Basic Pool Chemistry MINERAL

Mineral Sanitizers

Mineral sanitizers are an alternative form of sanitizer used in pools today.  They use minerals such as copper and zinc to purify water in much the same way river rock does in lakes and streams.  This type of system uses less chlorine than normally required because the minerals perform 90 percent of the sanitizing.  You would still need chlorine or bromine as a “partner” sanitizer because the minerals only work when water flows through them.  When the filter is off, the small amount of chlorine in the water continues the sanitizing started by the minerals, keeping your pool clean and clear.

Maintaining proper chemistry is as essential with mineral systems as it is for chlorine systems.  King Technologies, makers of the FROG Mineral System, require that the chemistry be maintained as follows:

If the pH falls below range, you can adjust it by adding a pH increaser.  Reversely, if the pH is too high, lower it with a pH reducer.  Total Alkalinity is handled in much the same way, except you would use an alkalinity increaser to increase the alkalinity level.  If the Calcium Hardness level falls low, add calcium hardness increaser (calcium chloride).  If the Calcium level is too high, simply dilute it by draining some water and adding fresh water to replace it.  It’s recommended that a copper based algaecide be used with this system as well.  Copper based algaecides can last in the water for up to 3 months, continuously killing bacteria and algae.

Baquacil

Baquacil (or Revacil, if you’re nasty) is a non-chlorine alternative sanitizer.  This sanitizer is peroxide based, using hydrogen peroxide to shock and activate the sanitizer.  This is the same hydrogen peroxide that you would use to clean and disinfect wounds.  This sanitizer is good at keeping an algae free pool due to the peroxide used.  Simply maintain the sanitizer level between 30-50 PPM by testing and adding weekly doses of the sanitizer.  To keep the sanitizer active and strong, monthly additions of hydrogen peroxide shock are required to keep a level of 50-100 PPM.  Algaecide is added bi-weekly to help keep algae at bay.

Baquacil has become an expensive sanitizer system to maintain.  It’s appeal has reduced as a result as well due to new and more viable technology, such as mineral and salt systems becoming introduced.  As the technology for these systems improves, Baquacil is becoming a dying breed.