Sunday, May 21, 2017

Wideman Pools, LLC
2567 Hwy 67
Festus, MO  63028
Widemanpools.com
636-931-7665
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How to Remove Stains from Your Pool
Copper Stains (Blue Green)
Copper stains are probably some of the most common stains we see in our pools. The introduction of copper to the pool water can come from algaecides, heat exchangers, older copper plumbing, etc. The good news is that we can prevent most cases of blue/green staining by following dosing charts on algaecides and maintaining proper pH levels in our pools, but we all know that doesn't always happen.
There are liquids and dry granular stain treatments that work well on removing these types of stains on all types of pool surfaces. The most commonly used granular removers include citric acid and ascorbic acid. The granules do a good job of lifting the satin, but require the addition of a sequestering agent to help the filtration system trap the removed metals from the pool water. Be aware that the liquid stain removers also contain phosphoric and/or phosphonic acid, which adds phosphates to your pool water that will need to be removed at a later time. There are phosphate-free liquid sequesterants, but they are used to help remove metals that are already in the water. The non-phosphate sequesterants will only be effective on fresh stains that have not yet set into the surface.
  
Purple Haze
Copper cyanurate staining is caused when you have a cyanuric acid level over 100 ppm that combines with copper in the pool water to form a purple precipitant on the surface of the pool, tile line, skimmers and pool cleaner. The problem will continue to persist until you reduce the cyanuric acid level down to about 50 ppm. Once you lower the CYA, the staining usually goes away as well, but you may need to brush the affected areas to help some stubborn spots. When you drain water to lower the CYA, it addresses the copper in the water as well, but you should test the water for any remaining copper residual.
Iron Stains
Iron stains are going to appear brownish in color; if you have dissolved iron in the pool, it can cause a brownish tint to the water. Iron can make its way into your pool in a number of different ways. Some pool heater headers are made of iron, and over time the protective coating gets worn down inside, exposing the iron base metal to the pool's chemistry. An erosion tablet feeder plumbed in without the proper check valve in place will erode the header as well. Lawn care professionals can also introduce iron to your pool through fertilizers, but the most common means of introducing iron to the pool is through well water. In many areas of the country, people draw their pool water from wells that contain metals.
The procedure for removal of iron stains is the same as above for copper. Be sure to balance the water and figure out the source of the iron in order to minimize the chances of further stains. If the iron is from well water, it's best to get on a maintenance program of adding a sequestering agent on a weekly basis.
Organic Stains
As leaves and other organic materials make their way into the pools and settle to the bottom, the tannins in the leaves can leach out into the water and leave stains where the leaves rested. This is pretty common when leaves sit on winter covers or at the bottom of the pool in the off-season. Sometimes these stains will go away as we balance and shock the pool to get the chlorine levels up. If the stains are still lingering after the water is balanced, the stains can usually be lifted rather easily with citric or ascorbic acid.
Galvanic Corrosion
Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially to another when both metals are in electrical contact in the presence of an electrolyte. (In other words, the less noble metal undergoes corrosive attack.)
This happens in our pools with salt generators every minute the cell is making chlorine. Through galvanic corrosion, the corroded metals dissolve and can reach a saturation point in the water and begin to stain the surface of your pool. It doesn't corrode the salt cell because it is made of a more noble metal than your pool ladders, light rings, etc. You can help slow down galvanic corrosion by adding a sacrificial anode made of zinc. Zinc is a less noble metal than other metals associated with your pool, so the galvanic corrosion attacks it first, and thus the zinc sacrifices itself in order to save the other metals from degradation. It's a good idea to use a non-phosphate sequesterant as a maintenance tool in salt pools for this reason.
Preventing The Stains
When staining appears in a pool, it's important to first test the pool water and be sure that the water chemistry is balanced. If there are metals in the water, add a sequestering agent to help keep them from precipitating out of the water and creating more staining as you correct the water chemistry. A lot of staining in pools is caused by the pH dropping down and aggressively dissolving the metals into solution. Once the water balanced, then the real stain battle begins.
There will be occasions when you have tried every trick in the book to help remove the stain from the pool, but it just will not lift off the surface. In these cases it may be that the pool needs to be drained and acid washed to remove the staining. This is generally going to happen on plaster pools. Vinyl and fiberglass pools usually respond pretty well to the treatments since they aren't as porous as plaster pools, so the stains lift off easier.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in the case of stain prevention. Pool professionals and their customers generally neglect brushing the pool walls and they also tend to avoid the steps needed to prevent staining. The simple addition of a sequestering agent added as a maintenance measure on a weekly/biweekly/monthly basis, whichever fits your needs, goes a long way to keeping our pool surfaces looking newer longer.

