Almost every pool owner has experienced pool staining at one time or another. Stains are usually either organic or metallic in nature. For proper treatment to take place, it is important to know whether it is organic or metallic.
Organic stains are caused when algae, decaying leaves, or pecans sit on the pool floor for an extended period of time. Rub a chlorine tablet on the stain (gunite pools only) to determine if it is an organic stain as chlorine will typically remove an organic stain. Metallic stains are caused by metal in the pool water from pesticides, fertilizer, or keeping the pH in the pool too low. Another source of metallic stains is the overuse of copper-based algaecides. If you rub half a lemon on the stain and it goes away or is decreased, it’s probably a metallic stain. Stains can be one of the most difficult problems that most pool professionals deal with.
If these stains persist, following are some more drastic recommended solutions for your stain problem.
Vinyl Pools – Stains on vinyl pools are difficult to treat, as anything strong enough to remove the stain can potentially damage the liner. Try brushing the area while using Bioguard’s Pool Magnet Plus. Liner replacement is sometimes the only alternative.
Fiberglass Pools – Ascorbic acid has been used for years to treat staining in fiberglass pools. If you are unsuccessful with this approach, try contacting your fiberglass pool manufacturer to determine a solution.
Gunite Pools – First try brushing. If that is not effective, try applying chlorine or acid (but not both) to the affected area. If you are still unsuccessful, use wet/dry sandpaper and sand the stain off. Occasionally a gunite pool has to be drained and then acid washed or chlorine washed in order to remove the stain.
As you can tell, there is no simple solution for stain removal.
If you do get a stain in your pool, find out what caused the stain and correct the situation in order to prevent any future reoccurrence.
Visit us in our showroom to view a number of products that might be able to help. Bring a water sample and a picture of the stain if possible.
