Salt water magic and Intex salt water/copper ionization system

[enchantedmountain]

UPDATE: I actually just got a resonse from the manufacturer of Salt Water magic. They are compatible with metal ionization. It doesn't actually remove the metal it just prevents from staining....so I guess my problem is solved....hopefully. Also...I want to add that modern copper ionization won't turn hair green, because of the minute amount of copper used....the old systems used much higher amounts and did turn hair green. Levels above .3 can turn the hair green from my understanding. The trick will be to see how easy it is to controll the level of copper or maybe I should say how well the machine controlls the level of copper. I anxious to see how it works for myself. My daughter is platnimum blonde...she won't be happy if she is platnimum green/blonde....

[PoolDoc]

Platinum blonde? Plus copper?

By far, the most dramatic green hair cases I've over the years are on young girls with natural platinum blonde hair (why is it called that? Platinum is gray!). I remember a case of twins whose hair turned grass green.

Regardless, sequestrants like the Saltwater product do NOT remove copper (or any other metal) -- we've been saying that for years. They simply keep it soluble TEMPORARILY. So, what the mfg is telling you is true -- sort of. While they don't REMOVE the copper, they do make it MUCH less effective as an algaecide.

Look at the thread I posted from Intex's FAQ -- they have chemical standards for this units that even *I* would find difficult to maintain. For example, you are supposed to maintain CYA between 10 and 20 ppm -- but there's no pool testkit that measures 10 ppm of CYA. Or their copper standard is to maintain 0.1 to 0.2 ppm . . . with an absolute MAXIMUM of 0.2 ppm.

If it were me, I'd see if the copper elements could be disconnected. I'm guessing they cannot, however.

Good luck!

Ben

[enchantedmountain]

thanks .....At the first sign of green hair or inabliltiy to maintain proper copper levels....it will be disconnected. I did read somewhere that it could be...not sure how hard that is....but I cerainly will try if it isn't (probably just disconnect a wire and run the system longer to produce proper cholorine levels). I never measure my CYA...I just put it in until my ph level is normal (not sure if that is good or bad....but it has worked). I had trouble never keeping my ph in check until I used a stabalizer for the cholorine. obviously it is all connected....but I have read in numerous places that as long as your chlorine level is stable and your ph is good (which is easier to maintain if the chlorine is stable)...then everything else falls into place. I am not an expert on any of this, but that certainly has been true for me.

thanks for your thoughts on the subject...

[enchantedmountain]

lol...just realized I posted the wrong thing......my ph down is what I use until my ph is in check (I think that is muratic acid...right??).....the CYA (stabalizer)......I haven't ever tested, but I just used the amount they recommend based on my size of pool...which was 2lb for aprox 10000 gal ( I think)......it seemed to work good for me and kept my cholorine in check. Maybe I should invest in a cya test kit though.