Swimming Pool Chemicals

There are five basic swimming pool chemicals in common use. These are, chlorine, used to kill bacteria, algaecide to prevent plant spores from turning your water green, PH+ for increasing your waters alkalinity and PH- for decreasing it. The last chemical used is a flocculent whose purpose is to attract particles in order that they form into clumps large enough to be removed by the filters. In real terms playing around with the alkalinity or acidity of the water is really not required in most areas of Spain as it sits just about where it should be for most of the time. Flocculates are used on a sporadic basis and only if required.

Your main expense will come from chlorine and algaecide and again, depending upon the use your swimming pool receives will be in the region of €140 per annum – more or less. An application of both, once a week is adequate. If you spill either chlorine granules or liquid on your clothes, it will bleach immediately. There is no problem with any swimming pool chemical coming into contact with skin, just remember to wash it off as soon as possible. You will require a simple water testing kit which cost about €12 or so and this will ensure that chlorine levels are safe and the PH where it should be.

PH

It is vital that you maintain this between 7.2 – 7.6. If you are out by only a little the efficiency of your chlorine can drop by 90 per cent allowing infection to take hold in your swimming pool. It’s a very simple thing to do and no reason exists for being unable to do it. Normally you will find that the ph is increasing, requiring the adding of a PH reducer.

Salt Water Chlorination

This is a method of producing chlorine from salt which is added to the swimming pool in considerable quantities. It requires specialist equipment which is not cheap but does produce very soft, clean water. This system does however keep water very clean and ear infections, so common among children holidaying in Spain and using swimming pools rarely occur.

Back-washing And Rinsing Filters

On a regular basis you need to backwash your swimming pool filter. The installers or previous owners should have shown you how to do this. After a couple of weeks or so, sand filters become blocked with the various things they have removed from the water. This includes, dead skin cells, hair, oil, insects, dust, and anything else which has fallen into the swimming pool and been picked up by either the skimmer or crawler.

Forcing water through the sand in the opposite direction, to which it normally flows, pushes the filtered material out and it is rinsed away as waste. This water contains algaecides and if directed onto you garden can kill many varieties of plants and some types of grass. As a considerable amount of water is used in back washing this seems a horrible waste. As mentioned above, there is a way in which you can use this water and dispense with the need for the majority of pool chemicals. An O3 or Ozone generator can keep the water in your swimming pool clean and bacteria free without the need for chlorine and algaecides. As a result, the water used in back washing can be pumped onto lawns and gardens. When it comes to back-washing, one to two minutes is normally all that is necessary and depending on the size of the swimming pool. You will note following back-washing that when you switch to normal filtration, the pressure in the system will be indicating low. Don’t rely on high pressure readings as a guide to back-washing the filter, as often this has no bearing on the matter. By the time the pressure has risen, filtration has long since stopped being effective. Determine to backwash on the last day of every month or any other time which you will easily remember. More back-washing will be required if the swimming pool use increases.

It really does pay to encourage people to shower before they go into the swimming pool. Oils, both natural and those applied to protect from the sun are washed off as is dirt and sand on the feet. Foot baths should always be available.

If you have a sand filter, you need to bear in mind that the sand needs changing every four years or so. People have gone as long as seven years with the same sand and no noticeable detrimental effects but you need to be aware of phenomena known as channelling. Quite simply this is where water cuts channels in the sand which after a while become permanent. This is because dead skin cells, sun tan lotions and other contaminants mix with the sand binding it together. When this happens it is quite apparent in that everything which is picked up by the swimming pool vacuum cleaner is returned immediately to the swimming pool and is not filtered. The solution is to change the sand, cost of changing the sand varies from size of the filter.

Important – Algae Control

One of the biggest and least understood problems presenting to swimming pool owners is algae. If uncontrolled, you can go from sparkling water to pea soup almost overnight. Algae are tiny plants that bloom and grow in swimming pools if nutrients are present and a sufficient level of free chlorine is not maintained. 

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