Tips on Pool Water Treatment

Several customs and practices in pool and spa chemistry are reliable, although some are becoming obsolete. Unfortunately, some of these habits were ineffective in the first place despite being approved by industry professionals. Present information on water and pool chemicals is continuously changing with time. Therefore, it is proper for us to evolve as well; we must stay up to date with the latest information on chemicals and pool water treatment. Misconceptions on pool and spa chemistry may lead to devastation when figuring out how to deal with specific issues and eventually result in inefficiencies. In this present article, we shall discuss popular misconceptions about pool and spa chemistry and explain what happens in reality.

Sanitization and disinfection versus oxidation

Although sanitization/disinfection and oxidation are two different terminologies, industry experts employ these terms exchangeably. Complete sanitization of pools is obtained by destroying harmful microbes to ensure safety for human use. An essential sanitizer should do away with 99.9% of microorganisms in the swimming pool in 30 seconds. Disinfection, on the other hand, destroys all detrimental microbes in 10 minutes. The process is anticipated to have at least 99.999% kill, also known as a 5-log reduction. Disinfection is crucial, particularly in commercial pools where the pool is more vulnerable to outbursts of cryptosporidium, giardia, and antibodies. The majority of pool owners, therefore, prefer using high levels of chlorine and employ consistent draining processes. 

Oxidation is vital in disintegrating and eliminating non-living impurities and pollutants existing in swimming pools. The process entails more than just using chlorine to burn out microorganisms in swimming pools, and it is a complicated procedure involving several reactions. In simple terms, chlorine, the oxidant, gets rid of electrons from a contaminant, which in turn decreases its oxidizing power. Most industry experts miscalculate the degree to which oxidation leads to depletion of chlorine. Conversely, some theorists state that the sun can lead to loss of chlorine, and specific amounts of cyanuric acid, say 30 ppm, can prevent this. However, 30ppm is considered too much stabilizer, and there is no proof that the sun causes loss of chlorine. For instance, in the human body, a lot of reactions, including oxidation, take place. During the excretion process, eliminating waste like urea and ammonia in sweat or urine requires hypochlorous acid (HOCL). Getting rid of 1ppm of ammonia requires 15ppm of hypochlorous acid. It is thus possible for the oxidation process to consume vast amounts of chlorine. Ultimately, it is safe to conclude that despite chlorine being an effective sanitizer; it is a relatively weak oxidizer.

Breakpoint chlorination: Not necessarily what you think

Breakpoint chlorination and super chlorination (also referred to as shocking) are two distinctive processes though one may think of them as the same thing. It is achieved after all chlorine has reacted with all the contaminants like urea in the pool, forming a free chlorine residual at the end. Once a chlorine-free residual is created, it indicates regular and proper oxidation of ammonia. However, at times, chlorine does not reach its breakpoint; this is where super chlorination comes in. The shocking process enables chlorine to continue reacting with pollutants until a breakpoint level, and a chlorine-free residual is obtained.

Micronutrients can indirectly contribute to chlorine demand

Microbes require nutrients to survive and procreate. Specific micronutrients affect pool treatment in a variety of ways. For instance, nitrogen manifests in distinct configurations like ammonia, ammonium, urea, and nitrates and provides food for living microorganisms in water. Nevertheless, the substance also reacts with chlorine through a complicated procedure involving several phases leading to increased demand in chlorine. Consequently, chlorine gets depleted due to over-usage.

Phosphate, another micronutrient, indirectly causes an increased demand for chlorine. These micronutrients foster the flourishing of algae, which in turn, use up chlorine. Contrary to popular belief, phosphate does not react with chlorine while in water; instead, it facilitates the growth of algae, which in turn exhaust chlorine in the water. Think of it, have you ever come across a pool dominated by algae? Did chlorine levels reduce after a certain period? Even if there was no chlorine after some time, high chances are that algae destroyed chlorine. Yes, chlorine is very useful in eliminating algae, although these microbes keep reproducing hence using up all the chlorine.

The nourishing nutrient of algae, phosphate continually encourages the growth of algae, which reduces the efficiency of chlorine. Not to worry, phosphates in water can be eliminated through phosphate removers. It is now evident that the sun does not lead to the use of chlorine; it could be the existence of nitrogen, phosphates, or oxidation of bather waste. Therefore, we suggest complementing chlorine with other elements since we largely depend on it to perform our duties. Additionally, doing this will ensure complete disinfection and sanitization of swimming pools within a reasonable time frame.