FAQ’s Solving Water & Surface Issues

How do I remove metal stains from pool walls or water features?

Removing heavy metal including copper stains per 10,000 gallons:
First lower the water pH to 7.2 by adding acid.
Add:
1. 1/2 Quart Bio-Dex Protect-All Supreme
2. 1 Quart Bio-Dex Aquadex 50 Stain-Off

Circulate until stains are lifted. (Repeat if necessary) – (water will become excessively blue) Partially drain the pool and refill with fresh water. Add 5 oz Protect-All Supreme and 10 oz Aquadex 50 Stain-Off once re-filled. Balance the water. Keep the monthly maintenance dose of Aquadex 50 Stain-Off and Protect-All Supreme if heavy metals and staining are a constant problem.

How do I remove calcium deposits at the bottom of the pool?

You can get quick results with Protect-All Supreme. Use two quarts for 20,000 gallons. Circulate the water for 48 hours and pour in three ounces per 20,000 gallons of Clearex 500 in the skimmer, as you will have cloudy water during after using Protect-All Supreme. Carefully watch the pool pressure and backwash when necessary. You can repeat this process again after four days if necessary.

What is the best way to remove calcium deposits at the pool waterline?

The 300 Tile Cleaner is the best calcium and scale remover available. You can use Protect-All Supreme or Salt Protect for a salt water pool as a pretreatment to remove and loosen the scale before using the 300 Tile Cleaner. For maintenance cleaning use Quick ‘n Thick Tile Cleaner. Follow the steps below to eliminate the calcium/scale and make your pool tile look like new:

  • Purchase Protect-All Supreme or Salt Protect for a salt water pool.
    • Raise your water line up and over the calcium or scale deposits.
    • Pour in one quart per 20,000 gallons of water around the perimeter of the pool.
    • Turn on your pump and let it run for 48 hours. Keep the water line above the scale line. This product will help to loosen the scale for easier cleaning.
  • Wait for three to four days after step one.
    • Lower the water line to just below the calcium/scale and clean the tile with the 300 Tile Cleaner in small sections at a time.
    • Apply the product and let it dwell for a couple of minutes. Next, scrub with a Scotch Brite pad and rinse well before moving to the next section.
  • Now, it’s time to protect your tile for the future.
    • Keep a maintenance dose of the Protect-All Supreme in your water (12 ounces per month or three to four ounces per week, per 20,000 gallons). It will prevent future scale buildup. 
  • Use Quick ‘n Thick Tile Cleaner for maintenance cleaning.
    • Wear rubber gloves when using the product. Apply Quick’n Thick to a brush, sponge or directly to the area. Scrub the area well until it is clean. Rinse the area thoroughly.
 

How should I treat cloudy water in my pool?

You should use swimming pool chemicals that are specifically created to clarify water. Bio-Dex Clearex 500 and are effective water clarifiers that can turn your pool water bright and sparkling.

To fight the most persistent causes of cloudy water, address the oil level in the pool. Bio-Dex Enzyme Oil Out can eliminate body oil, suntan oil and other oils that cause long-term cloudiness problems. It’s a good idea to use these treatments after you have had a lot of bathers in the pool or for routine preventative maintenance. Normal dosage is 1 oz per 20,000 gallons but can be increased as needed for severe issues.

Use one bottle of Clearex 500 per 24,000 gallons of pool water. Use two ounces per 14,000 gallons of water. The product can be used as frequently as needed because the product has no adverse effects.

 

How do I reduce foam in my pool or spa?

Anti-foaming products like Bio-Dex Foam Stop can reduce or remove foam from water. However, they don’t eliminate the source of the foam, which is generally caused by soaps and body oil. You shouldn’t over-use anti-foaming swimming pool chemicals. Instead, use a product like Oil-Out to solve the problem at its source.

How can I remove stubborn streaks in my pool?

