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Opening your Pool


Poolguy
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Well I can tell you this....

There are a number of Companies who are pushing this line that you must use

their chemicals - which in Europe I believe is illegal as it is untrue. I defy

Waterair, Desjoyeaux or any other similar Company (engaging in these practices)

to prove that using the correct balance of other brands of chemicals has

damaged a PVC Liner. I know I am on safe ground because it is IMPOSSIBLE to

prove (evidence- testimony from liner manufacturers - Ankorplan 2000) I would

venture that if some person were to challenge their claim in court then the

Companies which use this claim would get a right slapping. The charge against them would be restrictive

trade practices and its looked on with some distain by the judiciary

Damage to the liner (apart from the usual abuse) can be caused by:

  •  pH being out of

    balance for a considerable period of time (years). The liner and all other

    gaskets and so forth will grow and therefore create wrinkles and creases

    which will eventually leak.
  • Chlor gallets/pastilles

    being thrown into the pool and resting on the liner instead of being put

    into the skimmer box to dissolve. Resting on the liner they will create

    white 'burn' marks where the liner is bleached. Apart from being unsightly

    these will become a weak spot and possibly the site of a leak.
  • Excessive calcium build-up

    will make the liner stiff and occasionally brittle, but it takes years and

    it could be just as easily be caused by UV.

Other than that, using any brand of chlorine and pH

balance (+ or -) will do no harm to a PVC liner whatsoever.

What you definitely must do is to keep the water balance correct and the chlor

concentration correct. Whether you use their chemicals, or gallets from the

supermarket or Javel (sodium hypochloride) and acid (sulphuric) is of no

consequence to the liner what so ever as it is the same (almost). That is not

to say that all products are equal as they are not.

Most of the Chlor chemicals available in the shops are a mixture of Sodium

hypochloride and Cyanuric acid viz; Acide Trichlorocynurate, (chlor choc) or

Acid Dichlorocynurate (chlor lent). this is not a problem if you are checking semi

regularly for Cyanuric acid levels (they must not pass 50ppm) but if you are

not then it can be catastrophic for the water quality.

I prefer (as you all know) to use the purer Javel (sodium hypochloride) and add

cyanuric only when the levels drop do to rainfall or dilution of some other form.

This allows for more control and therefore better water quality and less

maintenance.

Andrew

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Hello Andrew

Well that is very interesting and good news, as their Chemicals are very expensive. And, the funny thing is, even though they state that no Chlorine products can be used, the 'blocks' they provide for the skimmers smell like a Chlorine tablet!

When you say Javel, is that like the ordinary Supermarket Javel (bleach) or a stronger concentrate - I seem to remember that the store ones are around 2-3% sodium hypochlorite.

I do check and maintain my PH +/- regularly. Where do you normally obtain the Acide Trichlorocynurate from?

thanks for your advice so far..

Jamie

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Yes it is uncanny the seeming contradictions in the propositions of some pool Companies in France.

If you tell me where in France you are by PM then I can guide you to shop for the good products.

The Javel I use is 9.6% active for domestic and 12.9% active for commercial (public)

Its available from Brico's generally.

I'm happy to have been of help.

Andrew

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