How to identify and remove swimming pool stains?

Jumping into a cool pool can help you escape the summer heat. However, a dirty pool can keep people out of the pool and restrain them from having fun. Stains are one of the most annoying detriments a pool owner can bear with on their investment. A stained pool can disrupt the sparkling blue water you dream of as a pool owner. Just as in a bathtub, stains do not just occur overnight in your swimming pool. Stains and build up occur over time, and you need to pay attention to your pool. If you don’t have regular pool cleaning services, the unnoticed stains can build up until they become a problem you can’t ignore. Pool stains can be caused by metals in the pool water or by organic materials in the pool. Luckily, many stains can easily be identified and treated. Here are tips to help you identify and remove pool stains.

Organic Stains

The most common causes of organic staining include algae, leaves, berries or dead worm on the surface of pool water. The organic matter causes the pool surface to stain and discolor. A brownish-green stain is a good sign that the pool has organic stains. Additionally, berries or seeds can also cause red or blue stains in your pool. Once you are certain of the cause of the stains, it is now time to get rid of the stain.

One of the simple ways to remove organic pool stains is to shock the pool with chlorine and scrub the stain using a stiff brush. Pouring granular chlorine shock over the stain in a small amount will make the stain to disappear in a blink of an eye. However, don’t use this method on a vinyl pool. In most cases, organics leave a stain in the shape of an item such as a berry or a leaf.

Metal or rust based stains

Iron and copper are the common types of metal staining. Metals stains look reddish-brown and are dark in color or have a rust-like appearance. Iron normally form rusty green-brown splotches whereas copper forms blue, black or green stains.

Once you find out that you have a metallic stain, you should first remove the trace metals in the pool. Iron could be coming from good water, some pool equipment or a pool chemical used. Copper staining could be coming from algaecides, city water or heat exchangers that have copper piping. You can use ascorbic acid to remove the stains left by the metals. In some cases, calcium and iron can combine to form iron scale compound. This will need treatment on the calcium scaling then the iron to help remove the discoloration. If left untreated, this type of stain will get worse with time.

Although swimming pool stains can be unsightly and take much time, it is better when you know what you are looking for and how to get rid of it. Keep your pool clean always to prevent organic stains. For metal stains, you have to test the water regularly for the presence of metals and fix it before stains form.