Category Archives: Chlorine

Pool Knowledge: Know What Chemicals to Use and When

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Sanitizers

When to use Sanitizers
Sanitizers are used to keep water clear of bacteria and inhibit/control the growth of viruses, algae and organic contaminants.  The two most common pool water sanitizers are chlorine and bromine.  

Choose the one that’s best for you

Chlorine is a disinfectant and the most popular sanitizer used in pool water.  Chlorine levels are determined with a test kit and measured in parts per million (ppm).  The ideal chlorine residual (chlorine residual refers the the chlorine remaining after all reactions and dissipation have occurred) in pool water should be between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm.

Bromine is an alternative sanitizer to chlorine.  Bromine levels are measured using a test kit.  The ideal Bromine residual is 3.0 ppm.  Bromine is not as harsh on skin, eyes, hair and swim wear as chlorine, and does not produce a chlorine odor.  Bromine is slower dissolving and is more effective than chlorine in hot water.

We recommend sanitizing with stabilized 3″ chlorinating tabs, 1″ chlorinating tabs, skimmer sticks or 1″ bromine tabs. These can be conveniently dispensed by placing them in a chlorinator, floating feeder, or skimmer basket.  If you prefer to sanitize by pouring directly into the water, then Di-Chlor Chlorinating Granules is a good choice.  During pool start-up you may need an extra does of chlorine or bromine in order to satisfy the initial demand of the water.  Use your test kit often to check your chemical levels and adjust your dispenser as needed to increase or decrease the flow.  Factors that affect the amount of sanitizer you need are temperature, pool usage, rainfall and pH.  Higher water temperatures, heavy pool usage and heavy rainfall all result in the necessity for increased chlorine or Bromine.

Balancers

When to use Balancers Image

Balancers are used with sanitizers to help prevent algae growth and cloudy water, maximizing the performance of chlorine.  Quick and simple testing before problems arise can prolong your pool’s life and provide you season after season of enjoyment.

Maintaining proper levels

PH Level is the acid/base content of water.  The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral.  Ideally you should strive to maintain pH levels between 7.2 and 7.6 in order to prevent eye/skin irritation, pool surface and equipment damage.

Total Alkalinity is the measure of certain minerals in the water.  These minerals act as buffering agents and allow you to readily control your pH.  In plaster pools, under normal conditions, a measurement of 100 to 150ppm is ideal.  In painted, vinyl or fiberglass pools, a reading between 125 to 175ppm should be maintained.

Calcium Hardness measures the level of calcium and magnesium minerals in the water.  These minerals exist naturally in all water, but levels vary greatly across the country.  An acceptable hardness level is from 225 to 300ppm hardness for plaster pools and 175 to 250 ppm for vinyl, painted and fiberglass pools.  Low levels of calcium create corrosive water which can damage equipment.  Raise hardness levels by using calcium boosters. Lower hardness levels by using calcium hardness reducers.

Stabilizer is a chemical that prevents the UV rays of the sun from prematurely dissipating the chlorine level. It is important to test your stabilizer level because stabilizer stays in your water indefinitely.  If stabilizer was added in the past, you generically just add it based on the gallons of water added this season.  Too much stabilizer can cause cloudy water.

Shocks

When to use Shocks

Use shock to quickly raise the chlorine level in your pool.  Various bacteria and organic pollutants can resist normal chlorination and result in contaminated and cloudy water.  This build-up is highest during hot weather and periods of heavy pool usage.  Weekly treatments with shock will break up these contaminants.  It is best to apply shock in the evening so it can work overnight and be down to normal levels by the next day.  Be sure your filter continues to run during this time.

Algaecides

When to use algaecides
Algaecides are used to prevent algae growth and kill existing algae that survive general chlorine dosages.  Algae is an aquatic plant that grows rapidly in pool water when a combination of warm water and lack of chlorine or other sanitizing agents exist.  The most common types of pool water algae are green, pink, black and mustard.  Initial signs of algae growth are slipperiness on pool surface, green or cloudy water, and spots on pool walls or floor.

