|
Swimming Pool Chemicals
Custom Search
Swimming Pool Chemicals get little respect. The sanitizing and conditioning properties are expected. However, sometimes the full potential of the chemical is never realized and pool problems are compounded by a cloudy understanding of how they work. Many chemistry problems are reduced or eliminated with a
saltwater chlorinator.
Save Money On Swimming Pool Chemicals with a Salt ChlorinatorSpeaking of cloudy, here is the skinny on cloudy or brown pool water.
First, the usual. Free chlorine readings should be 1 to 3 parts per million. Phosphates from lawn and garden fertilizers may be creating a rich environment for algae. Use a phosphate control for a known problem or as insurance. STOP Read the secret about pool water chemistry now.
Weekly shock treatments are recommended but not needed if the bathing load is light and free chlorine is not allowed to drop below 1 ppm. Pool owners also know the correct PH level is 7.2 to 7.8. Who knows why? I learned the hard way. Maintaining pH 7.2 is the single, most important thing you can do. Millions are wasted because the pool store won't tell you or they don't know it. Low pH, High Alkalinity Convert high alkalinity to higher pH thru aeration. Aeration is as easy as pointing the return nozzles straight up for a plume of water. As the pH rises, alkalinity will go lower so keep an eye on the chemical levels. Takes a day or two to reduce a substantial amount of alkalinity to higher pH.. Robot owners have the advantage of quick and thorough chemical dispersal when using their automatic cleaners. Liquid Pool Shock is not created equally. If the Sodium Hypochlorite is less than 12% don't buy it. A store here on Long Island, Island Rec., sells "pool shock" that contains 5.33% chlorine for the same price as 12.5% shock at Leslie's. For comparison, Clorox is 6% Sodium Hypochlorite. Shocking with chlorine is best at night or close to dusk as possible. Sunlight very quickly destroys the unstabilized shocks.
Stabilized chlorine has Cyanuric Acid to preserve it from sunlight. Too much Cyanuric Acid, also known as CYA or stabilizer, is not a good thing. If you use stabilized chlorine or have an indoor pool then additional stabilizer is not needed.
The ONLY way to reduce CYA is draining water from the pool. This is one of the swimming pool chemicals best kept at minimums. CYA will slow the sanitizing and oxidizing ability of the chlorine. Maintain 1ppm free chlorine for every 10 ppm of CYA. For example...your CYA level is 70 ppm, your free chlorine level should be maintained at 7 ppm or proper sanitation won't be accomplished If you are like me, you test with a strip, if a problem is detected then verify with a liquid water testing kit. Sometimes I take a water sample to the store for analyzing. Problem water is fixed with a myriad of white bucketed solutions. There are also products in the home that may be used as swimming pool chemicals.
Household Pool Chemical Solutions. Sometimes the problem was fixed or kept coming back. This Frustrated me because I did not understand why, until I learned what the kid at the pool store never told me about
pool water chemistry
|
