Orenda SC-1000 -- Frequently Asked Questions

[@davidmacdonald2223]

Can you use SC-1000 as a spot cleaner to remove isolated heavy calcium deposits/buildup? Also, is it safe to use on pools that use limestone coping and blocks where limestone also builds up?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

It’s safe, yes, but not very effective as a spot cleaner. It’s alkaline, not acidic. But yes it’s safe to use around limestone too.

[@laurelarmstrong1462]

Does Sc1000 remove calcium crystals from the floor of the pool? And if so doe sit flake off like in the video showing SC1000 removing scaling? And how does this get removed from the water? Bad for the filter?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Hi Laurel, really good question. Do you know precisely these are calcium crystals instead of scale? Are they appearing just in the bottom of the pool or also in the walls and above the water line? Here’s a good article to determine whether you are dealing with scaling or calcium crystals: blog.orendatech.com/calcium-crystals The two problems are solved differently but SC-1000 will help in both instances by bringing the calcium back into solution where it belongs. It will chelate and remain in solution, safe with any filter.

[@abdulkarimalzayer5088]

@@OrendaTechnologies u

[@jmmena86]

I clean my pool with Bromine instead of Chlorine. Is Bromine affected the same way as Chlorine at the initial purge?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

That’s a good question and to be honest, we don’t know. We assume yes, but we will look into that. Err to the side of caution and presume it will affect bromine just like chlorine.

[@brianjanky2913]

Can Orenda SC1000 SC-1000 be used in salt water pools. If so, what is recommend dose for a 12k pool? and does the salt cell need to be turned off?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

ask.orendatech.com/knowledge/how-to-use-sc-1000

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Yes it can be used in saltwater pools. The purge would be 1.2 quarts and the weekly dose would be about 4 oz per week. Exact doses are in the Orenda calculator on the app. And no, salt cell doesn’t need to be turned off, but SC will zero out chlorine if you purge it all at once. So we recommend dividing it up over several treatments.

[@jacobnagle8603]

I added the initial does amount to my pool that was starting to get a calcium line around my artificial rock. It has been nearly three days and the free chlorine is still reading zero after adding a gallon of chlorine each day. Should I be worried? How long can I expect this to last?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Sorry for that, yes SC-1000 is attacked by chlorine, and chlorine loses. 3 days is pretty typical, so we often advise people to divide the purge dose over a few days. You have done nothing wrong, and chlorine should be able to hold soon. Once SC-1000 has chelated metals and minerals, it can coexist with chlorine without issue. It's only the initial purge dose that wipes out chlorine: blog.orendatech.com/why-does-sc-1000-reduce-free-chlorine

[@jamesrizzi8073]

When should I add a sequestering agent and which agent is recommended.

[@OrendaTechnologies]

We recommend using a chelating agent when your metal levels are high or when you are adding calcium to your water. More information: www.orendatech.com/orenda-products/sc-1000

[@brianbetancourt2823]

What happens to the scale/metals? Does it dissolve and get filtered? How do you remove it from water?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Hi Brian, thank you for your comment. With our SC-1000 the calcium carbonate will break down and the calcium will be chelated and pulled back into solution. Metals will also be chelated and they will stay in solution, unable to be oxidized. They will not be easily removed unless you have a metal filter. Metal removal is easier using sequestering agents.

[@jonathanlynch328]

Does sc-1000 take iron and other metals out of the breakpoint chlorination equation?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Solid question! Yes, if the metals are bound to SC-1000, they will not be part of the oxidant demand anymore. So they are taken out of the breakpoint chlorination process.

[@abrahamgarcia884]

Can you use the swimming pool after applying Orenda SC-1000

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Great question. If the entire purge dose (32 oz/10,000 gal) is poured in at once, the chlorine will go to zero ppm for about a day or two. The better way to apply the purge dose is to divide it up over a few days. Once the purge dose is in solution and has chelated metals and minerals, chlorine can hold, and yes, it's safe to swim. SC-1000 itself is NSF-50 certified as safe to swim in; the only concern is the reduction in chlorine during the purge. Weekly dosing will not noticeably reduce chlorine, so you're good there. Thanks for the question.

[@travist7777]

What is ascorbic acid?

[@joshuabeers8652]

Stephen Travis it is an artificial vitamin C that aids in the removal of metal staining. Natural Chemistry makes one called stain free.

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Stephen Travis ascorbic acid is also called citric acid. It helps to remove stains from surfaces.

[@jerryhoyer7225]

@@OrendaTechnologies Ascorbic/Citric acid will also lower your Ph. Be sure and check the Ph and Alkalinity after using those products.

[@bryanhannley8326]

Can this product help to reduce high calcium levels in the water? I am being told that I need to drain the pool and replace with fresh water.

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Hi Bryan. No, SC-1000 does not reduce high levels of calcium, but it will bind to the calcium and hold it in solution so it's much less likely to form scale. The only way to reduce calcium is to drain and dilute your water down. Technically you could also deliberately add soda ash and spike your pH to precipitate it out of solution to be vacuumed...but that's a pain in the butt. Dilution is the answer.

[@ronaldjung7642]

Does water temp matter when using SC-1000

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Yes it does. Just like any sequestrant, SC-1000 will not activate in cold water (we estimate it’s about 60°F or colder, but we say below 65°F or colder just to be safe). That said, in the spring when water is warming up, that’s the ideal time to purge (other than a startup). That’s because the water is still cold enough that you don’t have urgency to chlorinate yet, and as the water warms, SC does it’s job.

[@brianbetancourt2823]

What happens if you add too much?

[@OrendaTechnologies]

Actually, too much SC-1000 will wipe out chlorine for several days, because until it can bind to metals/minerals, chlorine tries to oxidize SC-1000, and loses.