A Case for Not Wanting Blue in our Pools!

YippeeSkippy

Mod Squad
Gold Supporter
LifeTime Supporter
Jan 17, 2012
21,178
Evans, Georgia
We all want our pools to be sparkly blue…..right? But believe it or not there are times when you don’t want to add “blue” to the water.

Let me first lay an old archaic English word on you- Vitriol. You may know that word to mean “caustic” or “bitter” and use it to describe someone’s personality.

But vitriol, and in particular Blue Vitriol is *not* something we want in our TFP pools!Blue Vitriol is another name for COPPER! And we sure don’t want to be adding that to our pools since we know it causes staining to our lovely pool surfaces, and it can cause our pretty blond swimmers hair to turn green!

So who would knowingly want to add that to their pool? The problem lies in that most folks are unaware that many pool care products do contain this sinister ingredient. Sure it is a good algaecide, but are the side effects worth it? Especially since we at TFP know how to keep our pools pristine and clean without this ingredient.

I go in to shop and see buckets of chlorine pucks that contain copper for sale by big name manufacturers and cringe when I see someone buying them. Looking at pool store ads I see a variety of products that scream out on the label how they do “6 in 1”, “Multipurpose” or “All Purpose” they are. Yet they don’t really spell out how this one product can do so many things?? So along with the chlorine we do like, they’ve stuck some copper in there too.

Rarely does a product spell out that it is copper laden. One national pool store product simply calls itself “Copper Algaecide”....truth in labeling! Many are labeled “BlueMagic”, “Xblue” or some other fancy sounding name. You think they’re talking about the pool water using that blue word. I think they’re specifying a product line different from the copper-free ones they also make.

My entire point here is to please be aware of what is added to your water. Read the ingredients. Occasionally it will be listed and sometimes it just claims “Trade Secret Ingredients”, but if you dig around online, particularly in the SDS sheets, you may find that copper is indeed included.

Buyer Beware.

Maddie :flower:
 
I received a sales booklet in the mail from a pool store, browsing through it I could not believe ALL the pages filled with dozens and dozens of chemicals that treated this and that and still more that were told to be extra strength and multi -purpose. Prices were outrageous.
 
I’ve noticed this season that the Chlorox pucks around here are marketed as Southwest Blue or something like that, with Cacti on the packaging. Awfully deceptive and I would have fallen for it hook, line and sinker last year before I discovered TFP.
 
I’ve noticed this season that the Chlorox pucks around here are marketed as Southwest Blue or something like that, with Cacti on the packaging. Awfully deceptive and I would have fallen for it hook, line and sinker last year before I discovered TFP.

You're kidding!??!? I would love to see a picture of that if you can get one. Very deceptive if you ask me.

Maddie :flower:

Dang! i just Googled them. THey also sell "TexasBlue" ones too. All appear copper laden. Step away from the Clorox products!!!
 

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"Pool life" sticks have copper too. One of my local pool shops carries this line of sticks/pucks exclusively and pushes them aggressively. I'd bet many sticks/ pucks have copper. I have a box of Clorox pucks from last yr that don't seem to have copper (no flecks or ingredient notes.) Maybe this is the latest fad.
 
I have the same issues with over the counter meds that have all manner of extra, unneeded stuff in them when one only needs one or two of the ingredients.

Same thing with kitchen "spices." What a freaking travesty.

I can make any manner of "specialty" cooking preparations with about a dozen basic ingredients. All it takes is a minor amount of intelligence.

Same stuff with the pool.

AND THEN, I just can't believe how the stores hawk these tablets that have all manner of conditioner in them? Hello?

Is this a service to your customers???????????
????

????

???
 
Hi there, I got this thread in my email box and we certainly are wary of all the chemical promises and strive to use as few chemicals as possible, primarily because of health, but also because of money. However, I'm not sure I understand the blanket statements about copper. We use 2 Floatrons in our 40,000 gallon pool and keep the copper level less than 0.3ppm and then use even less Chlorine than we would without the Floatron and occasionally add a little Baking Soda. The pool is crystal clear and this is the experience of other Floatron owners--many of whom have used the devices for many, many years. I am very pleased. Our pool guy comes annually to help me shut down the pool and he remarked last fall that the concrete sides and paint job were not degrading as quickly as he expected and also that the water was very clear. I am no expert though and while I have enjoyed pool swimming for many years, I am only a recent pool owner--2.5 years. So, I am open to criticism and am happy to hear if I am doing something wrong. I can report though that our hair has not turned green. : )
 
Copper systems require diligent pH monitoring to avoid staining. Most consumers either were not educated in maintaining copper systems or do not take the time to maintain them. Our position is that copper is not necessary for a clean, safe pool, and it can cause more problems than it fixes if used incorrectly. This is the same reason we don't recommend pucks or other forms of dry chlorine as well. TFP pool care is about keeping things simple by knowing the effects of pool chemicals and only adding what is needed to maintain a safe pool.

If you know the possible side effects of copper use and how to avoid them and keep your pool properly maintained by those standards, that is great for you and I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. I'm just not going to advocate that method of pool care as it is not necessary in order to have a clean, safe pool.
 
You're kidding!??!? I would love to see a picture of that if you can get one. Very deceptive if you ask me.

Maddie :flower:

Dang! i just Googled them. THey also sell "TexasBlue" ones too. All appear copper laden. Step away from the Clorox products!!!

I just did a little Googling. I found another variant!

Southwest Blue:
SouthwestBlue.jpg
Texas Blue:
TexasBlue.jpg
And, new to me, Florida Blue:
FloridaBlue.jpg
 
Hey everyone, new to the board and found this thread after reading another about copper warnings.

I have issues keeping my chlorine up and a friend of mine who also has a large pool recommended me the texas blue tablets, after using them i have found that they last twice as long and really keep the water nice and clear but after reading this thread i am worried about what i might be doing long term.

I have had any issues with green hair but haven't really been looking for it either, also looking into the composition of the texas blue tablets it states less than 1% of copper is in the tablet, how long do you think it would take to stain the plaster and has anyone actually had the Clorox products do that to their system?
 

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