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Got mystery stains, teal-tinted water, or customers blaming your chlorine for their new “seafoam highlights”? Andrea and Paulette dive into high metal levels in pools—where they come from (source water, corrosion, “helpful” copper products), how to confirm what you’re dealing with (iron vs. copper vs. manganese), and the smartest ways to treat the water and the stain without turning the pool into a chemistry crime scene. Real talk, step-by-step protocols, and the dos/don’ts that save callbacks.
Chapter Markers
- 00:00 – Cold Open: “No, chlorine didn’t dye your hair green.”
- 02:10 – Metal 101: Iron, copper, manganese—how they look, act, and stain
- 07:45 – Where They Come From: Source water, heaters, low-pH corrosion, old copper algaecides
- 12:30 – Testing That Doesn’t Lie: Spot tests, stain ID, metal test kits, source-water pulls
- 16:20 – Immediate Triage: When water is tinted vs. when you have bonded stains
- 20:15 – Stain-Lift Playbook: Ascorbic/citric protocols that actually work
- 25:50 – Sequestrants & Chelants: HEDP/ATMP, maintenance dosing, timing with chlorine
- 30:10 – Actual Removal: Partial drain/replace, prefilters, metal capture media, poly-fill hacks
- 34:30 – Prevention Clinic: LSI balance, anodes, heater protection, product choices
- 39:00 – Rapid-Fire Q&A & Takeaways
Key Symptoms & What They Usually Mean
- Brown/tea stains or yellowing: Often iron; may cloud when pH rises or after superchlorination
- Turquoise/black smudges; blonde hair turning green: Usually copper; often tied to low pH/heater corrosion or copper algaecides
- Black/grey/purple blotches: Possible manganese; shows up in well water regions
Testing & Identification (Fast & Reliable)
- Pull a source-water sample (hose bib before softener) to see what you’re adding every fill/top-off.
- Use metal test kits (iron/copper/manganese) and stain ID tests (vitamin C for iron, etc.).
- Verify pH & LSI first—metals love to fall out when pH/alk/CH swing.
- If a heater is present and copper is high, inspect for low pH corrosion and flow/erosion issues.
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