*SIGH* Looks Like I Have da' Mustard

[Tom.B]

Nice bio! Glad you have a positive attitude towards all this. I guess with the onset of the internet, a pool related forum was just a natural progression. Thanks for all this... just in case I forget to tell you later)

Okay, so... I added another 500-ish gallons of municipal water this morning, dropped two more 3" trichlor tabs in the skimmer that bring the total to 2 1/2 of them in there now, and just for kicks, added a 1# bag of cal-hypo (Powder Plus) because of it's high chlorine content (and just because I still have some lying around). I haven't used it in a couple of weeks, so I thought it would be fine. I'd like to get rid of the last few bags I have, so I will spread out the usage to the times I add water to the pool as not to boost the CA levels (SEE!!! I HAVE learned some stuff here!).

And yes... I WAS joking about the feeling dirty part. I feel I am now just another lab rat of yours... and I am TOTALLY fine with that! But that was the joke behind the "I feel dirty" comment. You'll get used to my sarcastic humor sooner-or-later... I hope. :-D

Any tips or tricks to using the Kem-Tek Phosphate remover?

[PoolDoc]

Any tips or tricks to using the Kem-Tek Phosphate remover?

Not that I can tell.

[Tom.B]

Done. Test results will come tomorrow morning.

[PoolDoc]

At least 24 hours -- and after vacuuming and backwashing. The material comes out, mostly on the filter.

[Tom.B]

At least 24 hours -- and after vacuuming and backwashing. The material comes out, mostly on the filter.

I'm not sure I completely understand this sentence. Can you clarify?

**EDIT**
Okay, so... PO4, in 12 hours after Kem-Tek, has doubled to 1000-ish. YIKES! (will retest)

FC-21.5
CC-.5
pH-7.4
TA-80
CH-340
CYA-60-70
PO4->1000

Pool still crystal clear with no overnight algae growth.

[PoolDoc]

The PO4 removers work by precipitating lanthanum phosphate particles. But the phosphate is not actually REMOVED from your pool, till those particles are filtered out, and backwashed (or washed, with cartridge filters) away.

I don't know enough about the phosphate test, to know whether it would register phosphate still present in the pool as unfiltered lanthanum phosphate particles.

I would treat PO4 removal as a week-long process: add the PO4 remover, filter and clean normally, and then -- after a week -- check your PO4 level. You might also want to retest the fill water when you do - PO4 levels in drinking water can vary, depending on what's happening at the treatment plant!

[Tom.B]

Will these particulates settle to the bottom of the pool or remain transient and just get caught in the filter?