Water is the universal solvent...

Give it enough time and it will wear down even the strongest elements! 

Grand Canyon anyone?  

This process happens in nature as water passes over metals, it erodes them and some of the metal ions are taken up by the water. 

You may also be adding metals directly, as some algaecides contain metals such as copper or silver. 

Aggressive water strips metals away from everything it touches, including your equipment.  Take for example, your pool heater and aggressive water. 

This combination can lead to metals being eroded from the heater, causing a high level of copper in the water. 

But I digress, aggressive water is a topic for another day, so let's take a look at how we can deal with issues caused by metals.

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"So, what? There are metals in my water.  Why should I care?"

You should care because metals in your water can lead to unsightly water tinted in hues of brown, green, orange, and even purple! 

This tinted water can and will eventually lead to equally unsightly stains. 

YIKES! 

Discolored water is one of the most tell tale signs you have a metal issue. 

FUN FACT:  The color of the water can be used to determine what type of metals are present in the pool!

 

 

"So, I've got metals in my water...now what?!" 

This is where stain and scale products make their grand entrance.

"Alexa, play Here Comes the Hot Stepper"

Stain & scale products hook up with metals present in your pool water and try to keep them insulated from the water.  Preventing the discoloration of the water and the formation of stains on the pool or spa surfaces.  Sounds good, right?  You're probably thinking, "I'll just throw some stain & scale product in and call it good".  Ehhh, not exactly...you see, traditional stain & scale products work great if they are used in your regular maintenance routine.  We call that a proactive approach and are BIG fans of it! The wrinkle in using the stain & scale product in a reactive manner is that if you add large amounts of chlorine to a pool that has been treated with stain & scale remover, the product ends up being diluted.  This will cause the water to discolor almost immediately after the addition of the chlorine.  This also leaves the stains that were attempted to be treated, unaddressed.  

There are only a few pool and spa products/chemicals available that physically remove stray metals from the water.  These products typically work by clumping metals together and collecting them.  From that point they either drop to the bottom via the flocculant or they are captured and expelled through the filter via the clarifying component. Removing the metals prevents discoloration and staining even in high levels of chlorine.  When you use this method you are treating the core source of the problem rather than treating its symptoms.  

SHAMELESS PLUG:  Revive!^® Start Up/Clean Up & Revive!^® WEEKLY remove stray metals!

 

When it comes to treating most pool & spa water issues, including metals, using the PROACTIVE approach we discussed earlier versus the REACTIVE approach is both easier and more affordable. 

Stain & scale products can be used effectively, but remember, when you treat the stain, if you don't remove the stray metals that cause it, your staining issue will most likely return, costing you more time and money!  

 

Questions? We can help!  

Call or Text Us!

(877) 274-7261