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Ascorbic Acid for Pools: What You Need to Know

The key to keeping your pool free of any kind of stains is ascorbic acid for pools. The following article will give you all the information you need about what this product does and how you can use it to treat your pool.

What Exactly Is Ascorbic Acid?

All pools get stains once in a while. Whether it is from the environment or foreign chemicals that are added to through sweat or physical activity. If there is water in the pool, it will get stained.

The yellow metallic staining seen in most pools is caused by iron, manganese, or copper. These metals appear as soon as you fill the pool because they are usually introduced through the city or town water or through a well. It will be worse if there is hard water build up. Metal will also infiltrate your pool water when the pH level is not maintained properly and the water becomes corrosive.

Even the smallest level of metal will stain pool walls if the condition is perfect enough for the stain to form. A stain pool looks dirty and no swimmer wants to take the chance of swimming in a seemingly unhealthy pool. Fortunately, there are multiple remedies for treating pool stains, with ascorbic acid being the most effective.

The Vitamin C for pool stains that you see some people using is the same supplement used for immune health and it has many uses including cleaning homes and pool. Ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C, is a reduction agent, which is the opposite of the oxidating agent known as chlorine.

Ascorbic acid works best when the chlorine level is low so the chlorine doesn’t react and kill off too much of the added Vitamin C, wasting product before it can get to the stain.

The way Ascorbic acid works on iron stains is by reducing the iron from a solid state to a soluble state. This is known as ferric to ferrous. After the iron turns ferrous the acid removes the stain and you will have to add a product called metal sequestrant or the iron will return and stain again.

Ascorbic acid is so useful because of its effectiveness in treating pool stains. It is also very cheap and the directions are foolproof. Anyone should be able to use this product. Follow the steps below to destain your pool using Ascorbic acid as well as the other products mentioned that are necessary for destaining.

How to Clean Pool Stain With Absorbic Acid

You need the proper products to care for and maintain your pool. With Ascorbic Acid for pool stains, you will be able to keep it as clean and shiny as the day you put it in.

First, however, you must gather the things you need to treat pool stains with Vitamin C. You will have to buy Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid tablets, pool enzyme, algaecide if desired, Sodium Thiosulfate.

  1. The first thing you should do is check the chlorine level of your pool water. As mentioned above, you want to keep your chlorine as low as possible when treating your pool for stains. You can choose to wait for the chlorine levels to drop or you can add the Sodium Thiosulfate which will bring the chlorine level down.
  2. Once you get the chlorine levels where you need them, you can add the algaecide. Follow the instructions on the bottle and add the recommended amount based on the pool size. This will help to prevent algae from growing while the chlorine is low.
  3. You may now add the Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C. Use the tablets and rub them against the stains to remove them. If you are treating larger stains or decided to buy a liquid acid, sprinkle the acid evenly around the pool. Use a half a pound of Vitamin C for every 10,000 gallons of water.
  4. When you get the Ascorbic Acid in the water, you can turn on the pool pump and let the filters circulate the water for about a half hour. Check to see if the stains are gone. If not, repeat and recirculate. Do this until the pool is clean. Once you are happy with the look of the water you can add the enzyme to prevent the stains from coming back.

Hopefully, this article on ascorbic acid for pools provides insight on how to maintain a beautiful pool. Invest in the right ascorbic acid for pools and you will be on your way to your dream pool today.

Sarah Byrd

Michael Gibbs-Kennet

Monday 3rd of April 2023

Once I have successfully treated my plunge pool, do I go back chlorine?

Keith Walker

Monday 16th of January 2023

What enzyme do you add to prevent stains from returning