Enzymes

When to use Enzymes
Enzymes are the all-natural way to clean up the body oil and lotion that can cloud your pool water and leave a ring of scum around your pool.  Adding enzymes such as Nature’s Magic to your pool water once a week prevents oil and scum build-up.  Enzymes also linger in the filter, keeping it clean.

Understanding Enzymes
In the human body, enzymes help us digest food and eliminate toxins.  That’s why doctors recommend enzyme rich foods such as yogurt, figs, and bananas.

Your pool water is a fertile environment for living organic matter. Enzymes break down that organic material into their base components and consume the residue.  What they are most effective at is destroying oils, fats, detergents, dirt, pollen, and all other sorts of organic material.  Since enzymes are used to clean up oil spills, you know they will work on the small amount of oils that produce scum in your pool.  Enzymes are also effective in preventing foaming in pools and spas.

Stain removers

When to use stain removers
Stain Removers are used to remedy stains, scale, discoloration and cloudy water caused by metals coming out of a solution (precipitation) in the water.

Scale is when the precipitated metals form hard, white deposits on pool walls and equipment.

Stain is when the precipitated metals have color and are deposited on the pool walls or floor.  Precipitated metals may also remain in the water causing cloudiness and discoloration.  To remedy this condition, a sequestering agent is required.  This will help your filter remove precipitated metals.

Clarifiers

When to use Clarifiers
Clarifiers are used to remove particles from the pool that are too small to be caught in the filter system, causing cloudy water. Flocculents or clarifying agents will cause these particles to cling to each other, making them larger, so they can be removed from your water through vacuuming or filtration.

For the A-Z Guide on maintaining your pool in 10 min a week for less than $15 a month click here. 

How to Clean a Pool Myself: Chemical Guide

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Water Balancing Guide for Swimming Pool Image

Chlorine 2.0 – 4.0 PPM

Bromine 2.0 – 4.0 PPM

Stabilizer 40 PPM

PH 7.4 -7.6 (Vinyl 7.6)

Total Alkalinity (TA) Vinyl, fiberglass, painted plaster 80 – 150 PPM

Calcium Hardness Vinyl, fiberglass, painted plaster 200 – 400 PPM

Metals (Iron, copper, manganese) None

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 1000-2000 PPM

#3 – How do I Add Chlorine to My Swimming Pool?

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Add the chlorine to your swimming pool. ImageFloating chlorine feeders and automatic chemical feeders, available from any pool supply distributor, slowly dissolve 1- and 3-inch chlorine tablets into your pool water. Automatic chlorine feeders are a great help to properly maintaining your swimming pool. Chemical feeders slowly meter out precise amounts of chlorine into your pool water automatically, and offer very precise control over the amount of chlorine being added to the swimming pool. If a feeder is adjusted properly, you may not have to worry about your chlorine level for a week or more.

You should never simply dump chlorine tablets into your swimming pool or place them in the skimmer basket of your swimming pool (though there are certain brands made that only dissolve when water is flowing over them). If a chlorine tablet is dissolving in your skimmer basket, all of the water passing through your pool plumbing and circulation system will carry a high level of chlorine. This high concentration of chlorine (which gives the water a very low pH) slowly eats at the inside of the circulation system and can cause premature failure of your pool pump and filter components.

#1 – What Type of Chlorine is Best for My Pool?

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Determine what type of chlorine you should use. Chlorine, which kills bacteria, algae, and microorganisms, is available in bottles, 3-inch tablets, 1-inch tablets, sticks, and a granular form; however, upon inspecting the labels, you will see that the active ingredient is exactly the same in all of them. Despite the wide range of prices, the only real difference you may find is the concentration of the active ingredients. The active ingredient in 3-inch tablets, 1-inch tablets, and sticks is called “Trichlor”, and the active ingredient in granular chlorine is called “Dichlor”.

