Just had my water tested at Leslies (getting my own test kit soon) and found out I have phosphates at 100 ppm. Is that a problem? how do I bring it down?
Phosphates??
- Thread starter jeremy1979
- Start date
jcowart
0
Welcome to TFP. Well your off to a good start by getting your own test kit. Just make sure it's an FAS-DPD kit. Leslie's likes to sell you the DPD kit and tell you it's the same thing. Phosphates are a way of Leslie's separating you from your money. They are in the chemical sales business. Read pool school. The link is at the top of the page. Take it in small chunks. It looks like a lot of info but it really is easy to grasp.
svenpup
LifeTime Supporter
Ignore phosphates and always keep FC above minimum for your CYA. I recommend the TF-100 test kit and add a speed stir. Pool store testing is unreliable.
^^
Even though I just had someone tell me that anything 100 or over would "eat my chlorine" today. LOL
Even though I just had someone tell me that anything 100 or over would "eat my chlorine" today. LOL
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,762
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
Phosphates are, (as the pool store loves to say) "algae food". That is true enough, but with chlorine in a pool all algae is killed so it makes absolutely no difference how much "food" there is. For that reason we say to ignore phosphates.
My favorite analogy for phosphates: Phosphates are like the food at an all-you-can-eat buffet and the algae are customers that could really go for some food. However, the doors to the buffet are always locked shut (sufficient chlorine levels) by the manager (you) and the customers can't get in the door. It doesn't matter how much food is there for the eating if the doors are never open. Removing the food from the buffet doesn't change how many customers get in the door.
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,762
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
Killing the customers is an effective way of keeping them from eating.
Chlorine doesn't just keep them away from the food, it makes sure they are dead.
Chlorine doesn't just keep them away from the food, it makes sure they are dead.
Can you please verify your phosphates unit of measure?
100 parts per BILLION
OR
100 parts per MILLION
It makes a HUGE difference because phosphates are typically measured in parts per billion (ppb).
If indeed you do have phosphates at 100ppm, that would be a problem but not because of algae. High phosphates can increase calcium scaling and having phosphates that high would cause calcium phosphate scaling at typical pool pH and temperature values.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
100 parts per BILLION
OR
100 parts per MILLION
It makes a HUGE difference because phosphates are typically measured in parts per billion (ppb).
If indeed you do have phosphates at 100ppm, that would be a problem but not because of algae. High phosphates can increase calcium scaling and having phosphates that high would cause calcium phosphate scaling at typical pool pH and temperature values.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Haha. Didn't want to go down the road of "chlorine is like snipers on the roof, killing off customers" but that works!
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