Staintrine

I'm a new pool owner with the Nature2 and inline cholrinator, DE filter with a pebbletec finish. I've read the boards about the Nature2 thoughts and simplification methods of what chemicals are really needed. For now I'd like to use what I have while a comfort level is created with the new toy.

My question is Staintrine for keeping the finish from getting stains. Is there an equilvilant chemical or thoughts on the pros/cons.

According to the MSDS, Staintrine is a general purpose stain remover. It is soluble in water, but there are all kinds of warnings about it being corrosive to the digestive tract, irritating to the eyes,etc. Granted, chlorine is all those things too, but we all know that we have to have chlorine in the pool to keep the water clean, whether or not the Nature 2 is used. It doesn't make sense to me to use a product like the Nature 2 that is not going to add anymore sanitation to the pool than what your chlorinator will already add, and that requires me to add any other unecessary chemicals to remove the stains that the Nature 2 is going to help produce. You've read the boards about the general consensus regarding Nature 2, so you already have an idea that most of the Staintrine comments you're going to get will be cons. Personally, I'd just not use the Nature 2--no use to establish a comfort level with a piece of equipment that you'll end up not using later on anyway. Just use the chlorinator.

Congratulations on the new pool!!

Janet

Janet, so if I eliminate the Nature2 can i still operate based on the low cholrine numbers I being advised can be run?

let me say it another way. if i remove nature2, what changes in my chemical readings do i need to pay attention to?

Yes, you can still run low chlorine levels, as long as you keep your CYA levels low. Here's the "best guess chart" that we for years have used as a guide to adequate chlorine levels....

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365

As far as other chemical levels, they're going to stay the same regardless of whether you use bleach, trichlor (the pucks that go in the inline chlorinator), cal-hypo, or any other form of chlorine. The only problem you're going to have is that it's very difficult to keep your CYA level from rising while using a chlorinator, since the pucks that dispense the chlorine also dispense CYA. Your best bet is going to be to use the chlorinator until your CYa gets to 20-30 ppm, then stop using the chlorinator except for vacations or other times the pool is unattended, and just add bleach at night. It's going to be much less expensive in both time and money to go that route than it is to buy the nature 2 cartridges AND the stuff to remove the stains. (By the way, you can also use ascorbic acid to remove the stains--search the forum for posts by mbar, who is the resident expert on stain removal).

Janet

First, let me say that we sell Nature 2 where I work but I do NOT recommend them to people. There are a lot of people that want 'magic in a bottle' instead of actually learning how easy it is to care for a pool properly and save money doing so and many of these do use N2!

The .5 ppm FC that the Nature2 instructions say to use is NOT HIGH ENOUGH if you want to maintain sanitized water!!!!!! There just is NOT ENOUGH residual sanitizer in the water at that level and if you have 'an event' (which could be as simple as a bird pooping in the pool or someone entering the water that is not completey 'clean' in back:eek: (it happens more than you think) then your water will not be sanitized since that .5 ppm will get consumed very quickly and the siver in the N2 has a very slow kill time. (The copper is basically just an algaecide, btw.) IF you are going to use the N2 do not let your free clorine drop below 2 ppm (assuming normal CYA of 30-50 ppm!)
My advice is forget the N2. You are paying $200/year or more on replacement cartridges for it, depening on the model, if you are replacing them every 6 months as recommended. If you didn't use the N2 and ran at higher FC it would save you a LOT of money, expecially if you are using liquid chlorine or bleach!

Also, since the N2 is putting coppper and silver in the water to act as a sanitizer that means you cannot use stain treatments or metal sequesterants since these will remove or chelate (deactivate) the metals!
Good news is that N2 puts so little metal in your water that the chance of staining is low (but it can and does happen, expecially if you don't watch your pH and let it climb above 7.8!)

Final thing, with an inline chlorinator you will want to keep close tabs on the cyanuric acid (CYA) so your pool does not become overstabilized. Knowing how and when to use trichlor properly (and more important, knowing when to STOP using it and switch to an unstabilized chlorine source) is the trick!

Your best investment would be a good testkit. I like the Taylor K-2006 (not the K-2006). Worth every penny!