Phosphates... what an enigma, hey?

We've all been to the pool shop and been told that our pool's phosphates are too high, and that we need to buy some sort of mysterious chemical to remove these so-called nasties from the water.

So is it needed or are we being sold a useless gimmick?

Let's start by asking, what are phosphates?

Well, phosphates are essentially algae food. They enter the water usually through leaves, dust and other organic matter entering the pool over time, and they can wreak havoc on pool water when not removed.

As an experienced pool technician, I have seen many examples of pool water with chlorine and pH both in the normal range, but somehow the pool is still green. Turns out, in every case, phosphates have been at the heart of the issue.

So now you're probably thinking 'OK, so I might have nasty phosphates in my pool. But how does this weird chemical remove it?'

So phosphate remover, as its name suggests, literally removes the phosphates from the pool water. Basically, it acts as a coagulant - that is, a super-sticky goop that clings to the phosphates in the pool. This makes it easier to get caught in your filter so that once it's done its job, a simple backwash/cartridge clean will rid your pool of the whole lot.

A great way to know if the chemical is working is simply to add it and observe. If there are lots of phosphates in the water, the phosphate remover will make the pool water go white and cloudy. This is normal, and is part of the coagulation process. If the pool hasn't cleared up in about three or four days, clean the filter and leave it another couple of days.

The most important issue is the quality of the phosphate remover. Buying it from a hardware store is not recommended, as it is usually diluted with water, hence the lower price. Most pool shop (although not all) phosphate removers are much stronger and do the job much more efficiently without having to keep buying more and more to get the job done.

At the Pool Dude, we only stock and supply the best quality pool and spa chemicals. If you need a hand removing phosphates from your pool, or you have a green pool that you can't manage to clear up, or perhaps you just need to get your hands on premium pool chemicals, get in touch today!