Phosphates in a salt pool

[rmturner54]

Do I need to address my phosphates in my salt water pool. They were tested at 3300. My water is crystal clear .FC is very stable
FC 15 which is due to new salt cell that I am dialing in.
PH 7.5
TA 73
CH 261
CYA 98
% out 10
Salt 3300

 

[ajw22]

Do I need to address my phosphates in my salt water pool. They were tested at 3300

Short answer, NO.

Who measured your phosphates?

Maintain the proper CYA/CYA levels and phosphates don't matter.

The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship

Managing your cyanuric acid and Free Chlorine levels is key to stabilizing your pool. Learn how these two items affect each other.

www.troublefreepool.com

Phosphate Removers - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[rmturner54]

Short answer, NO.

Who measured your phosphates?

Maintain the proper CYA/CYA levels and phosphates don't matter.

Pool store since I dont have a tester for that.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

In my own personal experience, I would address a phosphate level that high by using a commercial grade phosphate remover but I would do it at a point in time when I know I would be cleaning out my DE filter. That way, the PR can create the phosphate particulates and load up the filter and then I can easily remove it all. Backwashing is very ineffective.

I do my own phosphate testing and my fill water has no phosphates in it so thankfully I don’t have to do the phosphate removal process very often.

 

[ajw22]

Pool store since I dont have a tester for that.

Taylor has the K-1106 phosphate test kit. The Taylor K-1106 test kit can test at phosphate levels of 0-1000 ppm or 0-6000 ppm. It has two different color comparator cards for the two tests.

If you did want to do anything then you should first test with your own test kit.

I had a pool service guy tell me my phosphates were somewhere in the thousands. I tested with the K-1106 and got minimal results. Don't ever make chemistry changes based on Pool Store testing. They cannot be relied on.

 

[Newdude]

I hafta ask. Your water is clear and your FC was stable. How did phosphates even come up ?

Also, 'screw up' FC on the high side anytime you are given the chance. It is safe for swimmers up to SLAM. There is zero leeway below minimum and tons above.

Also also, PH is invalid at 10+ FC.

 

[ajw22]

How did phosphates even come up ?

He stepped onto a Pool Store. Those test results in post #1 did not come from his K-2006 test kit.

You can educate him in the error of his ways.

And CYA of 98? Hmmmm.

 

[Newdude]

I knew at CH of 261.

I should have caught it at TA 73.

But there had to be a reason to bring water to the pool store. 'For fun' isn't a reason. I read fortune cookies for fun. I don't steer my life because of them.

 

[sacredcow]

In my own personal experience, I would address a phosphate level that high by using a commercial grade phosphate remover but I would do it at a point in time when I know I would be cleaning out my DE filter. That way, the PR can create the phosphate particulates and load up the filter and then I can easily remove it all. Backwashing is very ineffective.

I do my own phosphate testing and my fill water has no phosphates in it so thankfully I don’t have to do the phosphate removal process very often.

Ditto.

Mine were higher than 3300- I want to say 4000+, but I can't exactly recall. I wasn't particularly experiencing any problems, but I kept having small spots of black algae pop up and on a whim decided to just go ahead and remove the phosphates to see if it helped any.

PR-10000 is what you want (PhosFree is almost entirely useless), and when you add it to a pool with phosphates that high, it's going to go VERY cloudy as it reacts and it may stay that way for a couple of days. The precipitates formed will get trapped by your filter and some will likely sink to the bottom, which can then be vacuumed to waste or to your filter as you'll definitely want to dismantle and clean it after treatment. Only took one treatment for me to get them down to virtually zero.

Unfortunately, I can't say for sure whether it has helped my black algae issues. I also switched to a SWG at the same time, so I almost never have periods of low chlorine as I did when I was dumping in bleach and went too long between additions.

 

[rmturner54]

This all started with the new generic salt cell install, when it read 4600 instant salt. I do all my own testing except for salt. Thats why I took a sample to the store. Just to get a salt test. Because I did not believe the salt reading I was getting with the new cell. My pool runs year round, I have not added any salt since Sept/Oct and before my original cell failed, the system was reading 3400.
I am aware that the PH results will not be accurate when FC is above 10. I have been trying to dial in FC with this new cell
My CYA is at that 98 level because when I tested before my cell replacement I had almost none, so I kinda over calculated when adding stabilizer.
I am going to re-test everything just to be sure.

 

[Bperry]

This all started with the new generic salt cell install, when it read 4600 instant salt. I do all my own testing except for salt. Thats why I took a sample to the store. Just to get a salt test. Because I did not believe the salt reading I was getting with the new cell. My pool runs year round, I have not added any salt since Sept/Oct and before my original cell failed, the system was reading 3400.
I am aware that the PH results will not be accurate when FC is above 10. I have been trying to dial in FC with this new cell
My CYA is at that 98 level because when I tested before my cell replacement I had almost none, so I kinda over calculated when adding stabilizer.
I am going to re-test everything just to be sure.

For the record lots of instant salt cell readings are inaccurate, those things are notoriously inaccurate.

 

[Newdude]

+1. And don't forget, with a 100 CYA, your FC target is 11-13. 100 is really iffy to get right. You should do a dilution test take sure its not 140 (?).

 

[rmturner54]

The only test result that I posted that was from the pool store was the salt reading.
Everything else I tested with my Taylor reagents.
I turned my salt system off to bring the FC reading down.
TA 70-80(just started turning color at 70 and full color at 80)
CH 260
PH did not test because of FC reading
CYA 95
Salt- no way to test on my own
I will be buying the phosphate test kit. We have had a fair amoung of rain recntly, so I will be testing again soon

 

[Newdude]

CYA 95

Always round up. The scale does not work like it looks like it works. Save yourself the trouble and only fill to the 10s. I lifted this from pool school for 90+ as it can fool the eyes in a similar way. It may actually be 100. It may actually be more. Find out for certain.

CYA > 90 dilution Test​

For CYA > 90ppm, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

1. Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
2. Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
3. Shake briefly to mix.
4. Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
5. Continue the test normally from adding R-0013, but multiply the final result by two.

If you need to dilute the pool water further then apply these ratios:[5]

Pool water	Tap or distilled water	Multiply result by
1	1	2
1	2	3
1	4	5

Note that when doing a diluted test not only do you multiply the range of the test you multiply the error rate of the test, so results are a ballpark - not an absolute.

 

[rmturner54]

Thanks for that. I am also looking into getting a salt test kit. How good is the Taylor K-1766 Salt water drop test kit.?

 

[Newdude]

It is our gold standard. Salt test strips are as reliable as the pool test ones. As in. Not very reliable.

 

[ajw22]

How good is the Taylor K-1766 Salt water drop test kit.?

The best you can get.

 

[rmturner54]

Just orderedd my K-1766 salt test kit and K -1106 Phospahate kit.
Also started water change to lower the CYA. I have a protable sump pump. 30 mins at a time pumping out water and adding. Tehn do it again and test the next day.

 

[mknauss]

Do a water exchange. You are going to use many times more water than you need to.

 

[mknauss]

Draining - Further Reading

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