How to test for Iron without sending out water to testing lab or pool store! (pics included)

[jesse-99]

I originally posted this in another thread regarding an AA treatment another TFP'er is going through but I felt it warranted it's own thread specifically.

If anyone is concerned their fill water or auto-fill water has Iron in it, you can do a 5-gallon white-bucket test with your water.

• Iron in water (without ANY chlorine) will be in a solution state, meaning it's invisible to the eye.
• Iron in water (with chlorine added) will go into a suspension state, meaning it's visible to the eye (caveat: assuming NO sequestrants are in the test water)

So fill up a white bucket with water (make sure there is NO chlorine yet in the water!), and take a picture of it. Then add in 1TBS of 12.5% chlorine and mix thoroughly. This will raise your FC levels to around 22-25PPM roughly which is SLAM level or higher for most people, which should force any iron in that water to come out of solution and go into suspension, turning the water an ugly yellow/brown (within an hour or so). If that happens, you KNOW you have Iron in your fill or auto-fill water.

Here's my side by side comparisons. One 5-gallon bucket that has iron in it, one 5-gallon bucket that doesn't have iron in it (because my dual Water Softener removed the iron through an ion exchange process).


From 8:55am
Left Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters.
Right Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters and through dual tank Water Softener

From 9:15am (20 mins later)
Left Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters, and 1TBS of 12.5% chlorine (mixed)
Right Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters and through dual tank Water Softener, and 1TBS of 12.5% chlorine (mixed)

From 9:55am (1 hour later)
Left Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters, and 1TBS of 12.5% chlorine (mixed)
Right Bucket: Filled from Well, and passed through 4 13x52 iron filters and through dual tank Water Softener, and 1TBS of 12.5% chlorine (mixed)

Note: The FC is 23PPM in the 2nd and 3rd picture, and STILL no changing of the color in the 5-gallon bucket that was filled through my Soft Water system. (yes, 23PPM, I verified/tested with my Taylor kit)

I know it's not scientific but, anyone that wants to check for Iron in their fill/auto-fill water, can EASILY do this and not have to pay for testing (and we also know LOTS of people "test' for Iron and get results of 0ppm even though they have Iron in their pool, proven from Vitamin-C testing on the stains they have!) So I feel this test is more accurate than some of the actual iron "testing" done by stores or labs and basically costs *nothing* ... If anyone thinks this iron-test isn't valid please add your input, I'm no science wizard and plenty of smarter people on TFP than I am.

Hope this helps some people.

EDIT: Crud, I can't remember if it was 1TBS or 1TSP that I added. Please note. In hindsight I'm thinking maybe it was a TSP (the smaller amount).
2ND EDIT: Clarifying I'm using a 5-gallon bucket.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hope this helps some people.

I'm sure it will and I will save this thread as a great example to those who post on the forum saying they have no iron in their water supply but we see all the indications of iron. Very simple instructions with very obvious results. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

 

[jesse-99]

I'm sure it will and I will save this thread as a great example to those who post on the forum saying they have no iron in their water supply but we see all the indications of iron. Very simple instructions with very obvious results. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

I was really happy to do this for everyone and share the results, I feel like I've battled more iron issues than most people and just wanted to share my findings. I think the dual Soft Water tanks (who I need to give credit to SwampWoman for sharing this info with her setup long ago) that I added last week is going to be a HUGE help in my iron battles, because I have basically been having to add in about 60-80 buckets worth (300-400 gallons) of that yellowish brownish water every single day into my pool (due to evaporation and from a couple tiny leaks in my 4 waterfall basins). The Soft Water will at least now spare me of the iron issues from the fill water and auto-fills (I still have numerous other areas of my pool that iron can get in due to leeching from boulders, granite, etc.), and will hopefully make things easier for me moving forward.

So crazy to think that 1TBS of chlorine does *that* , yuck.

