Swimming Pool Money Saving Tips!

With chlorine prices reaching an all-time high with inflated prices of 20% to even over 100%, you will only lose money in your pool service business if you take action now. Price increases are a great way to offset these costs, and over 64% of businesses of all types across the US have raised prices for their customers. Another way you can save on chlorine is by adding an enhancer to every pool on your route.

There is no industry standard when referring to the following products but I like to call them enhancers since they enhance the effectiveness of the chlorine in a pool. I've heard the term chlorine enhancer used, which is a good way to look at these products. Adding one or more of these enhancers will allow you to use less chlorine, thereby lowering your overall chemical cost on your pool route. 

Phosphate and Enzymes:

This one-two punch can be highly effective in allowing the chlorine to work in the pool on the things it intended and not be “used up” by phosphates and non-living organics.

Instead of getting technical and trying to teach a science class explaining how enzymes work, we will try to break it down more simply. Enzymes break non-living things down into smaller and smaller bits. Many non-living things are in pool and spa water; body oils, sweat, cosmetics, and sunscreens. This frees up the chlorine to work on the things it was intended to fight, like viruses and bacteria, instead of being wasted on these non-living organics. 

Phosphate reducers are specialty chemicals used to remove phosphates from pool water. They are typically salts of aluminum or lanthanum, which, when added to water, produce insoluble phosphate compounds, which are removed through filtration, vacuuming, or both. It creates an ION exchange, causing the phosphates to drop, and they can be vacuumed and filtered out of the pool. Phosphates are food for algae, and by eliminating them from the water, you eliminate at least one major food source for algae. This will prevent algae growth, which is a big reason why the chlorine level drops rapidly in some pools. 

PoolRX and Mineral Systems:

Using the PoolRX on your pool route will save you time and money. The manufacturer's claim of saving 20-30% on chemical costs is not far-fetched, and once you try a PoolRx in one of your accounts, you will be surprised by its effectiveness.

PoolRx is a Mineral Technology that does two very simple things when used in your pool or spa: it eliminates all algae and will allow you to use less chlorine during the pool season. The active ingredient is Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate (chelated). By eliminating algae growth, the chlorine is automatically freed up and will last longer in a pool. Mineral technologies like the Frog and Nature2 also use minerals (metals) to prevent algae. 

Borates:

Borate in the water at 50 ppm helps reduce chlorine usage by eliminating Carbon Dioxide and keeping the pH stable. Chlorine lasts longer when the pH is right at 7.6-7.8. When the chlorine is in the ideal range, the killing element in chlorine, the HOCI, is at the most balanced percentage, so the chlorine in a pool with a pH of 7.4 is 30% more effective than in a pool with a pH of 8.0. This is a significant factor in creating the safest swimming environment, and the borates will keep the pH much more stable and, in turn, make the chlorine much more effective.

The pH won't change much in a pool with Borate in it. So, if you have a Saltwater Pool, this is a must since the pH tends to rise dramatically. In fact, in a Saltwater Pool, the pH can rise to over 8.4 very rapidly. You will find yourself putting tons of acid in each week just to keep the pH below 7.8. Borates in the pool will make the pH stable and easy to control.  It is a must for a pool with a Saltwater Generator. It also will keep your salt cell from building up calcium rapidly since it sequesters the Calcium in the water. This means the salt cell will remain clean, and your salt system will run much more efficiently.

Boric Acid is a known Bio stat. This prevents the algae cells from forming and multiplying. Thus, a pool with a borate level between 30 and 50 ppm will prevent algae growth. Since borate prevents the algae cell from growing, algae blooms will be a thing of the past. No more algaecides or shocking the pool, algae just won’t grow in your pool any longer.

Any one of these or a combination of these will save you money on your pool route by reducing the amount of chlorine you will be using from week to week. With chlorine at such high prices, using an enhancer to offset the cost makes sense. You can charge the customer for the product, and even if you absorb some or all the cost, you will be saving money on your chemical cost each week. 

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