Why Did My Pool Water Turn BROWN?

From www.swimmingpo... this video talks about why your swimming pool water would suddenly turn brown (suddenly, right before your eyes) after adding a chemical like chlorine sanitizer or an oxidizer product. In this case you very likely have high iron levels in your pool water, possibly from older pipes or a deteriorating pool heater, but more likely from contaminated water sources used to fill your pool...like a well.
Test your water to confirm the iron and quantity in the water, as well as your other water chemistry variables, and from there you will need to try to remove the iron with a product made to coagulate the contaminants in the pool and sink them to the bottom, like alum or floc, or you also can take the approach of chelating the metals to keep them in solution to prevent staining and oxidizing. The best solution of all is to prevent iron or other metals from ever making it into your pool. Check BioGuard and Jack's Magic as two pool chemical companies who have great solutions for dealing with metals like iron in your pool water.

[@RandyStewart-h9h]

We had this happen after xtra-chlorinating our indoor pool. It immediately turned the clarity of "iced tea". My background in chemistry made me aware of what was happening, so I understood a simple "cure". Throw in a couple paper cup fulls of pure citric acid (white powder, available online at most chemical supply houses, even Amazon). Iron(III)chloride is brown, but Iron citrate is colorless. The pool clears just as fast, right before your eyes!

[@ayorkii]

So … no mention of the best products to use to remove the iron?

[@blackbutterfly3537]

I use city water and mineral turned brown after I shocked it 😢according to my test strips all of my ph and alkalinity are still minimal to low

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Definitely iron in your pool water. Have a teat for iron / metals

[@tmashadi]

Unrelated question about vertical cold joints. If I pour concrete retaining wall one section at a time leaving rebar sticking out to tie into the next section and keying new wall into the old one, is it likely to leak and stopping me from installing stone veneer on top of the cold joint successfully? Is there a method to do this successfully? Thank you

[@jacenburchell683]

That happened to me recently. I have heavy iron in my water. After several days and a homemade filter I got it crystal clear. Then I shocked it again and it turned right back to that brownish orange.. is that normal? I filter out everything..

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

You need metal removing chemicals. Chelating or sequeatering agents.

[@212ntruesdale]

First of all, a daycare shouldn’t have and be operating a swimming pool. Little kids will drown, making brown water a non-event by comparison.

[@shawnbarden8812]

Love your videos! Do yoh know of a device/filter that can go in line of a an auto fill for minerals and calcium? Thanks in advance

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

I do not. A water softener system is the only method I am familiarnwoth to start either hard water and end up with soft water.