Advanced Chelation and Scaling Your Pool Business

Picture this: You're staring at crystal-clear pool water, confident in your chemical balance, when suddenly rust-colored stains start appearing on the pool walls. Your client is furious, your reputation is on the line, and you're wondering what went wrong. As pool professionals know all too well, water clarity doesn't tell the whole story about water chemistry – especially when it comes to hidden metal contaminants that can wreak havoc on even the most carefully maintained pools.

The latest episode of the Talking Pools Podcast tackles this exact challenge, diving deep into advanced chelation chemistry while also addressing the industry disruptions caused by recent natural disasters and supply chain issues. Host Rudy Stankowitz doesn't just share technical knowledge – he brings real-world perspective from someone who literally had a tree crash through his own pool enclosure during Hurricane Helene.

Industry Disruption: When Nature and Manufacturing Collide

The pool industry is facing a perfect storm of supply chain challenges that every professional needs to understand. Hurricane Helene recently tore through the Southeast, causing widespread damage and highlighting the vulnerability of our industry infrastructure.

Me? I was caught up in the hurricane. Not in the eye, but probably halfway between the eye and then the outside of the hurricane. So just enough to shake up some things... Tree in my backyard snapped in half. Massive tree. Probably 20 inch diameter. Maybe 50 feet tall. From across the yard. Comes down through the screen enclosure for my pool. Into my pool.

— Rudy Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

But the real industry shockwave came from an unexpected source: another fire at a Biolab facility in Conyers, Georgia. This marks the third fire at this specific plant in recent years, and the implications are staggering for chlorine supply.

A fire erupted at Biolab in Conyers, Georgia, sparking widespread concern about the availability of chlorine going into the future. Particularly trichlor tablets. The fire, which started around 530 a.m., was triggered by a chemical reaction involving water and reactive chemicals.

— Rudy Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

Pool professionals should prepare for potential shortages and price increases similar to the "Poolmageddon" experienced after the 2020 Louisiana Biolab fire. The disruptions could hit the market as early as next week, making inventory management and client communication crucial.

The Hidden Chemistry: Understanding Advanced Chelation

While supply chain issues grab headlines, the real day-to-day challenges often come from invisible problems – specifically metal contamination. Advanced chelation chemistry offers sophisticated solutions for managing metal ions that can cause staining, discoloration, and water quality issues.

Chelation involves the formation of coordination complexes between metal ions and chelating agents, where the agent acts as a ligand, donating electron pairs to form coordinate bonds. The name itself comes from the Greek word "chelie," meaning claw – which perfectly describes how these agents "grab" metal ions.

Chelation chemistry is super important in managing metal ion concentrations in swimming pools where you'll see metals like iron and copper can accumulate from a variety of different sources. That's including your filled water, any metallic equipment corrosion, algicides containing copper.

— Rudy Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

Unlike simple ion associations, chelation results in highly stable complexes because the ligand forms multiple bonds with the metal, wrapping around it like a protective shell. This stability is crucial for long-term metal management in pool environments.

Iron Management: The Rust-Colored Nemesis

Iron contamination represents one of the most common and visible metal problems in pools. Understanding the different forms of iron and how they behave is essential for effective treatment.

Iron exists in pool water primarily in two states:

• Ferrous iron (Fe²⁺): Soluble and relatively manageable
• Ferric iron (Fe³⁺): Insoluble and prone to precipitation

In aerobic pool environments, ferrous iron readily converts to ferric iron, which precipitates as ferric hydroxide – the compound responsible for those dreaded rust-colored stains on pool surfaces.

Chelating agents like EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) prevent this oxidation process by bonding to ferrous iron before it can undergo oxidation. The stability constant for EDTA-iron complexes is extremely high, preventing iron precipitation even in the presence of strong oxidizers like chlorine.

However, iron chelation is pH-dependent. At lower pH levels, iron remains more soluble in the ferrous state and can be more effectively chelated. As pH increases, chelation becomes critical to prevent the formation of insoluble ferric compounds.

Copper Control: Managing the Blue-Green Threat

Copper contamination presents unique challenges, particularly in saltwater pools where electrolytic chlorine generation can accelerate corrosion of copper-containing materials. Copper typically exists in the +2 oxidation state in pool water and can precipitate as copper hydroxide at high pH levels.

The interaction between copper ions and chelating agents is more straightforward than iron chelation because copper predominantly exists in one oxidation state. EDTA and citric acid form strong complexes with copper, with EDTA creating a particularly stable six-ring structure that provides exceptional stability.

Key benefits of copper chelation include:

• Prevention of blue-green staining
• Reduction of copper's catalytic activity in unwanted oxidation reactions
• Maintaining water clarity and aesthetic appeal
• Protecting against accelerated copper corrosion in salt systems

Remember that chelation doesn't remove metals from water – it keeps them in a soluble, non-reactive form. As water evaporates, only H₂O leaves the pool, meaning metal concentrations will increase over time if source water contains metals.

Scaling Your Pool Service Business: Beyond Chemistry

While technical expertise in areas like chelation chemistry is crucial, scaling a successful pool service business requires broader strategic thinking. The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding your "why" – the deeper motivation that drives you through challenging days.

Remind yourself. Motivate yourself. Why do you do this? Why? Why do you want to get back out there in the caloron, in the heat? Why? I do it for my family. I do it for my kids. For my wife.

— Pete the Pool Guy, Talking Pools Podcast

Successful scaling involves several key elements:

• Clear motivation: Understanding your personal and professional drivers
• Systematic processes: Developing repeatable procedures for common issues
• Continuous education: Staying current with advanced techniques like chelation chemistry
• Client education: Helping customers understand the value of professional expertise
• Adaptability: Preparing for industry disruptions like supply shortages

The combination of technical expertise and business acumen creates a competitive advantage that's difficult for competitors to replicate.

Practical Implementation and Future Considerations

Implementing advanced chelation strategies requires careful consideration of water chemistry conditions, including pH, temperature, and competing ion presence. The effectiveness of chelating agents depends on their stability constants – higher constants mean tighter metal binding and reduced reactivity.

Selectivity is another crucial factor. EDTA shows preference for ferric iron over ferrous iron due to higher charge and smaller ionic radius. Similarly, copper forms more stable complexes due to its ability to adopt square planar coordination geometry.

Long-term success requires:

• Regular metal testing to monitor accumulation
• Strategic use of dilution and filtration to reduce total metal concentration
• Client education about the invisible nature of metal contamination
• Preparation for supply chain disruptions through inventory management
• Continuous learning about emerging chelation technologies

As the industry faces ongoing challenges from natural disasters, manufacturing disruptions, and increasingly sophisticated client expectations, pool professionals who master both the science and business aspects of their trade will be best positioned for long-term success.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Hurricane Helene Impact
• 05:30 Biolab Fire and Supply Chain Concerns
• 12:15 Pete's Tip of the Day - Finding Your Why
• 15:00 Advanced Chelation Chemistry Fundamentals
• 25:30 Iron Management and Stain Prevention
• 35:45 Copper Control in Pool Environments
• 45:20 Scaling Your Pool Service Business