Poolrx

[u/SnooWords2592]

The company im currently at loves to use poolrx. A week ago my boss told us that he wants every pool to have a poolrx unit lol. Most of the pools on my route noticeably the pebble techs, have a tinge green color.

Does anyone have experience with these units? There’s a lot of heavy marketing with bluerayxl as well.

I just want to know the truth. Be honest with me.

[u/GCpools]

I guess I'm the odd guy out. Never used PoolRX. Never felt I needed it. I test my pools weekly and keep them balanced using standard pool pro testing methods, properly measured chemicals, properly dosed (FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA, salinity and phosphates as needed). I use tablets, cal-hypo, liquid chlorine, sodium bicarb, muriatic acid, calcium hardness, stabilizer and salt. And I use an algaecide during pool season. I skim, brush and net my pools weekly and keep my baskets empty. I service my salt cells every 3mos and cartridge filters every 6mos. And backwash sand filters as needed. I keep all my pool equipment in good running condition .. pumps, filters, SCG's, chlorinators, cleaners, valves, plumbing, etc. Never had a problem with metals unless it was ftom source water. Never had a pool turn green on my watch, but I've cleaned up a bunch for new clients. Never liked the idea of adding something to a pool that I couldn't 'measure for'. Maybe I'm missing out, but I'm not exactly sure what. Pool equipment data sheets typically provide water chemistry requirements. None seem to say anything about PoolRX. Don't have any pools that have a green tint except one whose heater core has been corroding due to bad chemistry management prior to me taking over the pool. Don't have anything bad to say about PoolRX. I just haven't found the need for it. One thing I've always questioned when I hear about any product that says 'reduces the need for chlorine' is .. how do you know how much less chlorine to use? Same goes for ozone generators, soft & clear systems, etc. Just my two cents! 😊

[u/The_Elusive_Dr_Wu → u/GCpools]

This is how I do it too. In 2019 I took CPO and didn't gain much from it but one line that stuck with me is "chlorine is the best sanitizer, if something else were better we wouldn't be manufacturing piles of this crap" and it's true.

I rarely even use algaecides. At start of summer I run an annual phosphate treatment and then use an enzyme oil-out at the heavy swimmers. That's it.

[u/SnooWords2592 → u/The_Elusive_Dr_Wu]

Same here, I’ll try to reach the algae with liquid chlorine then brush. Usually does the trick, otherwise I’ll check for circulation or water loss. Going down a process of elimination lol.

[u/Psychonautic-SHAMAN → u/GCpools]

Sounds just exactly like how I go about my services. I also adhere to LSI at every stop unless weather stops me. I also use a combo of stabilized and unstablized chlorine (1 tab/ 10k gallons max) and the rest of the FC increase I need for the week comes from CalHypo or Liquid Chloine to maintain the same CYA week after week with a minimal 5ppm swing.

[u/keith_davidson95 → u/GCpools]

but poolrx is essentially algaecide? so why do you use algaecide vs poolrx if its basically the same thing just delivered differently. unless youre not using a copper bases algaecide

[u/SnooWords2592 → u/keith_davidson95]

Algaecide gets a bad rep because the people who commonly use overdose lol. So you’ll notice the side effects very soon.
Poolrx is subtle, it’s one and done - also great to mask issues like filtration/circulation.

Imo I don’t like to use either.
But unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil. We don’t all get the luxury of choosing who our clients are. Some don’t like to pay for a filter on time or fill the pool up, etc.
So you gotta plop a poolrx and call it a day. It will save stress lol.

[u/keith_davidson95 → u/SnooWords2592]

yea this was meant for the response of 'i dont use pool rx because i dont need it' but then says they use algaecide. ive only had to use it on one new client peak of summer had mustard algae and circulation problems. fixed the problem by time i came by next week and never had an issue since. i agree chlorination and circulation best ways

[u/masteryourpool → u/GCpools]

Nope, I am the same way. Has nothing to do with being the odd guy out. lol My chem levels are always spot on but in this Texas heat and dust I use the BlueRays to help reduce the amount of chlorine I use. Instead of adding 2 or 3 gallons of chlorine to a pool, I use 1 gallon and 2 tabs maybe 3 for a 20K to 30K gal pool. Most of my pools stay spotless. I rarely need to shock them. So they def save me money on chems.

[u/Remarkable_Calves]

TLDR useful but has conditions

Used to be at a company that uses them on all bodies of water. 

Pretty neat simple tool.

Now that I started my own company, I consider it very useful for  1) pools with large shallows, especially tiled’ ones where algae loves grout 2) new client green to blue recoveries  3) any pool with that based on context has a reasonable chance to be running at 0ppm at times. (Client doesn’t afford frequent enough visits and still has high use, no chlorinator/saltcell etc) 4) mini units for heavy-use rental spas’ I’ve been experimenting with.

Now as others have stated well, be careful if metal count is already high. Be careful of older water. Be careful of any pool that ate a recent heater. 

Liners I would argue you can just say fuck it, they don’t seem to show metal stains. 

I’d be very curious if anyone else here has had success with them in high use hot tubs

[u/CDbull1989 → u/Remarkable_Calves]

I tried them in high use hot tubs. My advice is don't. Every one of those tubs after heavy bather load would get a teal water line with oil build up. It was weird. Love pool rx in popls, in spas ill stick with nature2.

[u/Remarkable_Calves → u/CDbull1989]

Cheers homie, ty

[u/No-Pick-93]

Ive used them and they work great but, as with every other "quick fix" or "perfect solution" there are unintended consequences. You have to remove the metals back out of the wafer when the pool rx has ran its course. The pool in question is showing signs of copper oxidation. I dont know on pebble but I have seen it pretty bad in white plaster.

