High Phosphate 2500 - Options?

[cheshamjim]

Phosphates: one of my favorite subjects.

I had them last year, paid $55 for a quart of something called Sea Klear. It worked and a problem I was having with persistent chlorimines disappeared.

This year my chlorimine problem is back as well a couple of episodes of phosphate contamination. The first episode, I choked and spent another $55 for a quart of Sea Klear and, again, it worked. But this time, my chlorimine problem has not disappeared.

In one of my more recent pool store water tests (I've had 15 water samples tested in the last five weeks -- I'm going nuts) 1.4 ppm copper showed up. I was told by the pool store that I needed a metals controller. What the heck, I bought 2 qts and poured it into my pool water. I think the stuff is known as a sequestering agent.

Since I have had so much trouble with phosphates, I bought my own phosphate test kit from La Motte. I used it after adding the metals agent and my phosphates show very high -- higher than the maximum range of my tester, which is +1,000 ppb. This is my second episode with phosphates. A little note in the test kit advised that sequestering agents are a source for phosphates. Very interesting.

Where do you other folks get tests that actually quantify phosphate content? The two different dealers who have tested my water for phospahtes used color comparators that don't quanify above 1,000 ppb.

As far as my problems with chlorimines; well thank God Almighty, I've discovered this website. In the last couple of days I have become a convert. It's the three B's for me.

I still have high combined chlorine, but as soon as I get my RS234 test kit (in a couple of weeks, I hope), I'll be able to accurately test and take the necessary steps to get things right with my pool.

There will be far fewer trips to the pool store. In fact, the grocery store is my new pool store.

In the meantime, should I try to do anything about the phosphate?

-Jim