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To Stain or Not To Stain...Is This A Fair Question?
THE PROBLEM:
The
mineral content of your water increases everyday. This is due to evaporation
which removes only distilled water and leaves the minerals behind. In time,
these minerals begin depositing on the walls of the pool and we can see this
gradual buildup --staining.
Among the options available to the homeowner are the following:
- Drain and acid wash the pool periodically.
- CHEMICALLY remove these minerals before they have a chance to deposit out
on the plaster. These CHEMICALS are known as "chelating" agents, which
comes from the Latin word CHELAE which refers to the pincer-like claws of a
lobster. Accordingly, the chelating agent "grabs" these extraneous
minerals and holds on to them until they are finally removed by the filter.
- MECHANICALLY remove these minerals before they have a chance to deposit out
on the plaster. The type of filter required to remove minerals and heavy metals
is called a nanofilter. It will clean the water to "bottled water purity"
without having to drain water from the pool. Once the pool water has been
cleaned with the filter, a chelating agent can be used to maintain the water in
a "soft" condition.
THE COST
- Acid washing prices vary tremendously from $95 to $450 for the samejob! It
is always a gamble because you cannot monitor the competence of the person
performing the task. You may get a betterjob for $95 than $450.
- After nearly 20 years of research, we have discovered a truly effective
chelating agent. A quart per month should be added during the summer months.
Cost- $8 per quart. An additional benefit of using a chelating agent over acid
washing is that during an acid wash, the surface of the plaster can become
somewhat "gritty" as thecement is washed off thus exposing the
aggregate (sand) which is the primary ingredient of pool plaster. The acid also
occasionally reacts with impurities within the plaster thereby producing colors
in the cement that are even more unsightly than the ones which we were Vying to
eliminate in the first place. Accordingly, acid washing is at best a calculated
risk.
- Nanofiltratlon costs $80 per day. Most pools require one and a half to two
days of filtration. If done annually, one day is enough. The filter will remove
300 to 400 ppm of calcium hardness per day from a 15,000 gallon pool.
SUMMARY
CHLORINE AND FILTERING can keep the water "sanitary"
and crystal clear, however, they HAVE NO EFFECT UPON MINERALS. This is a
completely separate and unique issue which requires a totally different set of
chemicals.
Chelating agents, nanofiltration, or the two used in conjunction are
the best form of preventive maintenance and are really inexpensive for the
results obtained.
For example, four years worth of chelating agents:
- $8 per quart for 6 months per year = $48 per year x 4 years = $192
Four years of nanofiltration:
- About $120 the first year, $80 per year x 3 years = $360
Four year
filtration/chelation combination:
- $120 initial treatment + 3 112 day treatments of $40 each + $96 for 112
normal dose of chelating agent= $336
One acid wash every four years:
- $95 to $450 (with resulting plaster damage)
CONCLUSION:
You should strongly consider chelating agents or nanofiltration
as a valuable resource for protecting your expensive backyard investment.
Chelatlng agents will gradually soften the water and inhibit calcium deposition,
nanofitration will immediately soften the water, and the two in combination will
give you soft water and reduced staining.
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