Leaf(?) stains on plaster pool-- how to clean and why did it happen?

[Clyde]

Hello. I usually have the pool guy open and close my pool. I maintain the water myself, though. I pay a pretty penny for the opening and closing. I don't recall exactly, but it's something like $700 to close the pool.

Anyway, when he opened the pool this year, there were a lot of brown stains on the steps, and basically brown spots throughout the pool on the floor. It's a plaster/gunite pool. This has never happened before.

I took a chlorine tab and rubbed it on the stain on the top stairs, and it mostly came off. I assume these are leaf stains.

Questions:

1. Are these really leaf/organic stains, and is the best way to run the chlorine tabs on them? How do I clean the ones on the floor of the pool?

2. What is the cause of this? After paying ~$700 to close the pool, I hope they didn't leave the leaves in from last year and let them sit in there over the winter. If not, what could be another cause of these stains and how can I prevent them in the future?

Thanks

 

[Mr Bruce]

If it comes off with a puck it's probably organic. From my experience with trees constantly and forever dropping things in the pool, acorns and walnuts and things like that are more likely to cause a stain than a leaf, but I don't see why it couldn't be leaves. Use the leaf rake (net on a pole) to put a puck on a stain. Sometimes the handle end works better. Check it after 15 minutes. Use the net to get the puck out when the stain is gone.

I put bottles half full of water between the straps to keep debris out over winter. Not 100% effective but it helps and is cheap. They sell water bags for the same purpose.

There is NO WAY I'd pay someone to close my pool. It only takes about an hour, I only need a friend to help me with the cover but in a pinch I can get that myself.

 

[EmilyOTR]

Hi, I just dealt with this, or similiar. bad organic staining on my walls. They said I must have holes in my cover. Anyway, a puck worked on mine too but what was more helpful was raising my chlorine level to 12 and they all disappeared with no work from me.

 

[mknauss]

SLAM Process your pool water and the organic stains will lighten drastically. Keep your FC at 10% of CYA for a few days and they will disappear completely.

 

[splashpad]

I would recommend this: SLAM Process Overnight Chlorine Loss Test