Maintaining pristine, healthy water is the goal of every service technician and pool owner. But which products are the most effective for accomplishing that goal? Nowadays, there are more choices than ever before.

To take some of the guesswork out of a service tech's job, here's a quick primer on four of the most popular sanitizing systems. The information is designed to help you better explain the inner workings and benefits to your customers. We've also asked experts in the field to share some tips on how to ensure that these products perform effectively.

IONIZER/MINERAL SYSTEMS

Pool owners and service techs have a love/hate relationship with minerals and metals. They can help contribute in the fight against algae and pathogens, but if used incorrectly or in a vessel that is not properly balanced, they can cause unsightly stains.

What customers should know
Basically, there are two types of delivery systems for mineral sanitation. One is the ionizer, a device plumbed into the circulation system that produces silver and copper ions. The other is with a mineral system or purifier.

The mineral systems commonly found in pool water sanitation employ copper and silver--not surprisingly, the same elements created by ionizers. Similar to an erosion feeder, the silver and/or copper is placed along a point in the circulation system and, as water passes through, the metal is carried into the pool.

With an ionizer, the silver and copper are created on site. "The ionizer has bars made of copper and silver. The two bars oscillate and send out electrical current from one to another, which releases the ions," says Brad Stewart, president of Little Giant Pools in St. Louis.

Copper fights algae infestations, while silver works to kill bacteria. But they are not oxidizers, so must be used in conjunction with chlorine. Chlorine levels can be kept to a minimum, though.

Minerals are not chemicals and do not create a residual. The minerals are only produced and introduced to the water when the pool's circulation system is running. Of course, the run time of a circulation system is determined by the required turnover rate.

Insider info

Now for a few pointers from the experts to help your customers get the most out of the ionizers and mineral systems you've sold them:

* Keep ionizers off the beaten path. When installing an ionizer, do not plumb directly into the water flow. Plumb in a "T" and place the device at the bottom of its shaft, out of the main path of the water. This will prevent grit in the water from stripping off pieces of metal from the copper and silver bars, Stewart says.

* Know when to replace the cartridge. With mineral systems, the cartridge containing the silver and copper will need to be replaced from time to time to ensure maximum efficacy. "You need to be aware of the time factor," says John Foster, sales and design manager at Blue Marlin Pools in Melbourne, Fla. "They all need to be replaced about every six months."

* Keep the water balanced. When dealing with metals, maintaining proper water chemistry is crucial. "The pH plays a big part," Stewart says. "If metals are in solution and you change things radically to where you are freaking the pH out, you can make metals drop out of solution and cause staining. You have to keep the water balanced."

* Control the metals. Too much metal is not a good thing. Fortunately, most ionizers have a way of keeping the levels in line. "On some units, there is a dial, just like a light dimmer switch, and you can dial it down," Stewart says. "For the most part, these units are simple and straightforward."

If silver and copper levels get out of hand and staining is imminent, Stewart recommends draining a portion of the water and replacing it. A sequestering agent also can be used to pull the metals back into solution.

OZONATORS

Ozone is a soluble gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It has to be created at poolside because it can't be stored.

What customers should know

Ozonators create ozone using one of two processes: corona discharge or ultraviolet light. Of the two, corona discharge models produce the higher level of ozone, but these units are more expensive than their UV counterparts.

In a CD ozonator, the air is exposed to a series of electrical charges. As the oxygen passes through, the molecules split apart and become ozone ([O.sup.3]). In a UV ozonator, the air passes over ultraviolet lamps, which split the oxygen molecules and create ozone.

Ozone works on contact with the water as it passes through the circulation system. Unlike traditional sanitizers, it does not create residuals in the water, which is a good thing because ozone is toxic.

"It does its job and then leaves," says Larry Berczyk, president of Valley Pools & Spas Inc. in Burnsville, Minn. "You don't build a residual."

Ozone should not be expected to act alone. While it kills germs, [O.sup.3] works best as an oxidizer. When chlorine teams with ozone, the free chlorine levels last longer and combined chlorine is kept to a minimum.