Phosphate testing

[Big Splash]

I just wanna scare the neighborhood kids when it's not Halloween lol. My wife is a saint to keep me around.

[CarlD]

Seriously, I'm wondering what the original poster thinks reducing phosphates will do to reduce chlorine usage. If you don't have algae in your pool, reducing phosphate levels should have little effect on the chlorine levels. Phosphates are algae food...but if there's no algae, there's nothing to feed.

I just don't see the mechanism.

[Big Splash]

Seriously, I'm wondering what the original poster thinks reducing phosphates will do to reduce chlorine usage. If you don't have algae in your pool, reducing phosphate levels should have little effect on the chlorine levels. Phosphates are algae food...but if there's no algae, there's nothing to feed.

I just don't see the mechanism.

I agree with you. It's not the amount of bleach used so much as the maintained level I was originally thinking of reducing. Right now and forever I'm going to have to keep my FC level at the higher end (relative to CYA) to keep the algae at bay. That's ok by me. I just wanted to explore other options. This thread is proof positive of the BBB method works best.

[CarlD]

I agree with you. It's not the amount of bleach used so much as the maintained level I was originally thinking of reducing. Right now and forever I'm going to have to keep my FC level at the higher end (relative to CYA) to keep the algae at bay. That's ok by me. I just wanted to explore other options. This thread is proof positive of the BBB method works best.

Actually, I wouldn't worry. When you maintain a higher FC level due to a higher cya, you'll probably find you add LESS chlorine to stay in the maintenance range. We actually recommend it for those who leave in steamy, sunny climates....Though these last few days in New Jersey, it's hard to imagine being in a steamier hotter place. Day before yesterday, it was 96 in the shade, and 112 in the sun. Yesterday nearly the same...and HUMID!

[Big Splash]

Yep, I'm in NJ too (Burlington County) and it's purty sticky out there.

Stay cool -@@-
Splash

[PoolDoc]

Actually, when you have pools like the country club pool I service locally, they tend to maintain low levels of algae most of the time. I don't know why that pool is so prone to mustard algae, but apart from that it has a damaged finish with many, many cracks and crannies where algae can survive regardless of chlorine level. I've been in the pool with SCUBA, when the chlorine level was VERY high, and still found live algae in areas where the tile grout had eroded. None of that algae was visible from the surface.

But, when you have a persistent algae population, it will create a persistent and higher than normal chlorine consumption. This is the pool in which I'm experimenting with PO4 removal, and the persistent higher than needed demand is one reason.

[Big Splash]

I can see the algae in my pool tends to cling along the seams of the liner in deep end. That makes it tough to brush it off. It's never gonna go away completely. So containment is the key.

Really I'm just looking to dial in what's best for my pool. Whatever it takes to keep it clean, sparkling, and open all through this my 1st season is ok by me.

Thx

[PoolDoc]

Actually, you can kill it. Monochloramine* (chlorine + ammonia + high-ish pH) will kill it. But it's such nasty stuff . . . and pools prone to algae tend to have it come back even when you do kill it.

Copper will also kill it. But then you get stains and green hair. (I've actually DELIBERATELY stained pools that had very rough porous plaster.)

Super high chlorine will kill it.

But . . . it appears that moderate levels of chlorine will kill it when phosphate levels are very low. So that's what I'm experimenting with, now.


* Products like Yellow Out and Mustard Master work this way.

[JimK]

So what's the current thinking on using phosphate removers?

I use to use one at the end of every season, but last year I stopped doing it since it seemed the message here was that they are a waste of money.

Now I see more discussion about possible benefits of removing phosphates. I'm sure my pool has phosphates since I add 6 oz of Jack's Magic Purple stuff each week to keep stains from appearing on the steps (interestingly, the bucket metals test recommended here was negative for any metals).

So, should I resume my annual phosphate treatment or is phosphate removal only recommended for "problem pools"?

For reference my pools stays clear and CL holds overnight. I keep FC 5-6ppm and CYA 70-80 (recommended CYA level for my SWCG).

[PoolDoc]

Right now, I'm working on the theory that you don't need PO4 removers, unless you need them, and that there are 2 groups that may need them:

1. Those with pools prone to recurrent mustard algae, and

2. Those taking long or repeated vacations, and who lack anyone to check on their pool every few days.