So, had an equipment specialist tell me that "sky high FC" levels will damage a heater. Great for his business to replace a heater and not have to replace plumbing because it's a pretty easy job and he makes a lot of money. Any data out there on maintaining high FC levels and damage to heaters or other equipment over time?
High chlorine and damage to heaters/equipment
- Thread starter Pperc
- Start date
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
Anything up to shock level, for your cya level is fine.
The manuals say not to dose chlorine more than 2-3ppm, BUT that is not taking into
account the buffering of any cya one would have.
Paul, our resident heater installer/fixer/adviser once told me that above all else,
improperly high or low ph is what destroys heaters quickly.
The manuals say not to dose chlorine more than 2-3ppm, BUT that is not taking into
account the buffering of any cya one would have.
Paul, our resident heater installer/fixer/adviser once told me that above all else,
improperly high or low ph is what destroys heaters quickly.
I guess teh key question is, what defines "sky high" FC?
When my pool had CYA in the area of 250, is FC of 20 sky high? I think not.
This is the problem with most pool professionals, they don't understand the relationship between FC and CYA and how CYA in the water affects the harshness of chlorine.
As to heaters, improper pH is a larger problem with them than chlorine.
When my pool had CYA in the area of 250, is FC of 20 sky high? I think not.
This is the problem with most pool professionals, they don't understand the relationship between FC and CYA and how CYA in the water affects the harshness of chlorine.
As to heaters, improper pH is a larger problem with them than chlorine.
15,
Chlorine is not a problem for the heater.. it is the pH... Really low pH will eat a heater core.. This is why there has to be a check valve between a tab dispenser and the heater.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Chlorine is not a problem for the heater.. it is the pH... Really low pH will eat a heater core.. This is why there has to be a check valve between a tab dispenser and the heater.
Thanks,
Jim R.
I love it when two people give the same answer at the same time.....
He is saying double or triple the "recommended" levels is "sky high" and referring to a pool in Texas where the equipment is on year round.
Thank you gentleman. The exact wording from him:
Here in Texas where the water is kept in the pools year round and the equipment stays fully operational the entire time, no pool equipment will last long when the recommended chlorine level is doubled-tripled. It does not matter if the pH is 6.0 or 10.0.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,882
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What Jim didn’t say is tablets contain acid as well as chlorine and CYA. Many pool “professionals “ think it is the chlorine in the tabs that destroys the heater when it is the acid.
You can’t win in trying to educate most pool people.
He is either ignorant of the science or lying to make sales.....
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
Maybe I suppose. If there was zero cya, but then the sun would burn it off in 30 minutes and it would be gone right quick and no damage.
He probably doesn't factor cya into that statement. So false it is.
One final comment from him - does it pass sniff test?
Equipment here gets abused. 5 months straight with temps of 90+ and regularl runs of triple digit temps for 1-3 weeks. Add to that pool water temps of up to 96 degrees, without a heater. If you think that you have pool chemistry figured out for your seasonal pool than that is great. The pools in Texas get abused harder than any other pools in the country and the stress the equipment takes added to high chlorine is ridiculous.
I regularly am sub contracted by companies that believe in the high chlorine model. It sucks because they won’t stop overdosing but it is awesome because I never run out of work with them. It really sucks for the home/pool owner though.
And before you bring up pH again I will clear that up. In Dallas, the pH is never low due to all the Darn that is constantly in pools so it is not “low pH” that is damaging equipment.
Equipment here gets abused. 5 months straight with temps of 90+ and regularl runs of triple digit temps for 1-3 weeks. Add to that pool water temps of up to 96 degrees, without a heater. If you think that you have pool chemistry figured out for your seasonal pool than that is great. The pools in Texas get abused harder than any other pools in the country and the stress the equipment takes added to high chlorine is ridiculous.
I regularly am sub contracted by companies that believe in the high chlorine model. It sucks because they won’t stop overdosing but it is awesome because I never run out of work with them. It really sucks for the home/pool owner though.
And before you bring up pH again I will clear that up. In Dallas, the pH is never low due to all the Darn that is constantly in pools so it is not “low pH” that is damaging equipment.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,882
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Still no science or data behind what he says.
We have a lot of TX members and you don’t hear of them reporting failures any more than the rest of the country. TFP has data and science on our side.
We have a lot of TX members and you don’t hear of them reporting failures any more than the rest of the country. TFP has data and science on our side.
15,
Most Non-TFP pools are maintained with tabs... the one good thing that tabs do is keep your pH low.. so once again, he has no clue as to what is eating his heaters..
?
Jim R.
Most Non-TFP pools are maintained with tabs... the one good thing that tabs do is keep your pH low.. so once again, he has no clue as to what is eating his heaters..
?
Jim R.
Agreed. He’s purely anecdotal and very snarky about it. His latest:
I do not work on pools that have floating pucks or pucks in the skimmer. They all have dissolving chlorination units plumbed downstream of all pieces of equipment and have non-corrosive check valves installed directly upstream so no highly concentrated chlorine reaches the equipment.
Running lower chlorine and occasionally having to scrub an algae bloom with a stainless steel brush is much more long term cost effective than running high chlorine all the time. If you are just worried about the algae, knock yourself out. I always look after my customers’ long term financial investment when I look at their pool.
Your average equipment installer could solder a pipe in his sleep and rewire a heater in the dark after looking at the instructions in a foreign language, but their understanding of water chemistry and how it reacts with metals and finishes is worthless. Unfortunately telling anybody in this industry that the stuff they have hardwired in their brains is wrong is less useful than talking to a brick wall.
Ignore him, his comment about pH shows that he probably has never actually used a test kit in his life.
Ignore him, his comment about pH shows that he probably has never actually used a test kit in his life.
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
well, saying he's looking out for customers "long term financial investment" while recommending
brushing with a steel brush when the inevitable occurs over and over again likely wouldn't help the
long term life of a plaster finish.
Also how happy would a customer really be having regular algae blooms to deal with?
I'm certain they would be happier not having to do that.
brushing with a steel brush when the inevitable occurs over and over again likely wouldn't help the
long term life of a plaster finish.
Also how happy would a customer really be having regular algae blooms to deal with?
I'm certain they would be happier not having to do that.