Phosphates in Your Swimming Pool

I sat down with Alicia Stephens & Brian Trenck of KIK/BioLab and we discussed all things related to phosphates in a swimming pool.

Phosphates are an emerging problem in the industry

Orthophosphate into the water system to prevent pipes from rusting

That goes into your pool when you refill it

Phosphates also enter the water through various consumer products

If you have algae in your pool, you have phosphates in the water

Test your pool phosphate level with a photometer or phosphate test strips

Phosphates are measured in PPB

Any phosphate level will lead to algae growth if left untreated

Phosphates are one food source for algae

300 BBP or more should be treated 

Phopfree is an excellent option – 

After you remove the phosphates, use a maintenance dose of Phospfree or a blended formula. 

Perfect Weekly or Phosefree and Pool Perfect

Important: Algae must be treated before testing and lowering phosphates. Chlorine must be under 5ppm before testing phosphates.

Make sure you adjust the dosage based on your pool size. Adjust the dosage if you have a pool larger than the 10,000-gallon base chart, and change the dosage if your pool is less than 10,000 gallons.

Remember that phosphates are measured in ppb – parts per billion instead of the standard ppm – parts per million used in the industry. To give you an idea of how small a ppb is, imagine a roll of toilet paper stretched from New York across the Atlantic Ocean to London. One ppm would be one tiny sheet of the entire roll stretched across the ocean! So, a phosphate level of 100 ppb is extremely minuscule, but any amount of phosphates in the water is food for the algae. We are dealing with the microscopic world in your pool, and strangely, these very small amounts can destroy the pool's chlorine level and cause algae to bloom on the pool surface.

Directions for the use of PHOSfree:

This product is designed for use in properly balanced pool water.

1. Clean or backwash filter.

2. Determine the appropriate dose. * See chart below.

3. Shake the bottle well before application. With the circulation pump running, add a dose to the skimmer.

4. filter for 48 hours continuously without backwashing or cleaning.

5. After 48 hours of filtering, clean/backwash filter. Retest phosphate levels, and if necessary, repeat steps 1-5.

Note: If DE filter pressure rises to 10psi above start-up pressure, turn the pump off for 1 minute and then turn it back on. If the pressure remains high,

backwash or rinse for 30 seconds.

Dosage Chart:

Dose per 10,000 gallons (38,000L)

Phosphate Level PHOSfree Dosage

300ppb or less 0.5L or 16oz

600ppb 1L or 32oz

900ppb 1.5L or 48oz

1200ppb 2L or 67.6oz

For DE & Cartridge Filters: Do not add 1.5L (48oz) simultaneously. If more than 1.5L (48oz) is needed to treat, be sure to clean or backwash

the filter between treatments.

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