My copper ion level is above 0.4ppm. What should I do?
Copper in your pool or hot tub is a good thing if it’s in the right range – ideally 0.2ppm to 0.4ppm. But if your copper level goes above 0.4ppm and stays there unchecked, you might start to get water coloration that lead to stains.
First things first, you need a good copper test. Check the expiry date on your test because they’re only good for 2-3 years. Also, most test labs at pool stores are only accurate for copper to around 0.5ppm, so they’re not good for testing low levels of copper. We recommend these copper test strips.
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How to Reduce Copper in Pools and Hot Tubs
If your copper level is reading higher than 1.0ppm, we recommend using a chelating agent like Think Minerals Copper Control. This product will lower the copper level and prevent it from staining.
If you have copper stains, you can also use this product as an abrasive to remove them.
If your copper is above 2.0ppm, we recommend using a sequestering chemical like The Magenta Stuff to remove it from the water altogether. This chemical will neutralize all new minerals for up to 6 weeks, so if you’re using a pool ionizer, you should shut it off for 6 weeks after adding it so you don’t waste the mineral cell. Also, you must maintain the chlorine at 1ppm to 3ppm during this time because you don’t have minerals in the water fighting bacteria and algae.
High Copper with a ClearBlue Mineral System
If you have a ClearBlue Mineral System or other pool ionizer and you find that your copper level has gone above 0.4ppm, it’s okay as long as it’s under 1.0ppm. However, you are using up your minerals faster than necessary.
With a ClearBlue system, if your copper reading comes in at 0.4ppm – 1.0ppm, set the Maintain (Ion/Action) setting to 00 for 2 weeks and test it again. If it’s back in the 0.2ppm to 0.4ppm range, set the controller to the appropriate setting according to the settings calculator.
If your copper level keeps increasing when Maintain (Ion/Action) is set to 00, there is something else in your pool or hot tub setup that is causing the copper to increase. This is usually caused by the heater which typically has a copper core. If your heater is old, or the pH on your pool or hot tub has been very high or very low for a period of time, we recommend that you contact your pool or hot tub technician to inspect the heater.
Links
Copper Test Strips – Amazon
Copper Control by Think Minerals – Amazon
The Magenta Stuff (Metal Sequestering Agent) – Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links
