Is the water in your pool causing ugly stains and changing colors, and at worst, staining your nails and hair? If yes, that’s because of the copper present in the water. You are not alone in this as it is common all over the world.

No one likes to see those dirty spots in the pool, and therefore, getting rid of copper from pool water is necessary. But how do you do that? Does it require you to change the water every day, or are there other remedies? Let’s find out the best solution.

Want to know a trick? First, we are going to see how copper gets into the pool water because if you find out the source, you can eliminate it from the beginning. In this way, you won’t have copper in pool water at all, and you will not have to worry about dark spots, stains, and all.

Sounds cool, right? So, let us first see how this copper gets into the pool.

How does copper get into pool water?

Copper can easily get into the pool through a number of means, and not only the copper but other metal elements too. It’s important to find out because only then you can take preventive measures and avoid having copper in the pool in the first place. The major source includes the following.

The water source

The first thing you should check is where you are getting the pool water from. Whether you are getting your water from a well or the local water authority, it’s not always filtered properly, and having copper is normal in water.

Remember that metals or minerals are naturally found in water, and local authorities’ filtration plants might not be up to filter it all.

Copper-based algaecides

Used primarily for preventing the growth of algae, but it can cause copper contamination since they are copper based. If it is the case, you can use some other types of algaecides.

Pool equipment

The pool contains not only water, but it has several components connected with it. It includes the heating elements, pipes, fittings, and all. If any of the components are not fitted well, are not working properly, or are too old, the metal surfaces might corrode and can dissolve in pool water. Thus, keeping all connected components in good condition is equally important.

The other major attributes leading to metal contamination include the use of water ionizers, plaster pool surfaces, metal roofs, screen closures, etc.

How to get rid of copper in pool water?

Doesn’t matter if you have taken the preventive measures or not; you must have information about how you can remove the copper in case it gets in pool water.

First thing first, we need to test pool water to make certain it’s copper and what is the level of contamination. Copper test strips can be used for this that give results in a few minutes. In an ideal condition, the level should be zero. If it’s not, let’s proceed to the next steps.

We will let you know as we proceed what ideal conditions would be so that you can compare them with your situation.

Calcium and pH balance

Once the copper contamination is detected, we are going to take steps for its removal. There are a couple of more tests you will have to do. That includes the calcium hardness and the pH in the pool.

The pH levels should hover around 7.2 and 7.3 to neutralize the copper stains in the swimming pool water and have a calcium hardness level of 350 parts per million.

Calcium hardness levels can be increased by making use of calcium chloride. Whereas pH levels can be adjusted using soda ash or muriatic acid. You know the ideal figures; see how close you can get.

Add chelating agent

A chelating agent is what helps remove metal elements from pool water the best way. The agent will arrange the metal particles in a place, and then you can flush them out easily. After the metallic elements arrange at a single point, it will be easy to get them out at once.

Drain the pool

Take it as the last option only because it’s not easy. But also make sure you check what causes the copper elements in pool water because if you don’t get the source, the condition will be the same again in a few days.

Conclusion

Instead of swimming, you will spend more time clearing yourself of dirty water with the greenish tinge, the black stains on the surface, yellowish water, and whatnot. This is what happens when you don’t remove metallic molecules, mainly copper, from the pool water.

If you are facing the issue, you must determine the source from where it is getting the copper and then take appropriate steps. If it gets contaminated anyhow, a chelating agent and balancing the pH and calcium hardness are the way to go.