Pool Pros text questions here

What looks like algae… isn’t always algae.
 And what looks like “clear but weird” water? That’s where things get expensive.

In this episode of Talking Pools Thursdays, Steve and Wayne break down one of the most misunderstood issues in pool service: metals in the water—how to identify them, where they come from, and what actually works when you’re dealing with them in the field.

It starts with a simple truth:
 👉 Water has no color.
So when it turns green, blue, brown, or something that just feels “off,” something else is driving that change—and metals are often the culprit.

They walk through the key differences between algae vs. metals, including:

•  Why algae presents as cloudy, opaque, or “carpeted” 
•  Why metals (like copper) often show up as clear, tinted water 
•  A simple field test using your brush to tell the difference instantly 

From there, the conversation goes deeper into where metals actually come from, including:

•  Source water (especially wells) 
•  Heater corrosion and heat exchanger failure 
•  Overuse of copper-based algaecides 
•  Aging infrastructure and legacy municipal systems 

They also cover the thresholds where metals become a real problem:

•  Copper above ~0.2 ppm 
•  Iron above ~0.3 ppm 
•  And how rising pH (above ~7.6) triggers precipitation, staining, and discoloration 

Then comes the part most techs get wrong—treatment strategy.

This episode breaks down the difference between:

• Sequestering agents (hide the metals, prevent staining) 
• Chelating agents (bind metals into larger particles for filtration/removal) 
•  Why most modern products attempt to do both 
•  And why you’re still often vacuuming to waste or cleaning filters after treatment 

They also get real about the operational side:

•  Why chelation jobs can take multiple visits 
•  Why sequestering requires ongoing maintenance dosing 
•  And why metals are “not a problem… until they’re a problem” 

There’s also a candid discussion on:

•  The risks and realities of acid washing 
•  Why vinyl and fiberglass pools present different limitations 
•  How improper dosing in small bodies of water (like spas) can trigger metal precipitation instantly 
•  And why no two metal situations ever behave exactly the same 

The episode wraps with a broader industry conversation on rising costs—fuel, materials, and equipment—and how those pressures are forcing service companies to rethink pricing, efficiency, and long-term profitability.

Because whether it’s metals in the water or money in your business…
 👉 Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tik Tok

Email us: [email protected]