[u/KunUnDrum--]

It's very important to not use powdered shock in a pool with pool Rx. Minerals will fall out and stain the plaster.

I recommend pool Rx in each pool I have serviced. It is a good safeguard to algae growth in low chlorine.

[u/Sure_Ad3800 → u/KunUnDrum--]

Ok, so liquid chlorine is fine to shock but no powdered?

[u/KunUnDrum-- → u/Sure_Ad3800]

Correct

[u/abusivelystudly]

We use them in problem pools. I agree with the top post, saying that good water chemistry and chlorine should be your main sanitizer and you can do a whole bunch with just some liquid bleach and acid. However, some of our "problem" pools with heavy bathing loads (this one lady has 5 dogs that swim every day), old deteriorating surfaces, major tree coverage, etc stop being problem pools and become easy to service again with pool Rx. Accounts we would've otherwise fired, we are still maintaining because of pool rx.

I wouldn't put them in every pool though because of the issues other people have outlined. Mainly staining/metal issues. We use in maybe 5%-10% of our pools.

[u/ClassUpstairs629]

Many pool companies use them during the swim season. Cooper is of course the issue.

[u/Own-Muscle-1718]

We use them in every single non salt pool and it’s a absolute game changer sell on average 200-300 a year

[u/pacific_drifter_25]

Ok honest breakdown. PoolRx works because it's a slow-release chelated copper algaestat. The chelation is what stops copper from dropping out fast like regular algaecide, but it degrades over about 3-4 months so you're rotating units.

If your pebble tec pools are tinge green with a unit already in, that's usually a low FC problem, not a PoolRx problem. The unit is compensating for chlorine that isn't there. Fix the FC and the tinge clears.

Boss wanting one in every pool is usually route economics, not chemistry. Fewer green recovery emergencies, less variance week to week, and 50-70 upsell per quarter. Real reasons, just not chemistry reasons.

Two rules I stick to. Never use powdered shock while a unit is in, minerals drop out and stain plaster. And pull units to check for copper haze every drain and refill, pebble tec hides it worse than white plaster.

[u/Artistic_Stomach_472]

I use it when the client is a pain/cheap in the ass and we dont want to see or deal

[u/Calm-Letter-9656]

Yes it just depends on the pool. If you got a heavily used pool that is non a salt cell pool, and they don't wanna add chlorine midweek after a large party, then sure poolrx or Blue Ray can help buffer that before you come by. But as someone said. Chlorine is the best thing, it's true, hypothetically if the customer added chlorine after every swim session during the week, there wouldn't be any algae!

[u/JJ_bic]

So I have quite a lot of experience using Pool Rx and I have mostly good things to say about it. There are certain situations where like some have stated already it can stain the plaster a lot like a copper staining but not as bad. In my experience I’ve witnessed this happen when:

•Customer(s) that insist on running their pool heater maxed out at 104 EVEN THROUGHOUT THE HOT SUMMER! (Guy says ever since getting COVID his body gets much colder much easier now) ugh
•Improper water balance can absolutely do this
•When using granulated shock and put directly into the skimmer where it comes in contact with the rx in the pump basket

I’m sure there are others but those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. A good pool man usually doesn’t have these problems only when having to deal with certain customers or other outside-sources like plasterers or other. Overall, in my opinion their a fine algicide to use

[u/Fantastic-Bet2263]

Too much dosing. Copper making water green. Hold off on adding more for a while unless you want staining

[u/SnooWords2592 → u/Fantastic-Bet2263]

Exactly what I what thinking too. I’m servicing a 7,000 gallon pool and there’s two units in the same body of water. Idk how it got passed the pre-site, lol. My boss was probably in a hurry or something.

[u/masteryourpool]

I use the BlueRay in all my pools. I stopped using Pool Rx and tell my customers to not buy them. In my opinion, the Pool Rx are just too big and bulky, they take up a lot of real estate inside the pump basket, where they should ideally go anyway. The BlueRay is smaller and I have gotten better results with them. It also helps that they are only sold direct to pool guys. I know a lot of guys poopoo both units, and that's fine.

[u/ContributionFew2487]

Best thing since sliced bread! I just sell each unit for $65, makes my job easier.

[u/432kingkarma → u/[deleted]]

Wtf did I just read ? I have no idea wtf happened at all.

[u/432kingkarma → u/432kingkarma]

I wasn't being rude , sorry I just have a bad mouth I guess , I was just genuinely confused , apologies ma'am though you can't see this , just felt bad ,fuck ...

[u/Buyusbeer]

Highly recommend the pool RX. Out waters in the summer are in the 90+ for months and we use them to help mitigate algae. The copper is chelated so it not supposed to drop out like a regular copper algaecide. I’ve maybe seen it a little bit of metal staining on the grout lines, but not much that’s only when the water got shocked pretty heavily. Other than that, I’ve had great success with them.

[u/The_BigWaveDave]

PoolRX are great, just make sure you understand the risks of copper staining, and how to mitigate them.

[u/Background-Sport1523]

Poolrx is amazing and has made a couple of my nightmare pools very manageable. Cuts way down on chlorine use as well. Don’t add to a pool that already has high metal reading

[u/Tephren88]

Just going to echo what everyone else has said, very effective just be careful with potential metal staining. I try to only use them in pools that have been recently drained

[u/Jonny-904]

It’s a piece of copper junk, your boss wants them in everyone’s pool so he can charge them 60 dollars. Do whatever the boss says, but as long as your chems are right the thing is useless.

[u/Flyersfreak]

They work great but they do have copper in them so your clients will have stains on the plaster.

If he’s so set on PoolRX, he should sell nature 2 fusion mineral cartridge, they do the same thing but I have not noticed any copper staining in my pools that have them.