Knowledge

A swimming pool is a structure designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Hot tubs and spas are common heated pools used for relaxation and sometimes for therapy.

Modern pools are equiped with circulation system which include at least a pump and a filter. The pump sucks in the water from the pool by the skimmer or main drain, and then pushes the water back to the pool, passing through a filter, a heater and a chlorinator.

Levels of bacteria and viruses in swimming pool water must be kept low to prevent the spread of diseases and pathogens. Bacteria, algae and insect larvae can enter the pool if water is not properly sanitized. So, proper maintenance is very important to ensure a safe swimming or soaking environment.

Your top priority as a pool or spa owner is to keep the water sanitized.

For any sanitizer to work well, however, the water must be balanced. Five factors affect water balance: pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids and temperature. A change in any one factor can affect the others, so your challenge is to balance the water using various types of chemicals that keep each factor in its proper range.

Water balance is important, but it's even more crucial to have enough active sanitizer in the water. Sanitizers kill pollutants such as algae and bacteria. Oxidizers, in addition to sanitizing, "burn up" or remove accumulated waste products, such as sweat, body oil, shampoo. soap and urine. Some common sanitizers, such as chlorine and bromine, also oxidize.

The chlorine levels in your pool are one of the most important measurements you must keep track of all the time. There are actually three types of chlorine:

• Free Chlorine – This is the chlorine that you usually test for in your pool water. This chlorine is available to sanitize your pool. Your pool should have between 1 and 3 parts per million (ppm) in the water.

• Combined Chlorine – This is chlorine that’s been used up by the sanitation process of the water. While it’s still in the water, its ability to sanitize is reduced compared to free chlorine.

• Total Chlorine – This type of chlorine is the sum of both free chlorine and combined chlorine.

When you add chlorine to your pool, it reacts with the water to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion. These compounds together form what we call free chlorine.

Once this chlorine begins to react with the contaminants in the water, such as nitrogen and ammonia, it becomes combined chlorine.

Algae - An algaecide is the main artillery. Just make sure you're using an algaecide designed to combat your type of algae. Of course, chlorine also kills algae. You might consider first brushing the algae from the pool wall to expose all of the cells to the algaecide.

Cloudy water - Shocking the water usually clears up any cloudiness, especially if the culprit is algae. If shocking doesn't work, use a clarifier to help the filtration system do its job.

Stains - Balance the water before treating the stain, or else it might occur again. Use a stain remover, avialable from your pool and spa supply store, that's designed to treat the type of stain you have. If your pool is plaster and is severely stained, you might need to consider draining the pool and having the surface acid-washed by a professional.

Scale - Make sure the water is properly balanced. Then use a scale-removing product and thoroughly brush the walls to suspend the scale so the filter can trap it. You may need a special tile cleaner to remove scale deposits from the waterline area, where they're most noticeable.

Corrosive water - Use soda ash (sometimes sold under a name like pH Up) or sodium bicarbonate to raise pH and total alkalinity.

Alkaline water - Lower pH and total alkalinity by using a pH-reducing product. These include sodium bisulfate, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and muriatic acid.

Eye and skin irritation or Odor- Test the water to find out whether any water-balance factors are out of their ideal range. Then shock the pool water to get rid of chloramines.

Discolored water - If the problem is algae, follow the guidelines for algae above. If a metal is the culprit, use a sequestering agent to keep the metal in solution. Also use a flocculant to cluster the metal particles so they're large enough to filter out.

Foam - Use a small amount of defoamer and allow it to circulate for several minutes before adding more as needed. For a long-term solution, balance, shock, and/or replace some of the water with fresh water.

Scum - Use an over-the-counter tub and tile cleaner to scrub away the scum. Use as little as possible to minimize the amount of cleaner entering the water.