Some say you need a pool phosphate remover if you want to completely control algae growth in your pool. But that’s not totally true. Are pool phosphates a problem, and do you actually have to remove them? Even if you have high pool phosphate levels (especially if you have a salt water chlorinator), the answer to your pool algae problems may be simpler than you think.
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Pool Phosphates and Algae
00:17 - What Are Pool Phosphates?
00:54 - Why Are Phosphates A Problem In Your Pool?
01:25 - Problems With Phosphate Remover
01:40 - How To Stop Algae In Your Pool Without Phosphate Remover
01:54 - Salt Chlorinator And High Phosphate Levels
02:38 - Pool Care Video Course
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Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
💦 Download our pool maintenance video course and get 10% off by using the promo code VIDEO: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Pool Phosphates and Algae
00:17 - What Are Pool Phosphates?
00:54 - Why Are Phosphates A Problem In Your Pool?
01:25 - Problems With Phosphate Remover
01:40 - How To Stop Algae In Your Pool Without Phosphate Remover
01:54 - Salt Chlorinator And High Phosphate Levels
02:38 - Pool Care Video Course
🏊♂️ Our Favorite Pool Maintenance Gear: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/
📡 Subscribe to our channel if you want more information on swimming pool and hot tub maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/swimuniversity
Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
Some say you need a phosphate remover if you want to completely control the algae growth in your pool, but that's not totally true. So are phosphates in your pool, a problem and do you actually have to remove them check it out? First, what are phosphates? Phosphates are chemical compounds that contain phosphorus, a naturally occurring element. Phosphates are found in fertilizers, beauty, products, rotting, leaves and even other pool chemicals they're also found in your water supply. Basically, phosphates are everywhere, which means you can't 100 remove them from your pool, and studies show that phosphate levels need to reach at least 1 000 ppp or parts per billion before they impact algae growth and in a well-maintained pool.
It can take years for phosphates to reach unhealthy levels. So why are phosphates a problem? Phosphates are a food source for algae and the more phosphate in your water. The more food there is for algae to consume. However, if you're keeping your water balanced and sanitizing your pool, you're already making the water impossible for algae to survive in and if you're, using an algaecide and occasionally shocking your pool, you're decreasing the chance of a pool, algae problem.
So, even if the algae has phosphates to feed off of it won't be able to grow in that kind of pool environment plus phosphate removers are a problem. They can be more toxic than the actual phosphates in your pool and if you do have an algae problem, you're likely to have underlying issues and phosphate removers won't solve it. Your best bet to stop algae. One maintain proper chlorine levels, two use an algaecide to prevent algae from blooming in your pool three occasionally shock, your pool and four keep debris and rotting leaves out of your pool, but what, if you have a skull, chlorinator and high phosphate levels? Well, if you have a salt water pool, your phosphate levels are high and your chlorinator isn't producing enough.
Chlorine first check that your chlorinator is built to handle the size of your pool. You may need to supplement with regular chlorine once in a while, depending on where you live, and what environmental conditions are like there and finally make sure you shock your pool, often enough to kill phosphate, producing organisms, examine all possible factors that may be contributing to low Chlorine levels before using a phosphate remover. Now, if you focus on the three most important algae fighters, which are sanitizer algaecide and the occasional pool shock, your pool will be just fine if you're looking for an easy to follow tutorial, that'll answer, all your pool questions go check out our pool care handbook and Video course you'll get over 30 in-depth video lessons and a step-by-step downloadable guide, covering everything you need to know about, pool maintenance, it's packed with money, saving tips, so you can save money and time keeping your swimming pool clean. This is the ultimate manual for every type of pool, including in-ground above ground and in-text blow-up pools the best part is we always keep it up to date, so once you buy it, you have access to the latest and greatest version for life so because you're watching This video, you can go to swimuniversity.com pool and use the promo code, video if there's a pool care topic you'd like us to cover in a future video. Please leave a comment to let us know and hit the like button below. If you found this video helpful. If you want to learn more about pool maintenance and troubleshooting subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one and check out the pool care handbook and video course at swimuniversity.com pool, don't forget to enter the promo code, video to get 10 off. That's it thanks again and happy swimming.
plus the MAIN reason to stay away from phosphate removers IS: drumroll.. pls.. They are EXPENSIVE as H%$#!!.. for example to treat a 20,000 gallon pool.. will set you back approx $30 per treatment or per month!… and this has to be done EVERY MONTH to be whats called "maintenance effective"..so thats $30 a month down the drain, I mean your pool…. Now thats pricey!!!.. Compared to just 22oz of a quality algaeside added EVERY week for a solid MONTH will cost you approx $10-12 Per month.. I would rather pay $12per month on a quality algaeside than $30 per month on phosphate removers..True?.. Now heres the negative on the algaeside, yes it will ADD copper/ silver metals in your pool but it takes a bit of time for the build up– I have been using algaesides for three years to my pool on a weekly basis and have NOT had a big problem with metal saturation.. Why?? Simple- it's because I DO CHANGE OUT 80% my water on a 12 month basis. So my water "overturn" is quite high.
