Have you noticed your pool getting discolored? The chlorine you put in not helping? Perhaps you’ve had an infestation of the lovely metal of iron. Iron is great for making steel or transporting oxygen around our bodies, but when it comes to swimming pools, we don’t want any of it!
How did I get it?
Well water typically contains minerals such as iron, and when we use our hoses to fill up that dipping water line, we are introducing the natural substances into our pool’s system. And if you have city water? Iron from old pipes can leech from the pipe into the water as it is traveling to your hose and then into your swimming pool.
What does it do to my pool?
Besides being unsightly, (a brown tinge usually accompanies too much iron, although it can be green) iron in the water can corrode (eat away at) the pump, heater, pipes and other metals. It can stain the surface of your liner, and even stain the hair and nails of the swimmers who frequent the pool.
What can I do about it?
Thankfully there is a product called Ferri-Iron tablets. Called “Ferritabs”, they are nifty little pills for your pool. Not only do they do away with the discoloration of iron, they also work against the chemical, Manganese.
Non-toxic and non-corrosive, these tablets won’t interfere with your chlorine levels or pH of the water. Just drop in one Ferri-Iron tab for every 3,000 gallons of water into the skimmer basket and keep the filter running.
Voila! Red hair and red pool be gone! To maintain your pool’s authentic color, put in a Ferritab for every 3,000 gallons of fresh water you add to your pool.
If your pool is really infested, it may be necessary to repeat the dosage and do a backwash after 24 to 48 hours.
Now go enjoy your Caribbean blue pool!
(Unless of course you like in a state like Michigan right now)