  • The most common (and therefore the least expensive) form of chlorine is 3-inch tablets, which are slow-dissolving and require less maintenance. 1-inch chlorine tablets dissolve more quickly than 3-inch tablets and are better suited to above-ground swimming pools, small in-ground swimming pools, and spas. Look for a concentration of 90% Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione in chlorine tablets.
  • Note that cheap, “big box” slow tabs and sticks tends to have binders and fillers that keep the tablet together. You will notice the difference as they dissolve: cheap tabs and sticks tend to crumble or fall apart within 2 to 3 days as opposed to gradually dissolving and maintaining their shape.
  • Granular chlorine works just as well as the tablets mentioned above. It must be added to the swimming pool almost every day. Look for a concentration of 56% to 62% Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione in granular chlorine.

How to Properly Maintain Swimming Pool Water Chemistry (Series)

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Over the next few weeks we will be sharing a step by step guide on how to keep your pool water chemistry properly maintained. The summer is here, it’s HOT. For many people that means it’s time to battle algae. For many others it means dumping LOTS of money into their pool which is in many cases not very safe to be swimming in. Image

Proper water chemistry is required to keep a swimming pool safe and clean for swimmers, and maintaining a swimming pool’s chemicals can save pool owners time and money. By following the steps we’ll share on this blog over the next few weeks, any pool owner can maintain their own swimming pool with the same results as the high-priced professionals. The best part is it will cost you less than $15 per month and in less than 10 minutes per week!!

Stabilizer Level is High

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Cyanuric acid level is too high. Since Cyanuric Acid cannot be chemically removed, a portion of the pool must be drained. While high cyanuric acid will not impact swimmers directly it will reduce effectiveness of your chlorine sanitizer. This will highly increase the cost of your chlorine costs. If you are using a trichlor or dichlor sanitizer consider changing to another sanitizer without stabilizer until your CYA is in the proper range.

Keep the Water Dirt and Debris Free

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Remove any leaves from the pool with a leaf net each time you go swimming.

Empty and rinse off the strainer basket of the skimmer once or twice a week, and as often as daily during falling-leaf season.

Keep the deck clean by regularly sweeping and then rinsing it with a garden hose.

Use a cover over your pool as often as possible.

Thoroughly clean your pool filter at least monthly. Clean a sand filter by backwashing: Reverse the flow of water through the filter for 2 to 3 minutes until the wastewater is clear.

For a cartridge filter, remove the filter cartridge and wash it with a hose with a high-pressure nozzle. Replace the cartridge.

Adding Chlorine to the Pool

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Scoop chlorine granules into water in a nonmetal container, following package directions. Always wear goggles and rubber gloves when handling chlorine, and always put the chlorine into the water–don’t pour the water over the chlorine.

Stir for about 30 seconds, and leave for 30 minutes to settle.

Turn on the filter. Reaching as far into the middle of the pool as possible (perhaps by standing on a diving board), pour the chlorine into the pool. Discard any sediment left in the container.

Add chlorine three to four times a week for a pool in heavy use.

Occasionally–no more than once a week–you may need to superchlorinate (also called shock) the pool to burn any built-up bacteria, algae and ammonia. Following chlorine package directions, make a solution for superchlorination (it will be three to five times as strong as normal chlorine).

Add the chlorine solution to the pool after sundown, if possible, as the sun’s rays break down chlorine.

Before allowing anyone to go in the pool, test the residual chlorine level to make sure it has gone back down below 3.0 ppm. This will take at least several hours.

Is It Safe For Dogs to Swim in My Pool?

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Dogs love to swim in swimming pools.Image However, chlorinated water is not good for dogs.The chlorine can remove the natural oils from the dog’s body and cause dry, itchy skin. Also, too high a sanitizer level can irritate the dog’s esophagus if it drinks the pool water. If your pool is sanitized by chlorine or bromine, keep the level below 3.0 ppm if you allow your dogs to swim in the pool.