I'm a faithful pool forum (all of them) follower and sort of pool obsessed. I use the BBB method for my pool, but my friend has a problem I don't understand. She says the pool store keeps trying to sell her something for the high number of phosphates in her pool. The only thing I've ever heard about phosphates is algae eat them. Her phospate number is >1000. Does she need to buy phosphate remover? She has one of those frogs. Do those put phospates in the water?
Phosphate problems????
- Thread starter vejadu
- Start date
Don't worry about phosphates. A phosphate level of 1000 is not unusual and really isn't a problem. Algae eat phosphates, along with other things, but so what. If you keep enough chlorine in the pool to be safe there won't be any algae anyway. Aside from being expensive and unnessessary, phosphate removers can also cause a cloudy pool that takes days to clear.
The theory behind phosphates is that if you remove all the phosphates then algae won't have anything to eat and you won't get any algae. First off that isn't really true, algae can eat things besides phosphates. Second, if you let your chlorine level go low enough that algae could become a problem you probably will have other problems, like bacteria and virisus, that are more difficult to see. I would rather have the easily visible reminder of seeing algae to tell me I forgot to add bleach last weekend then get sick and not know why.
The theory behind phosphates is that if you remove all the phosphates then algae won't have anything to eat and you won't get any algae. First off that isn't really true, algae can eat things besides phosphates. Second, if you let your chlorine level go low enough that algae could become a problem you probably will have other problems, like bacteria and virisus, that are more difficult to see. I would rather have the easily visible reminder of seeing algae to tell me I forgot to add bleach last weekend then get sick and not know why.
Interesting that this comes up. I was at a local pool store this weekend, looking for someone who could test borates. 4 out of 5 people who came in and got their water tested were told your phosphates are a little high and a bottle of SeaKlear (sp?) was sold to them. Of course the rack of the stuff was right there at the counter. I figured there must be some big push for the store or clerk who sells the most bottles.
Take it from someone who really DOES have phosphate problems...don't worry about them unless you have algae problems & have tried everything here & do everything as suggested by the book here on this site. If you still have problems after several months, then yes, you MIGHT start thinking about phosphates.
My fill water is full of phosphates. I keep my CYA at about 40 & could keep my cl levels at 15 & the algae would still grow. I have to use Phosfloc every summer at least once. It is nasty & a big headache to use...WORRY ABOUT PHOSPHATES ONLY AS A LAST RESORT!
My fill water is full of phosphates. I keep my CYA at about 40 & could keep my cl levels at 15 & the algae would still grow. I have to use Phosfloc every summer at least once. It is nasty & a big headache to use...WORRY ABOUT PHOSPHATES ONLY AS A LAST RESORT!