AAD is our commercial-grade enzyme product. It is formulated to break down and digest oils, grease, body waste and other carbon-based organic compounds, otherwise known in the pool industry as “non-living organics.” AAD enzymes are all-natural and combine the power of a surfactant and the enzyme itself.

Surfactants are substances that alter the surface tension between various solutions and water. For example, dishwashing soap has a surfactant in it that cuts through grease, making the grease ‘jump way’ from the soap. In our AAD enzyme formula, the surfactant is designed to break through oils and grease, allowing the enzymes to consume the organic waste.

AAD converts non-living organics into carbon dioxide

The word organic means

“An organic compound; or any substance containing carbon-based compounds, especially produced by or derived from living organisms.”

In swimming pools, these compounds are not limited to just bather waste (body oils, sweat, urine, saliva, mucous, etc.), but include other types of oils derived from natural substances too. These include cosmetics, lotions, hair gels, sunscreen, and deodorants. All of this waste is rinsed off our bodies when we are in a swimming pool.

AAD enzymes break these compounds down and convert the carbon bonds into carbon dioxide, which off-gasses from the pool, rather than coagulating organics and putting them in your filter.

Why use enzymes in a swimming pool?

Without enzymes, all that organic waste is a burden on chlorine to handle via oxidation. Oxidation is an inefficient way of removing organics from the water, and chlorine is not actually cut out for the job. If chlorine could do the job effectively,

• We would not need frequent backwashing, because there would be no organic contamination congealing the filter media,
• Scum lines on tile and rail goods would never be a problem,
• Water clarity would remain pristine at all times,
• ORP would rarely (if ever) be low,
• Combined chlorine (and the disinfectant byproducts that result) would never be an issue,
• Indoor pools would never have air quality problems, and
• Nobody would’ve taken the time or effort to develop enzymes for swimming pools.

According to the Wisconsin department of health,

“Disinfection cannot occur until the oxidant demand has been destroyed.”

AAD enzymes directly address the oxidant demand by breaking down and digesting the non-living organics so chlorine doesn’t have to. Sure, chlorine will still oxidize what it touches, but there will be less of it when you have enzymes in your water. The result?

• Higher ORP,
• cleaner, clearer, and overall better water quality
• lower chlorine demand,
• less backwashing = less wasted water and chemicals,
• less disinfectant byproducts like chloramines.