Kem Tek 338 vs Jack's Magic Purple Stuff in salt pool?

[PoolDoc]

1. I think you are confusing marketing with design; when product labels say "designed for X" it almost always means "designed to sell TO people with X", and not "designed by a team of engineers for optimal performance when X is present". I'm smirking, as I type this, but I'm perfectly serious in making the assertion.

2. I doubt anyone has actually studied the effect of different concentrations of HEDP in salt water pools.

3. I think 3 cups of the Kem-Tek product would perform identically to 1 cup of the Pink Stuff or 3 cups of the Purple or Blue Stuff.

[waterbear]

I thought that the pink and blue stuff were the same strength. I seem to remember seeing that somewhere, either on the bottles themselves of in some of the Jack's Magic Literature. I could be wrong.

[PoolDoc]

Nah.

In the MSDS (unless Jack's has pulled a switcheroo, a la Natural Chemistry), Pink has a specific gravity of 1.48, and the others have a specific gravity of 1.10 or less.

[JimK]

I thought that the pink and blue stuff were the same strength. I seem to remember seeing that somewhere, either on the bottles themselves of in some of the Jack's Magic Literature. I could be wrong.

I took a look at the bottle and there's nothing listing ingredients or concentrations. It's interesting that the dosing instructions for the Pink Stuff and Purple Stuff are exactly the same to reach the same level (10-12ppm).

I did see this on the Purple Stuff bottle in addition to its claims to "remove" metals; "...helps keep silica in solution and helps prevent scaling of cells in salt water chlorine generator systems..." What exactly does this mean? Anything?

Found this on poolgeek.com (where I buy Jack's Magic) about the Purple Stuff; "A concentrated blend of stain preventing and sequesting agents."

And this about the Pink Stuff; "A professional strength blend of sequestering agents."

This seems to point to some difference in strength.

Then there's the Magenta Stuff for salt pools. Instead of HEDP is uses "Acrylic Acid Copolymer". Any idea what this is and it's effectiveness?

[PoolDoc]

Instead of HEDP is uses "Acrylic Acid Copolymer". Any idea what this is and it's effectiveness?

PAA - Polyacrylic acid, used to make disposable diapers, among other things. Google for more info.

[JimK]

PAA - Polyacrylic acid, used to make disposable diapers, among other things. Google for more info.

I Googled it, found alot of stuff speaking over my head.

Is it effective?

[PoolDoc]

don't really know.

[waterbear]

It's a common ingredient in polymeric clarifiers. Because it has many negatively charged sites on the polymer chains it can 'grab' positively charged molecules and clump them so they can be filtered out more efficiently and can also temporarily bond metal ions such as calcium and magnesium so it has a 'water softening' effect. (This is why it is also added to Clorox bleach and some laundry detergent formulas since the larger "clumps do not redeposit as readily on clothes.)

Does it work? As well as any other polymeric clarifier. Overdosing can cause particles to form a colloidial suspension that is almost impossible to filter out instead of forming larger, filterable "clumps"