Brown Stains in Saltwater Pool

[PoolDoc]

Three tests:

1. Put some cal hypo powder on a stained area. (Cal hypo is usually available as bagged shock. You can probably buy a single bag at a pool store.)

2. Put a few Vitamin C tablets (ascorbic acid) on a stained area.

3. Put a few tablespoons of Iron Out (sodium hydrosulfite + sodium metabisulfite) on a stained area.

See what the results are.

[Barloewen]

I decided to empty my pool since my Ca hardness levels were so high and the pool water hadn't been changed in 6 years. Once the pool was empty the brown stains lightened up and looked more like rust stains. I decided I would try hydro jetting them off first with high pressure water and if that didn't work then I was going to try bleach and finally muriatic acid. The good news is that I was able to remove the stains quite easily in 30 minutes with the high pressure water. So I was able to avoid the chemical route. I'm refilling the pool right now.

[PoolDoc]

Glad you were able to solve the problem.

But I'm still really curious about the cause of your stains. However, iron will absolutely cause staining. I have seen reports that improperly prepared pool salt may contain significant amounts of iron, so maybe that was the source.

Good luck!