Surfactants are large molecules with a hydrophilic or “water loving” head, and a hydrophobic or “water hating” tail. The hydrophilic head is water soluble, and combined with the surfactant, alters the surface tension of the water. The hydrophobic tail, which is repelled by water, attracts oils and greases, and removes them from surfaces in the water. The combination of the enzymes and surfactant power makes them powerhouse cleaners in pools for controlling waterline and optimizing filter efficiency.
How to bring enzymes into a pool or spa care regiment
Products containing enzymes or surfactants, or in more successful formulas which contain both, should be considered at weekly maintenance, after a major pool party, and even at pool openings/closings. Enzymes do not exclusively need to be added as a treatment; the burden on the sanitizer is alleviated when enzymes are allowed to breakdown the organic contaminants such as starches, oils, and greases first. If these materials are no longer present, the sanitizer can focus on destroying harmful bacteria or inhibiting algae growth. Therefore, enzymes can and should be added regularly to mitigate waste buildup. In fact, most enzyme products should be added weekly. They work even when swimmers or bathers are enjoying the water.
Enzymes will immediately begin seeking out substrates as they are introduced. As with most of pool and spa care, preventative maintenance is always going to be more effective and less costly than allowing problems to fester and worsen. Enzymes are not just useful in traditional chlorine, salt, or bromine pools. They are versatile, even in pools using biguanide as a sanitizer.
During winter months when pool users begin closing their pools for the off-season and sanitizer residuals are reduced, stagnant water can provide an enticing environment for substrates to buildup and adhere to walls of the pool, leaving pool owners to be potentially unimpressed with the unsightly stains at the water when they re-open their pools. Just before closing at the end of the season, enzymes and surfactants can be applied to protect pool surfaces from this buildup, thereby better sparing these surfaces from potential organic stains. Enzymes can still be applied during the off-season, and again when it is time to re-open. At pool openings, there might be algae or leaves present in the water which leave behind starches and other unwanted organic waste. An enzyme-containing product at openings can help reduce these compounds first, instead of just applying high quantities of oxidizers straight away.
Keep enzymes in mind when buying products
Products with enzymes are a successful supplement to help keep pools and spas clean. As the cost of pool care routine increases along with other materials needed, preventative use of enzyme products will still save consumers from having to spend even more on equipment repair or replacement, energy-using filter cleaning, and oxidizer treatments. Pool visitors can now swim and soak comfortably knowing there are options which will continuously work just as they are enjoying themselves.
Author
Emily Johnson, born and raised in South Carolina, graduated with a bachelor of science in biological sciences, with a minor in chemistry from the University of South Carolina. She is a recreational water enthusiast living in Atlanta, Ga., with her two rescue dogs who love a good dip in a splasher pool. She has been working for research and development at BioLab Inc., a KIK Custom Products Company, since 2014. Johnson can be reached via email at emily.johnson@biolabinc.com.