Thanks,
The Wideman Pool Team



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Sunday, May 7, 2017


Wideman Pools, LLC

2567 Hwy 67
Festus, MO  63028
Widemanpools.com
636-931-7665


Image result for stains in pools







How to Get Rid of Stains in Salt Generator Pools



Salt chlorine pools have become quite popular for their convenience. There are no hazardous chemicals on site, water is sanitized and oxidized automatically. There are little to no chloramines. Many users of salt generators claim softer feeling water with less chemical odor and no dry or irritated skin.
Along with the report of these benefits, some have also reported some strange phenomena as well. These include things like discolored water, strange stains throughout the pool that are hard to remove and prevent. Stains appearing in salt pools include:
• Black flecks on pool bottom
• Black staining on ladders and light rings
• Reoccurring stains and discoloration on light rings around steps or rails and discolored water. 
• Purple haze and debris in pool water 
These stains seem to be a mystery, however in salt pools with high TDS they are due to a simple chemical reaction known as Galvanic Corrosion. To understand this electro chemical reaction a simple understanding of the technology of chlorine generators is first needed. 
Chlorine generators work using a process known as electrolysis. In nature chlorine is found primarily in the chloride ion, which is a component of salt found in the earth or the oceans. Electrolysis is the means of generating chemical products from their native state. A salt generator works by passing electricity through a solution of sodium chloride to produce chlorine as a disinfectant or sanitizer. 
The most popularly used chlorine generators are the in-line type. In these systems salt water is circulated over electrochemical cells. The cells convert the sodium chloride to free available chlorine. The cells used in these systems are typically made of titanium. Though it may seem new the technology of splitting molecules via electrolysis goes back all the way to the 1700s.
History of electrolysis
• 1789 - First use of electricity to separate compounds- electrolysis
• 1800 - First device to generate chlorine using electricity developed by Cruickshank
• 1830 - Faraday used brine (salt water) to produce chlorine gas (this occurs at the anode positive electrode cell) hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide were also produced (at the cathode negative electrode cell)
How galvanic corrosion occurs in swimming pools:
Galvanic corrosion occurs when dissimilar metals exist in a high TDS solution such as a salt generator pool. Some metals are nobler and more cathodic meaning positive currents flow from these and they tend to steal electrons from the less noble anodic or negative metals. 
A Galvanic Corrosion Chart is used in industries that work with fluids and metals such as cooling towers. The Galvanic Corrosion Chart shows that the "anodic" or "less noble" metals at the negative end of the series such as magnesium, zinc and aluminium - are more likely to corrode than those at the "cathodic" or "noble" end which include gold and graphite. 

There are three things needed in order for galvanic corrosion to occur:
1. Electrochemically dissimilar metals must be present 
2. These metals must be in electrical contact, and 
3. The metals must be exposed to an electrolyte (salt in solution)

In a swimming pool all three of these exist due to the high TDS from the salt content of the water. The electrochemical cells in most chlorine generators are made of titanium which is listed on the Galvanic Corrosion Chart as a nobler metal. Most pools contain some copper in the system as well in the heat exchanger or in any brass fittings or pipe that may be in the system. Copper is a less noble metal than titanium and thus it corrodes as a result of the electrolysis in the high salt solution. This leaves black stains and debris in the pool. Copper is also rendered insoluble in the water. Copper in the water will appear as a green translucent color.
The simple solution to solve this problem is to find another less noble metal to use as a sacrificial anode that corrodes but doesn’t cause staining. When differing metals are added to salt water one metal acts as a cathode this is the nobler of the two. Titanium would be one example of a more cathodic or noble metal. The other metal may be more anodic or less noble. An example of this would be copper. 
Galvanic corrosion occurs because when these two metals are in salt water with an electrical current the weaker less noble metal (copper) will corrode faster than normal. Also the stronger more noble metal (titanium) will corrode much slower than normal. It has been found in various marine industries that the addition of zinc in these types of systems prevents the corrosion of copper and stops the staining. 
Zinc is very low on the galvanic chart and is one of the most anodic metals found. In salt chlorine pools zinc can be added as a solid weight into the skimmer or attached in the circulation system. This slows or stops the corrosion of copper. If the water is discolored from copper it is advised to use a metal removal product along with the zinc to remove the current discoloration and prevent reoccurrence. Most metal products on the market tend to be phosphate based and this too can cause problems in a salt chlorine generator. When selecting a metal product use a phosphate free product. 
What about purple haze?
Another mystery in both salt generator and regular pools is the occurrence of a strange purple coloring and debris. This is due to high levels of cyanuric acid and insoluble copper in the water. If pH and alkalinity go low than copper cyanurate is formed leaving a purple residue along the water line and around lights and steps. The solution here is to lower cyanuric acid down to 35ppm to 50ppm and adjust up the alkalinity and pH. Also, the addition of zinc will help keep copper from corroding into the water.
These simple methods should help clear the mystery and remove the stains.

Thanks,
The Wideman Pool Team


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