Kem Tek 338 vs Jack's Magic Purple Stuff in salt pool?

[PoolDoc]

If you ask in a month, I might. I have Monsanto's Dequest tech bulletins, but what I don't have is time to dig them out right now.

[JimK]

If you ask in a month, I might. I have Monsanto's Dequest tech bulletins, but what I don't have is time to dig them out right now.

Thanks Ben. I'll bring up the question again in a month or so.

I still need to get together the materials I need for the bucket test you suggested to see if I still have any metals in my pool. Hopefully I can try it this weekend.

[PoolDoc]

Just one bit of info I had to dig out: "The Pink Stuff" is 60% concentration; "Purple" and "Blue" stuff are both lower, maybe 20%

[JimK]

Just one bit of info I had to dig out: "The Pink Stuff" is 60% concentration; "Purple" and "Blue" stuff are both lower, maybe 20%

Thanks Ben.

Interesting. If I had to make a guess (completely uneducated), I would have thought the products designed for high TDS/salt pools would have been a higher concentration.

Given the information you found, would you think that the 20% concetration Kem Tek product would be as effective as the Purple Stuff? Could there be something else in the Purple Stuff that makes it work better in a high TDS/salt pool?

I've sent a couple emails to Kem Tek asking about using their product in a high TDS/salt pool, but they have not responded.

[PoolDoc]

1. I think you are confusing marketing with design; when product labels say "designed for X" it almost always means "designed to sell TO people with X", and not "designed by a team of engineers for optimal performance when X is present". I'm smirking, as I type this, but I'm perfectly serious in making the assertion.

2. I doubt anyone has actually studied the effect of different concentrations of HEDP in salt water pools.

3. I think 3 cups of the Kem-Tek product would perform identically to 1 cup of the Pink Stuff or 3 cups of the Purple or Blue Stuff.

[waterbear]

I thought that the pink and blue stuff were the same strength. I seem to remember seeing that somewhere, either on the bottles themselves of in some of the Jack's Magic Literature. I could be wrong.

[PoolDoc]

Nah.

In the MSDS (unless Jack's has pulled a switcheroo, a la Natural Chemistry), Pink has a specific gravity of 1.48, and the others have a specific gravity of 1.10 or less.

[JimK]

I thought that the pink and blue stuff were the same strength. I seem to remember seeing that somewhere, either on the bottles themselves of in some of the Jack's Magic Literature. I could be wrong.

I took a look at the bottle and there's nothing listing ingredients or concentrations. It's interesting that the dosing instructions for the Pink Stuff and Purple Stuff are exactly the same to reach the same level (10-12ppm).

I did see this on the Purple Stuff bottle in addition to its claims to "remove" metals; "...helps keep silica in solution and helps prevent scaling of cells in salt water chlorine generator systems..." What exactly does this mean? Anything?

Found this on poolgeek.com (where I buy Jack's Magic) about the Purple Stuff; "A concentrated blend of stain preventing and sequesting agents."

And this about the Pink Stuff; "A professional strength blend of sequestering agents."

This seems to point to some difference in strength.

Then there's the Magenta Stuff for salt pools. Instead of HEDP is uses "Acrylic Acid Copolymer". Any idea what this is and it's effectiveness?