Pool Maintenance Tips and Testimonials
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance has designated Travis Schonleber of Aqua Blue Enterprises a CPI Certified Pool Inspector, for meeting the education requirements, successfully passing an objective examination and pledging to uphold the PHTA Code of Ethics.
The life of your interior surface depends on water chemistry, the waters chemistry also provides for the comfort of swimmers. Many factors go into proper balance and the actual condition of your water which is extremely important. The weekly testing of your pool water is usually pH and chlorine level and is important to know so the proper amounts of chemicals can be added, this is called range chemistry and is necessary on a weekly on going basis and does not give you the actual condition of your water. Here is where we get down to the nuts and bolts of proper water chemistry and by conduction a Saturation Index test we discover the actual condition of the water. Pool water can be corrosive or scale forming and by conducting this Saturation test before swimming season and again after the season is important in maintaining your interior surface. There is a safe range where your pool water is actually neutral and will not harm your surfaces and water temperature plays a huge role. Should your pool be in the scale side of the chart there is a solution to remove the scale, however on the etching side which shortens the interior surface life there is no known solution. The signs of scale are cuts to finger tips, toes, and feet as when you brush up against the surface the scale is sharp. On the etching side you will notice discoloration and pitting of your surface.
I’m worried because my dealer told me that phosphates will cause algae to grow in my pool. I noticed that some of your products contain phosphonic acid. Is this a phosphate, and will it cause algae in my pool? My dealer checked my phosphate level and said I had a high reading.
Answer: It is common knowledge that orthophosphates can contribute to algae growth, but there must also be other factors such as the presence of nitrates for algae to actually grow. Some of our sequestering products contain phosphonic acid, as we clearly state on their back panels. Our sequestering products are highly chlorine tolerant and therefore do not easily degrade into orthophosphates. Additionally, since maintaining proper levels of sanitizer will kill algae, it is only telling “part of the story” to imply that the presence of phosphates, and even orthophosphates will lead to algae. Naturally, respected federal regulatory agencies such as the EPA monitor products that favor marketing gimmicks over telling a complete story, so you may want to check the “small print” on any products that imply that eliminating phosphates will create algae-free water; if they are in compliance you will also see that it is the presence of normal sanitizer levels that actually prevent algae growth.
Fact: The combination of nitrate and phosphate is the building block for algae. Fortunately, if one is eliminated the other cannot produce algae on its own. Large amounts of nitrates can cause other problems, such as increases in chlorine demand. For example, an enormous amount of chlorine is added in the morning, and is gone by the afternoon. This occurrence is more common in seasonal pools that have just been reopened because nitrates can enter the water from leaves or debris that were recently removed. Other sources of nitrate intrusion come from well water supplies and localized spraying of garden or crop fertilizers. Fact: Since nitrates can only be removed by draining the water, some manufacturers have focused on removing the other algae nutrient, phosphate. A variety of phosphate removal systems have been introduced to eliminate the potential for algae. Phosphates can enter the water from municipal water supplies (where they are used for corrosion and metal control) and from some forms of metal sequestering agents (as the organic phosphate called phosphonate breaks down to ortho-phosphate). By maintaining a constant level of 1.0 ppm or higher of free chlorine in the pool or spa, algae should normally not be a problem.
Question: I’ve been told that the reason I cannot hold chlorine in my pool is because of a high phosphate level.
Answer: Polyphosphates act as sequestering agents to reduce stains, discoloration, and rusty water caused by oxidized iron and manganese from the water source. They also inhibit formation of calcium and magnesium carbonate scale from hard water supplies. Treatment with these products holds scale causing minerals in solution by tying up the soluble metals in water systems. Sequestering agents also gradually remove existing scale buildup to improve water quality and flow rates. By sequestering raw water minerals at the source, the demand for chlorine is reduced, resulting in less chlorine consumption and improved water quality.
Fact: Most sequestering agents are phosphonate based products (or polyphosphates) which are designed to gather metals/minerals into a filterable particle and trap these particles in the filter. Phosphonates can degrade into orthophosphates by exposure to chlorine and the UV rays of the sun, but this “filtration” usually occurs four times faster than the degradation from sunlight. Again, our sequestering agents are also highly chlorine tolerant, which should eliminate any further concern for creating orthophosphates.