Stubborn streaks are often caused by hydration discoloration in the water. If you’ve used swimming pool chemicals to treat the streaks, with no results, this is likely the problem. Hydration is a solvable problem, but you can’t treat it with swimming pool chemicals. It is caused by a moisture issue in the plaster. It’s not a plaster defect but the discoloration is caused by the plaster curing at different rates. You should ask the plaster manufacturer for recommendations on how to treat this problem.

Hydration issues can also be caused by other factors. These may include issues when the pool was originally filled like the thickness or moisture control of the gunite or plaster, the pool and/or ambient air temperature at the time or the relative humidity of the pool. Another common hydration problem involves hydration rings at the bottom of the pool. These occur when the hose gets shut off and started again. Icicle-shaped streaks are caused by rain storms which send water over the deck and into the pool and along the walls before the pool was completely filled. If the day was hot, dry or the plaster was setting quickly, these stains would be more likely.

How can I minimize phosphates in water?

Bio-Dex Phosphate Remover will remove 1,000 ppb per 20,000 gallons and Phosphate Remover MAX will remove 6,000 ppb per 10,000 gallons.

The product may cloud your water after use. When Bio-Dex Phosphate Remover is applied to the water, the product is able to take the phosphate and form something other than a phosphate. This element won’t have any effect on your water chemistry other than creating a cloudy condition if phosphates are present. If there are no phosphates in the water, it will not cloud. After removing a high amount of phosphates, the filter will need to be checked and backwashed if necessary. Phosphates will not revert back once they have been treated with Bio-Dex Phosphate Remover or Phosphate Remover MAX.

To reduce the cloudy water, try adding the Phosphate Remover slowly over a period of days or weeks. This will lessen the effect on the filter as well as the extreme cloudy water. Use Clearex 500 to help clear your water quickly after using Phosphate Remover.

What is the difference between a Poly Quat 60 and Skill-It?

A Poly Quat 60 is a non-foaming quat. However, it is not a highly effective effective algaecide. It performs best as a clarifier but it will not kill algae. Skill-It is an alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride “linear quat.” It will remove difficult, resistant strains of algae which include, blue green & black. It kills the algae completely throughout the filter and even into the cracks of plaster.

 

How do I treat my deck with Commercial Strength Deck Cleaner?

  • The amount of product you will needs will depend on how dirty the deck is. For general cleaning, the quart bottle can be diluted. Use one quart per two gallons of water. If you have stubborn stains, do not dilute the product. Use it at full strength. Let it sit on the surface for about five minutes, then brush and rinse.
  • Brushing is necessary but the product is formulated to do most of the work. As the product sits, it will be working to remove the dirt. You can brush it while it is still wet.
  • To maintain your deck, clean it as often as necessary. The necessary frequency depends on a variety of factors including foot traffic, number of swimmers and the amount of plants and trees around the deck.
  • To seal the deck, use Protect-A-Deck. This product is applied after your deck has been cleaned. It will seal the surface and should be reapplied every season. The sealer will help to make cleaning easier in the future.
  • Commercial Strength Deck Cleaner is safe for plants, the environment and your pool water. You will not need to drain your pool if some of the product spillsin. It is non-toxic and non-corrosive. It’s very user friendly and still works great to clean even very dirty decks.

How do I manage copper and other metals in my water?

When pool water shows a metal content of .2ppm or above it is advisable to add Protect-All Supreme weekly or biweekly. The product is formulated to grab the metal and keep it in solution and help filter it out of the pool. It is best to run the filter for at least 24 hours after adding the product to remove as much out of the pool as possible. It will also prevent and remove scale buildup and staining.

For copper stains, use Aquadex 50 Stain-Off along with Protect-All Supreme for ideal results. The Aquadex 50 Stain-Off will remove the stains and pull the copper off of the walls. The Protect-All Supreme will grab the copper. Good filtration will help to remove it. ZEO Brite or other ZEO Lite filter media added to a sand filter will dramatically increase the fast removal of copper that has been tied up.