I'm so ignorant, my apologies) as well as some shock after the rains (and when the chlorine level is low). Do some people only supply chlorine to their pool via shock and just dumping it in?

As foreign as this all is to me, I am wondering if the brown stains aren't from algae as well. If it is algae, would the stains be able to be lifted once I get the levels under control?

Until I report back w/ the results of the pool water bucket test....

MUCH GRATITUDE!
Amy