My neighbor says rather than use liquid algaeside, he uses a SOLID copper additive called ( "poolRX).
Which is basically a "solid algaeside"….Pool Rx is reasonably priced. $60 for 6 months..($10 per MONTH) This ADDS chelated Copper to the water to prevent algae.. And if you read the package, they STILL recommend "changing your pool water" or at least draining half and filling the rest with "fresh water" every 12-15 months to prevent "copper buildup".. Which, If you think about it– changing the water every 12 months is really NO BIG deal in the grand scheme of things……Bottom line is this: DONT use phosphate removers as they are VERY expensive and unnecessary…will cost you $30 per month MINIMUM and who knows the long term effects of those in your water..
So I know Phosphates have to be at least 1000 parts per billion. but my test kit shows my phosphate levels are over 1000 parts per million which is very high. A separate professional pool company came over and said the same thing without me even mentioning my previous test kit results. it's from our small city water supply its crazy high with phosphates!
Not sure about this. I have salt water, chlorine levels stay in spec in relation to my CYA level of 80, other pool chemicals perfectly balanced using K2006 for exact numbers, no rotting leaves, shock occasionally, backwash filter regularly and around the end of July through August every year, I start getting phosphates increasing and mustard algae growing in perfectly balanced water requiring Yellow Out to kill it. My pool sees full sunlight from 10am to sunset.
clorine tabs and phos free works miracles
so algaecides are healthier than phosphate removers? Service area Ottawa??
But how do phosphates effect the rest of the pool picture? Like how do high levels of phosphates effect chlorine efficiency and stabilization? Phosphates need to be removed from the water and you can’t always burn them out with chlorine. Cloudy but balanced water can be a sign of high phosphates that something like phosfree does a great job of resolving in my experience. I’ve used enzymes with some success as well.
I have been having struggles with my pool turning green, I had it tested and found out that it had over 1300 phosphate count. Are used a phosphate remover it’s been blew perfectly blue until I had to fill the water again from our well. I had that water tested and it has phosphates in it so how can I take care of this phosphate problem without spending an arm and a leg weekly when I fill it with water?
I drained cleaned and refilled my pool and when I went to leslies to check my chemicals my PHOSPHATE was 4000 PPB I bought the PHOS remover but it was $60 and they said I need 2 minimum I got 1 only so I used half today…
Thank jeebus some sanity on the topic. Every pool guy in AZ is obsessed with this snake oil. It's pretty difficult to explain to them it's a non issue for a dozen reasons.
Wish I had seen this before dumping 43oz of Phos Free into my pool that had 974ppb… as recommended by my local pool shop.
The main issue I have had with phosphates is that it eats the chlorine right out of the water, so even at a level of 500ppb the chlorine generator can not keep up with the amount of chlorine that is being depleted. So it requires more chlorine or overworking your salt system to compensate. I feel phosphate remover is a must! This is the only video so far that I don’t agree with, everything else has been great!
Are there any alternatives to phosphate removers? If a pool is at 1,000+ ppb will the phosphorous levels naturally drop over a week? Calcium? A new video idea for Swim University – Your pool has tested over 1000ppb of phosphate. What are your options? Seems to be a common question with not a lot of definitive answers outside of using phosphorous removers which everyone says are not worth using.
I would like to know about adding salt to a regular Chlorine pool in order to make the water soft.
Great Vids!! Thank You!!
Good afternoon, I just had my water tested at Leslie's and they said my phosphates were at 1048! Is that possible, my chemistry was almost balanced and no signs of algae, should I still use phosphates remover? Thanks for any reply
I take my water to leslie's pool when I'm really board on a sat, just to listen to everyone who walks through the door it's the same script "is your water clear " then they will start a out telling them the phosphate' s are to high and your nitrates are to high and their selling 80lb bucket of some chem, and then you need to add this and add this after you add that then drain half the water in your pool what a gotcha game they play with people so ridiculous so peeps , TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN POOL NEXT YEAR take a little time out by a good pool tester and you will be surprised how much money you would save Are you in Barrhaven ?
I would love for you to make a video about keeping my pool open in the winter instead of closing it.
My button on my hottub is stuck so I cant turn on the light and change mode. Pls help
Should I add algicide even if I have no obvious signs of alge growth in the pool?
Like the video said – phosphates are food for algae, but if you keep the free chlorine high enough in relation to the CYA level (FC should be 7.5% of the CYA level in PPM), and your pH is correct (7.2 to 7.6), you will not have algae problems.
What keeps eating my chlorine?
So helpful! I do have a question…I have a hot tub and there's algae on the side, not under the water. We have had someone maintain our pool for about a year now. It was suggested to me that I could dilute some bleach and spray it on the side to remove the algae. Yes or No? Thank you and your articles/videos have been very helpful as I am a new pool owner. 🙂 Service area Orleans??
Great video. There’s been a lot of scuttlebutt lately about phosphates. I ignored it all as SwimU hasn’t mentioned them before so I knew I was good. Are you in Kanata ?