{"id":16,"date":"2012-03-27T22:34:53","date_gmt":"2012-03-28T02:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/?p=16"},"modified":"2012-03-27T22:34:53","modified_gmt":"2012-03-28T02:34:53","slug":"alternative-sanitizers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/alternative-sanitizers\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternative Sanitizers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Alternative \u00a0 Sanitizers<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alternatives to traditional sanitizers \u00a0 and filtration media<\/p>\n

All-natural. \u00a0 Biodegradable. Non-toxic.<\/p>\n

By now, pool professionals have heard the hype over the latest \u00a0 environmentally friendly purification and filtration alternatives. And many \u00a0 are finding a captive audience among pool owners who seek \u201cgreen\u201d solutions \u00a0 to their service needs.<\/p>\n

But green, in many cases, is a concept that resides in the eye of the \u00a0 beholder. Fewer chemicals up front could mean greater toxicity or increased energy \u00a0 use on the back end.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf the 80,000-plus chemicals that are in the stream at the moment, only a \u00a0 small handful have been studied for their health and safety impacts,\u201d says \u00a0 Maziar Movassaghi, Acting Director of the California Department of Toxic Substances \u00a0 Control in Sacramento. \u201cSo there are many claims, but the efficacy of those \u00a0 claims is really unknown in a lot of cases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe point is that claims of being greener may in fact raise more questions \u00a0 than answers right now,\u201d he says, \u201cso you have to be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

That said, following are some technologies or systems with swimming pool \u00a0 service applications that could be considered environmentally friendly, \u00a0 accompanied by thoughts from professionals on their own experiences. Note: \u00a0 This is not an endorsement of any particular product or methodology.<\/p>\n

Ionization-oxidation sanitizers<\/span><\/strong>
\nThese hybrid water-purification systems typically involve a pair of \u00a0 sanitizing agents that are used in conjunction with low levels of chlorine.<\/p>\n

One such system supplies a dual stream of sanitizing metallic ions \u2014 often \u00a0 copper and zinc \u2014 to the pool water. The copper ions work as an algaecide, \u00a0 while the zinc ions act to kill bacteria. Another set of electrodes produces \u00a0 active oxygen, which also seeks to eradicate organics, algae and waste \u00a0 matter.
\nWeekly testing of pH and copper levels is required. And chemicals such as \u00a0 muriatic acid or baking soda may need to be added to neutralize pH.<\/p>\n

But manufacturers maintain the amount of metals dispensed into the pool is \u00a0 low \u2014 typically much less than what might cause staining. And benefits may \u00a0 include smoother-feeling water and less corrosion of pool surfaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of their claims to fame is that you can actually drink up to two gallons \u00a0 of the water, and it still only produces the equivalent copper as you\u2019d get \u00a0 in a multivitamin,\u201d says Dale Given, owner of Brite Pool Service in Arcadia, \u00a0 Calif.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlus you avoid the bleaching of the skin and bathing suits that you might \u00a0 get with [more] chlorine,\u201d he adds. \u201cAnd they use around 10 percent of the \u00a0 energy as a salt cell system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given has been testing the product in his own pool for some time, and he\u2019s \u00a0 been pleased with the results thus far. Plus, he says about half-a-dozen of \u00a0 his route customers have requested the systems.<\/p>\n

Though he\u2019s taking it slowly, Given is nonetheless impressed with his own \u00a0 personal experience. \u201cSo far it\u2019s working,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd environmentally \u00a0 it\u2019s very sound \u2014 there\u2019s no eye burn, no chloramines, and it\u2019s cheaper to \u00a0 run. The pool is very swimmable and very fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Catalytic enzyme\/phosphate remover<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>These \u00a0 systems use natural enzymes to break up contaminants and remove bacteria. And \u00a0 weekly maintenance is said to be sufficient to prevent future algae growth \u00a0 and maintain clear water.<\/p>\n

Manufacturers claim the product, which is added straight to the water or \u00a0 circulation system, is non-allergenic and nonflammable, carries a lengthy \u00a0 shelf life, and is non-corrosive to decks and coping.<\/p>\n

Service techs have found the systems create reduced chlorine usage, little to \u00a0 no recurrence of algae, increased water clarity and stabilized chlorine \u00a0 levels.<\/p>\n

