The purpose of this blog is to continue the forum discussion that started out on the Domain Magnapool Forum The Domain forum contributors included passed and present Poolrite/Magnapool company officials. The forum was shut down without warning with many unanswered questions from Magnapool. It is my believe that Magnapool/Poolrite used threats of legal action against the forum organisers to get the damming information posted by some of their employees and an ex CEO removed from the internet. The domain forum had over three hundred posts, mainly from industry critics like myself who want to see Magnapools deceptive and misleading advertising stopped. The modern term for the claimed scam is "Greenwashing" The following paragraph is pasted from the Wikipedia site and is an example of term "Greenwashing".
Also taken from Wikipedia, the Australian regulations for companies engaging in Greenwashing practises.
To understand why there is so much negativity toward Magnapool, readers need to know some basic facts about the system and compare them to Magnapools website and other marketing media.
The Magnapool "System" is actually nothing more than existing Poolrite equipment rebadged. It uses the same pump, filter, glass filter media and Salt Water Chlorinator equipment that is available from the companies Poolrite brand. The Magnapool system produces chlorine at the same operating levels using the same process and technology as the Poolrite Chlorinator.
Images below shows greenwashing example 1. ....... often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment or nature—
 |
| Poolrite Salt Chlorinator |
 |
| Magnapool Chlorinator |
Same product different labels.
It is rumored that Magnapool are about to release an updated model that will take on a completely different appearance to the Poolrite chlorinator.
Greenwashing example 2...... The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.
Magnapool have stated on forum posts that they make no claims of any medicinal or well being benefits associated with the Magnapool System. If you view the Magnapool website and advertising material you will quickly see that it is designed to deceive and mislead less educated readers into believing the system does have medicinal & well being benefits with lots of anecdotal references to the benefits of bathing in magnesium mineral water. In truth the small amount of magnesium in a Magnapool swimming pool bares no relation to the Dead Sea or Mineral Baths. If you tried to replicate the Dead Sea mineral level in a swimming pool it would be impossible to swim in it, instead it would become a huge flotation tank. Other examples of deception are shown in the following Magnapool promotional videos links. In video one Ruby's parents are implying or truly believe that the Magnapool is not a chlorine pool, notice the disclaimer at the end. In video 2 they are suggesting that the Parkinsons sufferer is benefiting from the magnapool minerals rather that the know benefits associated with swimming. These are low underhanded marketing tactics aimed at people desperate for a cure and by their own admittance Magnapool have no scientific evidence or claim any health benefits for swimmers using their products.
Greenwashing example 3...... The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.
Magnapool are advertising environmental benefits for pool owners using the process of diluting the backwash water which will allows them to use the water on gardens and plants without any resulting salt damage. There is nothing unique in diluting salt water for recycling, it can be done with any type of pool water. More importantly there is nothing "green" about using a five to one ratio of valuable freshwater to magnapool water to allow it to be used on gardens.
So what are the differences between the Magnapool system and other salt water chlorinator systems? The simple answer is that the "salt" is the only difference. Instead of using sodium chloride to produce chlorine Magnapool have a blend of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride and potassium chloride to produce chlorine. There are several companies selling these blended salts for use with salt water chlorinators.
The con is that Magnapool are using elaborate, deceptive and misleading marketing methods using anecdotal references to the possible transdermal benefits of magnesium absorption that in reality relate to mineral baths containing 30 times the concentration of the magnapool minerals.
Great effort and expense has gone into designing media content that convinces the less informed pool owner that they require the expensive "Magnapool equipment" to get a healthier pool system.
Magnapool say they have thousands of happy customers with few complaints. These customers have purchased a salt water chlorinator, the design and technology has been perfected over the last 30 years so they are unlikely to have any issues with sanitation or reason to complain. If they read and believed the Magnapool marketing hype I am sure many customers will have that "feels healthy" moment every time they enter the pool. Their feelings might change when they learn the truth, that they could have the same result for $1000's less.
Can there be a better definition of "Greenwashing" than this. I think not, but it is unsustainable in practise. In the sort term Magnapool have got away from the possible problem of pool owners buying Magnapool salt from a pool shop to discover it works just as well with their existing less expensive salt chlorinator. They have done this by limiting supply channels through selected resellers who are hooked into the con by the attractive margins and convincing media campaigns. This is a win win for manufacture and reseller but short lived in terms of sustainability and sure to alienate the honest industry peers and anger consumers when the truth gets out.
This link will take you to a earlier forum that was eventually stopped by the moderator. The Magnapool inventor was caught trying to deceive a forum member into believing the Magnapool system did not producing chlorine. This was just the start as more evidence of the companies underhanded and deceiving ways came through along with some alarming information about the dangers of Magnesium chloride damaging concrete and pool surrounds.
The Magnapool website has links to research, universities and Prof. Ross Barnard. It gives the impression that some serious testing has been conducted on Magnapool water, but if you dig deeper you find it is the work of students useing anecdotal evidence on the benefits of soaking in far higher levels of minerals than would not be safe or feasible economically in a swimming pool.
Why are Magnapool getting away with this scam? Simple,they have a large wallet and presence in the Australian market place. The have gambled on people not questioning the ethics of their companies product claims.
If Magnapool can produce irrefutable independent research that contradicts the claims here or get a ruling from the office responsible for the Trade Practices Act in Australia that they are not using misleading and deceptive marketing practices I will be happy to delete this blog. Until then I will do everything possible to warn people of the truth behind this product.
