Is Scale Eliminator Necessary?

[gvw]

Hi There,

I am in Australia and have a in ground concrete Q-Quartz pool (www.qquartz.com.au). The manufacturer recommends that a product called Cal-Stop is added to the pool every six months http://www.quartzon.com.au/calstop.php . The ingredient is Active Polymer Complex and it costs ~$72 for 5 litres (1.3 gallon) from my pool store. Is this necessary or is it just a good money maker for them?

I have also just come across Borates on this website and see that is is $75 for 20 pounds at the pool store (on special down from $115) - with my pool, it looks like I will need ~$150 worth - what would you expect to pay for 40 pounds in the US?

My water is 6 degrees C today or 43 Fahrenheit so a few more months before it warms up enough to swim in October or November, the kids get in around 70F, I wait until at least 80F.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Cal-Stop certainly isn't required. Unless your CH levels are very high, it doesn't do much of anything. If your CH level is very high, it can help prevent CH scaling, though it is simple enough to prevent CH scaling other ways for less money.

In the US, you can purchase borates for between $1 and $2/pound either in bulk or at the grocery store. If you by them at the pool store then they are often around $4/pound.

 

[gvw]

OK thanks Jason, good to know so I will drop that off the shopping list along with phosphate remover.

I just went and checked at a supermarket, Borax is USD$2.50 per pound so about $1 cheaper per pound than the pool shop. Will put it in closer to swimming season then.

Had a test done at the same time: salt: 5690, CYA: 34, FC: 3.2, pH: 7.8, TA: 110, CH: 250.

 

[reebok]

I recommend you read the articles under pool chemistry in pool-school/, especially pool-school/water_balance_saltwater_generator