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Latest revision as of 13:49, 4 October 2021
What are Pool Clarifiers?
Pool clarifiers rely on the charge difference in the molecules of the clarifier and the particles floating in the water.[1] They are electrically bound together. Once dissolved in water, there is nothing sticky or gummy to clog a filter.
The routine use of clarifiers generally is an attempt to compensate for poor water chemistry, so should be avoided. Trouble Free Pools does not endorse the general use of clarifiers. Very rarely do they help. Repeated cloudy water is most likely from a chemistry imbalance and the likeliest isssue is algae. So just be aware of that. On rare occasions they can help recover from a large incident such as fire ash, dust storms or construction debris getting into the water.
Repeated use, many pool stores recommend it weekly, will eventually cause a problem in your filter media. Many people use polymeric clarifiers and those will eventually gum up a filter. But using at the start of the season after making sure you are completely clear of any algae and, if necessary, a full and complete SLAM Process has been followed, will not bring immediate harm to the filter media.
Clarifiers are different then flocculents. Clarifiers will cause small particles to clump together so they can be skimmed out and captured by the filter. Flocculents cause larger particles to glue together and fall to the pool floor. Flocculents need to be vacuumed to waste and never to the filter.