EDIT: Crud, I can't remember if it was 1TBS or 1TSP that I added. Please note. In hindsight I'm thinking maybe it was a TSP (the smaller amount).
2ND EDIT: Clarifying I'm using a 5-gallon bucket for testing

 

[kimkats]

THANKS! This is going on my bookmarks as well!

 

[ajw22]

This will raise your FC levels to around 22-25PPM roughly which is SLAM level or higher for most people, which should force any iron in that water to come out of solution and go into suspension, turning the water an ugly yellow/brown (within an hour or so).

Note that in well water without CYA the level of active chlorine is WAY HIGHER in this test then SLAM Level pool water with 30ppm or greater CYA.

It would be interesting to know if this test works with pool water with CYA in it. It may take much higher levels of FC to get the same result.

 

[V___25]

Thank you for this! The timing is perfect and I'm trying this now. I have about 6 spots on the bottom of my deep end by the main drain that do not brush off and have not responded to a trichlor puck or vitamin C. I assumed they were iron spots but who knows.

Results to follow...

 

[ajw22]

Thank you for this! The timing is perfect and I'm trying this now. I have about 6 spots on the bottom of my deep end by the main drain that do not brush off and have not responded to a trichlor puck or vitamin C. I assumed they were iron spots but who knows.

Results to follow...

Is that bucket fill water or pool water?

 

[V___25]

fill water. Straight from the spigot.

 

[V___25]

After one hour, no change to water color. Assuming I did it right, confirms no iron which is odd for well water but I'll take it.

 

[jesse-99]

After one hour, no change to water color. Assuming I did it right, confirms no iron which is odd for well water but I'll take it.

Just curious , how much chlorine did you add? I filled my bucket to about 2" from the very top. No color change is probably a really good sign!

 

[V___25]

It was not filled as high as your bucket. I used about a teaspoon. Not enough chlorine and/or water you think to cause a change?

 

[wireform]

You failed to mention or I missed it but are you calling bucket meaning a 5 gallon?

 

[jesse-99]

Yes 5 gallon bucket, so sorry! I will edit first post accordingly.

 

[jesse-99]

FYI.
I did this test on a much larger scale yesterday and today. I have a 1,500 gallon overflow basin for my disappearing edge. I emptied it yesterday and today filled up with water from my auto-fill. After it was filled, I brought FC to 10, and water stayed perfectly blue. Previously, -before- the addition of the dual soft-water tanks, whenever I'd fill that basin and add chlorine, even at around 5 FC, the water would start going green/brown.

So yep, the soft-water and iron test is now validated at both 5 gallons, and 1,500 gallons. At least I know my auto-fills are adding in iron-free water for the FIRST TIME EVER!! (happy dance)

 

[kimkats]

OH YEAH!

 

[TJSgarlata]

Well something else I need to find out about my auto fill water smh. I have a brown ring stain on fill return. Also just cleaned DE filters and they have a dingy brown stain color to them. I have zero stains in my plaster from what I can tell with my worn out eyes haha
Also for this test can you use twice the amount of regular bleach or does it need to higher concentrated bleach from a pool store ?

 

[jesse-99]

I use 12.5% liquid chlorine for the test. 1TSP or 2TSP, mix in appropriately and check your FC level after 30 minutes or so. I recommend you raise your FC level between 10-20ppm in the bucket to verify whether or not you have iron in your water. You could use 10% liquid chlorine instead of 12.5%, or you can use household bleach (it's the same thing, just not as strong), so long as you bring your FC up appropriately. (Use your test kit to measure)

 

[AndyTN]

Cool idea to test. I will have to try it the next time I do an AA treatment to compare side by side with my tap water. I know I have iron so I guess the scientific test will be which turns darker brown.

One spring I was doing a full water exchange after AA using the tarp method. I left the water sitting on top of the tarp for about a week with very high FC and using a submersible pump to circulate. I was trying to get the iron to precipitate to the tarp instead of the liner. Did it work? I don't have a clue because the tarp was black and I couldn't see any brown stains. I do remember not having any iron stains until the end of the summer when there was minor staining.