Quote Originally Posted by PoolDoc View Post
Hi Jim;

The CuLater is as easy as it gets -- if it works.
I did some searching on that product. Some of the reviews on Amazon indicates the manufacturer recommends replacing the product every couple weeks. That would make it twice as expensive or more, depending on the particular CuLater used, that what I'm using now. And if I am adding metals every time I add salt, then I would have to use the product on a continual basis which gets expensive really quick, much more so than I'm spending now.

The cal hypo method depends on simultaneously oxidizing the metals and precipitating calcium carbonate onto the filter to trap the metals. It will NOT work while you have functional levels of phosphonates in the water. It WILL make things go 'BOOM' if you have a feeder or something else that allows undissolved cal hypo to contact almost any other pool chemical.
Sounds like that method is way above my skill/knowledge level, so I think I'll forget about that idea.

One more point to consider: if you do have an input source of metals, the phosphonates will eventually fail. If you don't have an input source -- you may have ALREADY removed the metals, and don't actually need the phosphonates any longer.
That brings up a couple points where I remain unclear;

1. Is it true my SWCG is the cause of the problem, as I was told, by separating out the trace amounts of iron present in the salt? BTW, I have two coworkers who also use a SWCG (one has a vinyl pool like mine, and the other a fiberglass pool), and they both have the same issue, making me think the SWGC process may actually be the issue. Your thoughts?

2. Is the Purple Stuff actually allowing the filter to capture the metals as quoted here on their website "...The stain removers will lift the stain off the surface, but its The Blue, Pink, Purple, or Magenta Stuff that will remove the metals from the pool and into the filter..." so when I backwash I'm getting rid of the collected metal?

3. So if the salt is the source of metals and the chlorine generation process is separating it out so it can attach to the pool surfaces, are you saying the Purple Stuff at some point will stop working? Or am I likely removing the metals at a rate that will allow the Purple Stuff to keep working as long as I keep up with the maintenance doses?

Perhaps my next step should be to have my water tested for metals. Can I test for iron, copper, etc. myself, or should a have a pool store test it for me? Does the use of the Purple Stuff prevent getting accurate results?

Sorry for all the questions. I greatly appreciate all the help sorting this out.