I've read that phosphates dont really affect the pool chemistry very much unless you have algae. But having them in the water, wouldnt that lead to a rise in CC? Or does the FC leave them alone?
Do Phosphates effect CC?
- Thread starter floridarunner01
- Start date
We have tested pools in excess of 3000ppm on phosphates and had no chlorine showing on any kind of test kit. Lowered phosphates to below 500ppm and finally able to get a residual on chlorine. For what that is worth.
Swimcmp, The phosphates really had nothing to do with that other than to be food for the algae that was growing. If you'd have shocked the pool correctly the phosphates would have been a non-issue.
Phosphates have no direct effect on the CC's. Being that they're algae food, you may see a higher CC reading when shocking because any algae that's there has plenty to eat and therefore can grow faster than if there wasn't any. So you're having to kill more once it gets started.
Of course, if you keep the pool properly chlorinated you'll never have to worry about it getting algae and thusly you'll never have to shock, therefore you'll never see your CC's over .5 regardless to how much phosphates you have.
Phosphates have no direct effect on the CC's. Being that they're algae food, you may see a higher CC reading when shocking because any algae that's there has plenty to eat and therefore can grow faster than if there wasn't any. So you're having to kill more once it gets started.
Of course, if you keep the pool properly chlorinated you'll never have to worry about it getting algae and thusly you'll never have to shock, therefore you'll never see your CC's over .5 regardless to how much phosphates you have.
My phosphate level was over 5,000 for several years without any issues at all. CC was always zero. Chlorine usage was normal. Phosphates does nothing directly to increase CC, though as Bama mentioned it can have an indirect effect by speeding up the growth of algae.
swimcmp, situations like the one you report typically come from failing to understand how the shock process works and thus never killing off the algae growing in the pool. If you shock as described in Pool School, it really doesn't make any difference what your phosphate level is. Off course, it is possible to kill off the algae in other ways, for example by lowering the phosphate level, but that ends up being more expensive and more likely to cause other problems.
swimcmp, situations like the one you report typically come from failing to understand how the shock process works and thus never killing off the algae growing in the pool. If you shock as described in Pool School, it really doesn't make any difference what your phosphate level is. Off course, it is possible to kill off the algae in other ways, for example by lowering the phosphate level, but that ends up being more expensive and more likely to cause other problems.
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