I have been looking into using enzymes in both my pool and spa. But no one can tell me if chlorine or ozone / ultraviolet light will harm or oxidizes the enzymes I ad? I also understand a little about biofilm and bacteria, will the used up or inactive enzyme feed the bacteria?
Using Enzymes in my pool and spa
- Thread starter Marktoys
- Start date
Is there a specific reason you're looking to use enzymes? It's certainly more expensive than using chlorine (liquid or SWG). Are you looking to add them due to sanitation problems such as cloudy water, algae, etc.?
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Welcome to TFP!
ewkearns
0
"If the enzymes work properly, then they can help oxidize bather waste preferably using oxygen in the water as the oxidizer. However, if they just accelerate oxidation from chlorine then you won't be saving any chlorine. Because enzymes oxidize bather waste, they make more sense to use in high bather-load situations such as residential spas used every day or two. Otherwise, in an infrequently used spa or in a residential pool they don't make sense since there isn't much to oxidize and therefore they can't save on chlorine usage. Most chlorine loss in residential outdoor pools is from sunlight, not from bather waste. One person-hour of swimming in a 10,000 gallon pool only requires 0.1 ppm of FC to oxidize the bather waste. One person-hour in a hot (104ºF) spa that is only 350 gallons requires around 7 ppm FC to oxidize the bather waste.
It is for this same reason why an ozonator makes sense in a heavily used spa but not in a less frequently used spa nor in a residential pool that is typically low bather-load.
Finally keep in mind that usually the enzymes are more expensive than chlorine so unless they actually save on chlorine usage they won't save you money. With the Dichlor-then-bleach method, you add chlorine after every soak and you usually start your next soak with 1-2 ppm FC which with 40 ppm CYA in the water and at 104ºF is actually equivalent to no more than 0.2 ppm FC with no CYA."
Attribution to Chem Geek and this thread.
It is for this same reason why an ozonator makes sense in a heavily used spa but not in a less frequently used spa nor in a residential pool that is typically low bather-load.
Finally keep in mind that usually the enzymes are more expensive than chlorine so unless they actually save on chlorine usage they won't save you money. With the Dichlor-then-bleach method, you add chlorine after every soak and you usually start your next soak with 1-2 ppm FC which with 40 ppm CYA in the water and at 104ºF is actually equivalent to no more than 0.2 ppm FC with no CYA."
Attribution to Chem Geek and this thread.
The question I asked did not seem to get the answer I was looking for. I'm interested to know if in a spa or a pool does chlorine, ozone or ultraviolet light have any effect on the performance of enzymes. I have spoken with a couple of enzyme manufacturers all of which give long convoluted answers that really do not answer the question. I don't think they want to answer it.
The way I see it is that ozone for instance oxidizes everything particle it comes in contact with. So would putting enzymes in a spa with a real good ozone destroy the enzymes?
That being said chlorine should also degrade the effectiveness of enzymes, or am I missing something?
The way I see it is that ozone for instance oxidizes everything particle it comes in contact with. So would putting enzymes in a spa with a real good ozone destroy the enzymes?
That being said chlorine should also degrade the effectiveness of enzymes, or am I missing something?
- May 23, 2015
- 24,405
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
It is hard to answer that question because there is no single thing as an "enzyme". Enzymes refer to entire class of macromolecules (proteins) that act as catalysts. It is entirely possible that chlorine can both oxidize the various sub-units of the protein (amino acids) as well as cause proteins to unravel. It is both the chemical composition of the enzyme AND its 3-Dimensional structure (conformation) that give enzymes their power to act as catalysts.
So without knowing the exact nature of the enzymes used, it's hard to know what effects chlorine will have on them.
So without knowing the exact nature of the enzymes used, it's hard to know what effects chlorine will have on them.
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