Recent content by Aqua Lab Rat

The unit is one part of a consumer add-on system. I was going to test it and forgot the pump in my test setup was on a 12-hour timer cycle. The unit itself just has a standard electrical plug. I haven't opened it yet to see what switches it might have inside, but the unit stopped putting out...

If a corona discharge ozonator is left operating full-time but all water pumps stay off, is there any potential damage to the ozonator? We're talking maybe a full day of operation with no suction from the injector. I'm trying to figure out why my ozonator stopped putting out ozone but haven't...

One thing I've seen in Sundance, Jacuzzi, and Marquis spas from the early 2000s is that the plastic actually degrades. Eventually the tabs that hold it in the socket will erode away and it will get "spit" into the spa. In the case of a rotating jet, the metal ball bearings can end up all over...

OK, thank you Matt. I'm glad TFP has knowledgeable people like yourself to help the rest of us along. I've learned a lot on this forum. BTW, it has been an unusually cool Spring here in Minnesota. Even had overnight frost on the grass Monday night. But highs in the 80s forecasted for next week.

I've been reading through old posts on here about removing phosphate with lanthanum, and there are lots of posts, and lots of answering by Matt. But I'm a little unclear about some things: Does the lanthanum react simultaneously with carbonate and phosphate, or does the it react with carbonate...

I've been doing some reading about the various types of phosphates and their use in water supplies. This Link says in its section titled "The Functions of Orthophosphates/Polyphosphates" that Ortho is an anodic inhibitor and Poly is a cathodic inhibitor, when talking about electro-chemical...

If I remember, ACE is the one that says it uses boron-doped diamond. Fussy about calcium levels, etc. Usually the simplest system is the best, lowest cost, and most trouble free, so you can probably find something more satisfactory. It might affect the warranty but at $800 a cell, that's an...

Pool Hippo leaves behind a mess. Might need to do a little shock & brushing...

I wish I could go into detail but there are nondisclosure agreements and corporate secrets & such. It isn't for calcium. I need something that works like commonly available pool clarifiers do, but with the opposite charge. And I can't travel to an anti-matter universe to get it.

I have a need for either clarifier or flocc that is anionic (for some experiments I can't talk about). I'm assuming that some of the "metal out" products are anionic but not sure if any work as clarifiers or floccs. Simply deactivating or sequestering isn't enough, I need to be able to filter...

Interesting to see this after years of discussion of CYA vs FC on this forum. CYA and Chlorine in Plain Language

It's almost catch-22. You need more FC to sanitize at higher levels of CYA, and you need more CYA to protect a higher level of FC. You are right, you have to seek some level of balance between what you lose and what you supply. My own personal preference would be to keep a small concentration of...

At first glance, I thought the title said "Mental" instead of "Metal". I feel better knowing it says "Metal". :laughblue:

The research papers I've looked at show that most of the protective benefit of CYA is achieved with only 20-25 ppm. There's no reason to go to 70 ppm. Places like Arizona probably need a little more than Illinois, but I bet if you put in 30-40ppm that would be plenty.

If your sanitizer is really high, or your pH really low, you can get strange colors on test strips and kits. I'd be surprised if the issue is what the brand of test kit you have, despite the TF and Taylor ones being preferred. If possible I'd check expiration dates or lot numbers to see if they...