High phosphates and high chlorine

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HoltPool

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Jul 6, 2013
67
FC = 7.5 (is this level unsafe?)
CC= 0
All other levels acceptable.

1. I had my water tested at a pool store bc I wanted to know the metals and phosphates were 1000. Of course, they were trying to sell my PhosFree but I didn't bite. Should I add an algaecide?

2.Pool stores said nitrates were 15. Should I treat this? They couldn't do iron and copper bc they were out of the strips.

3. In the next week I think that I am going to do an absorbic acid treatment so I need to bring my TC down anyway but if I was not going to do the test, would you suggest turning off my SWG for a day to bring it down?

Thanks.
 
How safe your FC level is depends on your current CYA level, which you didn't post.

When posting test results, it helps tremendously to post a complete set of water test results. Without knowing what is going on with your water you are just guessing in the dark.

1) Just ignore phosphates. For the most part that is just a strategy for the store to sell you expensive products that you don't need.
2) See #1.
3) That depends on your CYA level, but assuming you do want to lower FC and CYA is plausible, then yes turning off the SWG is at least part of a good way to do it.
 
Thanks. High phosphates freaked me out so I posted too quickly.

FC = 7.5
CC = 0
pH = 7.4
TA = 110
CH = 300
Stabilizer = 50
Salt 3000

I know stabilizer could be higher but since I'm going to do absorbic acid treatment I will increase that later. (Ordered my acid today.)

Is algaecide needed or required for maintenance? I've only seen it referred to for use while lowering chlorine for the ascorbic acid treatment.

Basically, nitrate and phosphates are pool store selling points??
 
HoltPool said:
I know stabilizer could be higher but since I'm going to do absorbic acid treatment I will increase that later. (Ordered my acid today.)

Is algaecide needed or required for maintenance? I've only seen it referred to for use while lowering chlorine for the ascorbic acid treatment.

Basically, nitrate and phosphates are pool store selling points??
Click to expand...
You've got it! Gold star for you!

Yes, CYA should be higher; No, you don't normally need algaecide; Yes, they are only profit centers.
 
With CYA at 50, FC at 7.5 is in the normal range and completely fine.

Algaecide is not needed for routine day to day maintenance, but we do recommend using algaecide when doing an AA treatment.

Correct, phosphates are not an issue at all if your maintain proper chlorine levels, and nitrates are never an issue at all ever.
 
Final question: if you were to treat your water with something like PhosFree and for some reason your chlorine when done or your CC up, would your pool get algae more slowly than a pool that did not treat with PhosFree and likely has phosphates in the water?
 
If you used enough PhosFree to get the phosphate level really low (a great deal of PhosFree in your case), and your FC level got too low for an extended period, there would be an 80+% chance that you wouldn't get algae, while with phosphates there would be more like a 20% chance of not getting algae. Of course the pool would not be safe to swim in regardless, as low phosphates does nothing to stop bacteria and viruses.
 
My personal preference is to use phosfree in my pool as backup/insurance.

Maybe im wasting my money but so far it's worked equally as well as my anti-tiger rock. That rock has been in my backyard for nearly 15yrs and I haven't seen ONE! Tiger :)
 
If you really want backup/insurance, then you should compare the cost of PhosFree vs. using Polyquat 60 weekly. You may find the latter to be less expensive, but just remember you don't need either if you properly maintain the appropriate FC level for your CYA level.
 
Just remember Phosphates are algae food, with proper chlorination algae can never start growing in the first place. Phosphate removers never remove all of the phosphates, just some of them, which is sort of like trying to control a rodent problem by locking up some of the rodent food where the solution is use of poison (in this case Chlorine against the algae). As to your current FC of 7.5 you are higher than you need to be with your current CYA level, but still within the lower than shock level safe zone, ideally with a CYA of 50 and an SWG your target should be about 4 ppm FC. That is if the test is right, generally the CYA test is the one that most pool stores are the worst about getting right, the strip based tests don't do very good at CYA testing, and the drop based test requires proper natural daylight level light for accurate results.
 

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I used to use polyquat for the same reason (backup/insurance) and seem to remember comparing cost and it was about the same either way (might have to take another look at that)

Anyway the phosfree won out because I think it's easier to handle (just dump it in the skimmer) and you can test for phosphates and not need to add any if they're low (<100ppb)

With the polyquat I was measuring it out, pouring around the perimeter and brushing every week.
 
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