Your Guide to Removing Metal Pool Stains

Key Takeaways

Before treating metal stains, lower chlorine levels first using a chlorine neutraliser — high chlorine interferes with the stain removal process and needs to be reduced before applying acid-based treatments.
Add algaecide after lowering chlorine levels to prevent an algae bloom from developing while sanitiser levels are temporarily reduced during treatment.
Dilute the stain remover carefully before adding it to the pool — always add the solution slowly and take care to avoid skin contact, as acid-based products can cause injury.
After treatment is complete, restore chlorine and pH levels to their correct ranges before allowing anyone to swim.
Prevent metal stains by regularly testing for metals in the water, removing any metal objects that fall into the pool promptly, maintaining nearby metal structures to prevent rust, and keeping pH balanced — low pH corrodes copper components like pumps and heaters, releasing metals into the water.

Removing metal pool stains can be tricky business, this article will outline how to remove those pesky stains from your pool and give you some tips to prevent the issue from arising again.

Steps to Removing Metal Pool Stains

Lower those Chlorine levels. You can do this by using a chlorine neutralizer, this is a quick way to bring your chlorine levels down without having to drain your pool.
Add an algaecide. We’ve lowered our chlorine levels and because of this, we need to prevent algae from becoming an issue on top of our metal stain.
Time for the Acid wash. Dilute your chosen stain remover in water, be very careful doing this as you don't want any chance of it getting on you.
Slowly add the diluted solution to your pool.
Turn on your pool pump and leave the water to circulate.
If the stain still remains, repeat steps 3 to 5.
Restore your pool chlorine and PH Levels.

How to Prevent Metal Pool Stains

Test your pool water for metals.
Remove any metal fragments that may have landed in the pool, eg bottle lids, nails, hair pins, etc.
Make sure any metal fences, gutters or sheds, etc are maintained and not rusting.
Maintain your PH levels in your pool. Low PH levels can corrode and oxidize copper pumps and pool heaters causing pool staining.