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Iron Stain Treat
1lb per 10,000 gallons
Iron is the most common type of metal/mineral staining in pools. So odds are good you’ll run into brown rust stains in your pool. In this how-to, we show you how you can remove them fast as well as how to prevent them in the future.
Steps
minute(s)
Turn off your pump system and bypass the timer.
Lower the chlorine level to below one (1) ppm – the lower the better – by either abstaining from adding chlorine or using a chlorine neutralizer, such as No Mor Chlor™ or an equivalent product.
Lower the pH to 7.2 and the Total Alkalinity to 80 ppm or below by using a pH decreaser and Alkalinity decreaser, such as No Mor Muriatic Acid™ or a conventional liquid acid. If you need to lower only the alkalinity, you can use Easy Alkalinity Down™ or an equivalent dry acid.
Add 1 lb of Iron Stain Treat™ per 10,000 gallons.
For pools where color fastness is a concern, or for areas with widespread staining, dissolve Iron Stain Treat™ in a clean bucket of water before pouring it evenly around the perimeter of the pool. Some clouding is normal and will subside in 24 hours.
Wait 12-24 hours for results. Repeat the application until all stains have been removed.
Raise the pH using Easy pH Up™ or Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda).
Soda Ash is not recommended, as it may lead to stains returning.
Raise the chlorine reading slowly, avoiding increases of more than 5 ppm per dose per day. Larger doses may cause staining to reform.
Use a stain preventative such as No Mor Stains & Scale™ weekly to keep the pool free of stains.
You didn’t invite rust into your pool, so how did it get there? Iron stains typically occur when dissolved iron in your water reacts with chlorine or sunlight—a chemical process known as oxidation.
The iron usually enters your pool through two main sources:
When this dissolved iron meets an oxidizer (like your pool shock), it precipitates out of the water and settles on your surfaces as reddish-brown ferric oxide—better known as rust. It looks permanent, but don’t worry; with the right science, it’s entirely reversible.
Removing an iron stain is a lesson in chemistry. Since the stain was formed by oxidation (adding oxygen to solidifies the metal), removing it requires the opposite process: reduction.
Products like Iron Stain Treat™ utilize reducing agents to strip the oxygen from the iron oxide. This chemical reaction converts the solid, visible rust back into a dissolved, invisible form that can be suspended in the water.
Once the iron is lifted from the surface and dissolved, it is crucial to use a sequestering agent. This “locks up” the metal, preventing it from re-oxidizing and staining the surface again. It is a simple, direct, and guaranteed way to restore your pool’s sparkle.
