What about water quality and clarity?
Typical pool problems such as cloudy water and algae blooms can occur in salt pools just like any other pool. Salt pool owners may try adding more salt to their pool to no avail or turning their ECG to boost for a couple days, but in some instances, running the cell on boost will not be enough.
Re-emphasizing one of the important themes of salt pool treatment, salt pools are chlorine pools and may need help from outside sources when it comes to water quality problems (e.g. algae blooms) or heavy usage.
Most algaecides are compatible with salt pools including quat, polyquat, or copper-based algaecides. Using a chelated-copper, or non-staining algaecide is particularly important for salt pools. Localized high pH within the ECG can precipitate copper (Cu) leading to water discolouration or staining. When copper is chelated, it is unlikely to cause staining and water discolouration. In addition to algaecides, many products or remedies used in traditional chlorine pools may be used in salt pools.
Clearing the water
Clarifiers, flocculents, filter aids, phosphate removers, and enzyme products can all be used in salt pools if an owner would like the water to look more polished or needs to remedy cloudy water. Phosphate (PO43−) removers can be particularly useful in salt pools. Calcium phosphate, like calcium carbonate, can accumulate on pool surfaces and the plates of an ECG as scale. When phosphate is removed from the water, the likelihood of this type of scale formation dissipates dramatically. Depending on the type of algaecide or other ancillary product employed, it may be necessary to top off scale inhibitors after treatment.
Coaching pool owners
Owners of salt pools, like any other pool owner, take great pride in their backyard oasis. Therefore, it is beneficial for salt pool owners and service professionals to consider the fine details and precautions that should be adhered to when maintaining them. Ideally, no additional chemicals or maintenance would be necessary for salt pool owners. But, to protect their investment, salt pool owners need to be coached on how similar their pool is to a traditional chlorine pool. Educating salt pool owners on the benefits of implementing the likes of stabilizers, scale inhibitors, supplemental oxidizers, and pH decreasers into their maintenance and treatment programs can lead to increased longevity of their salt chlorine generator and ultimately a more enjoyable pool owning experience.
Claudio Azurmendi was a product development chemist for BioLab Inc., A KIK Custom Products Company. He received his bachelor of science in chemistry from Georgia State University and joined BioLab in 2009 as a customer care technical solutions specialist. He moved to the technical services department in 2010, then on to the Research & Development group in 2013. Claudio passed away in 2014. He was a talented chemist and a respected member of the product development team. His legacy is the on-going contribution his work provides to BioLab and to the pool and spa industry.