In spring, Todd Starner began converting about one-third of his 100 Tampa, \u00a0 Fla.-area pools to enzyme sanitizers. In the first 30 days, he says, chlorine \u00a0 levels increased slightly. But soon after the enzymes became active and those \u00a0 levels steadied.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will give you the clearest water you\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d says Starner, \u00a0 regional director of the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association\u2019s \u00a0 Region 11 covering Florida and Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can also manage your TDS levels better with it,\u201d he adds, \u201cand you can \u00a0 knock down the bleach you\u2019re using. It\u2019s been my method for satisfying \u00a0 customers who want to go green.\u201d<\/p>\n

They do tend to run more expensive than traditional bleach sanitizers (about \u00a0 $.50 an ounce vs. around $.92 a gallon in some markets), according to \u00a0 Starner, who uses 5 ounces per pool, give or take.
\n\u201cThe green concept always has a price,\u201d he says. \u201cBut so far I\u2019ve been very \u00a0 happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cellulose fiber filtration media<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Non-toxic \u00a0 when backwashed, natural cellulose fibers are becoming popular replacements \u00a0 for diatomaceous earth (DE) filtration. They also work as filter aids and can \u00a0 help boost water clarity when used in cartridge and sand filters.<\/p>\n

Cellulose fibers, which may resemble crushed paper, actually come from trees, \u00a0 so they\u2019re a non-silica-based renewable resource that\u2019s also biodegradable. \u00a0 And because of their makeup, they filter particles down to 2 microns in some \u00a0 cases \u2014 finer than even DE, according to manufacturers.<\/p>\n

Most types of cellulose fiber are very low in density, meaning much less is \u00a0 required to achieve a similar filtration rate as DE. A shorter \u00a0 backwashing\/recharging cycle may occur following the initial application. But \u00a0 once the water has been stabilized, those cycle times typically increase to \u00a0 at least twice those of DE cycles.<\/p>\n

In Ramsey, N.J., Bob Baron has been experimenting with cellulose fiber \u00a0 filtration for some time. In fact, about two- to three years ago, he used the \u00a0 fiber media on every pool along his residential route.<\/p>\n

And though Baron did note cost was a concern among customers, making it more \u00a0 difficult to distribute on the retail side, he still speaks highly of the \u00a0 technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to breathe in the DE,\u201d says the owner of Baron Pool Service. \u201cAnd \u00a0 it\u2019s not clogging things up when we dump it into the waste lines. It\u2019s a \u00a0 better product for the environment \u2014 we use it in a lot of places.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sonic waves and metal removers<\/span><\/strong>
\nIn the past few years, the service marketplace has seen even more purportedly \u00a0 greener products emerge to address persistent problems like algae and heavy \u00a0 metals in pool water.<\/p>\n

Though still a relatively unproven technology for recreational aquatics use, \u00a0 sound waves have been shown to kill algae and contaminants. These sonic \u00a0 systems can be used in concert with aeration systems or UV filtration.<\/p>\n

Much like a high-pitched shriek causes glass to shatter, these cleaning \u00a0 systems emit complex sound waves to vibrate and allegedly break up algae \u00a0 cells. Still, at this point they may be better suited for pond settings \u2014 or \u00a0 large commercial vessels \u2014 than residential pools.<\/p>\n

In contrast to traditional metal eliminators, another technology uses a \u00a0 powdered chelating agent to quickly attach to heavy metals like iron and \u00a0 manganese. The material acts as a sponge to absorb the dissolved metals, and \u00a0 traps them in a bag that is immersed in the skimmer basket.<\/p>\n

Also billed as nontoxic and biodegradable, this system is engineered for \u00a0 fresh and saltwater pools, and does not interact with other pool chemicals, \u00a0 proponents say.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: Dan Schechner – Pool and Spa News | 9.30.2010<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alternative \u00a0 Sanitizers   Alternatives to traditional sanitizers \u00a0 and filtration media All-natural. \u00a0 Biodegradable. Non-toxic. By now, pool professionals have heard the hype over the latest \u00a0 environmentally friendly purification and filtration alternatives. And many \u00a0 are finding a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16\/revisions\/17"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expertpoolbuilders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}