The chemical levels of swimming pool water must always be kept clean and safe to use. In addition, regular maintenance will also save a lot of time and money. By following the steps below, pool owners can maintain the chemical levels of their pool water and achieve professional-grade results.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Selecting the Chlorine Type
Step 1. Determine the type of chlorine that needs to be used
Chlorine is a substance that can kill bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms. This material is sold in bottles, in the form of tablets, bars, and granules. However, if you read the label, you will realize that the active ingredients of all products are the same. While the price options vary widely, the main difference between these products lies in the concentration of the active ingredients. The active ingredient in chlorine tablets 7.5 cm, tablets 2.5 cm, and bars is "Trichlor" (or Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione), and the active ingredient in chlorine granules is "Dichlor" (or Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione).).
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The most readily available (and cheapest) type of chlorine is 7.5 cm tablet chlorine, which does not dissolve quickly and is easy to maintain. Bar-type chlorine is larger, dissolves longer, and is a little harder to find in stores. Chlorine 2.5 cm tablets dissolve faster than 7.5 cm tablets or bars, and are better suited for above ground swimming pools, in-ground swimming pools, and spas. Look for chlorine tablets or bars with a Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione concentration of 90%.
Properly Maintain Swimming Pool Water Chemistry Step 2 -
Be aware that chlorine tablets and bars packaged in large boxes have binders and fillers that keep the tablets inside from separating. The difference will be seen when the chlorine dissolves. Cheap chlorine tablets and bars are very brittle and disintegrate in 2-3 days instead of slowly dissolving while retaining their shape.
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Granulated chlorine is as effective as tablet and bar chlorine, but inorganic chlorine such as calcium hypochlorite must be dissolved before entering swimming pool water. Chlorine also needs to be added to swimming pool water on an almost daily basis. Other types of organic chlorine (Sodium Dichloro) or Inorganic Lithium Hypochlorite do not need to be dissolved first. Thus, the chlorine level in swimming pool water can be controlled accurately. However, you will still need to test the pool water daily and add chemicals, if needed. Try to use Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione granulated chlorine with a concentration of 56% to 62%.
Properly Maintain Swimming Pool Water Chemistry Step 4
Method 2 of 5: Choosing Cyanuric Acid
Step 1. Use cyanuric acid with caution
Cyanuric acid (CYA, also known as isocyanuric acid) is contained in dichlor / trichlor tablets. Although cyanuric acid is an agent that stabilizes chlorine and prevents it from being destroyed by sunlight, it reduces the effectiveness of chlorine (which is determined by ORP, or oxidation reduction potential). If you are taking cyanuric acid, be sure to test the levels first. If the level is too high, the chlorine will not be able to sanitize swimming pool water at all.
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Recent research states that CYA levels must be maintained at no more than 440 ppm so that chlorine can work optimally. (High levels of CYA will affect TDS aka Total Dissolved Solid, which interferes with chlorine activity).
Properly Maintain Swimming Pool Water Chemistry Step 6
Step 2. Try looking for calcium hypochlorite (solid) or sodium hypochlorite (liquid), if you decide not to use cyanuric acid
You also need to test the pH of the pool water more thoroughly. These two chemicals contain a strong base and will raise the pH if used in moderation. Liquid chlorine will also help you sanitize your pool water without adding cyanuric acid levels. Cyanuric acid is a stabilizer. Stabilized chlorine (tablets and granules) will have high levels of cyanuric acid.
Method 3 of 5: Adding Chlorine to the Pool
Step 1. Add chlorine to the pool water
Floating chlorine feeders and automatic chemical feeders (available at pool supply stores) will dissolve 2.5 cm and 7.5 cm of chlorine bars or tablets into the pool water. This automatic feeder is very useful for your swimming pool maintenance. The chemical feeder will add chlorine slowly to the pool water automatically, and control the amount precisely. If the feeder is set properly, you won't have to worry about chlorine levels in the pool water for a week or more.
Step 2. Never pour chlorine tablets or bars directly into pool water or into a pool skimmer basket (although there are some brands that only dissolve when running water)
If the tablets dissolve in the skimmer basket, all water passing through the pool pipes and drains will have a high chlorine content. High levels of chlorine (which causes the water's pH to become very low) will slowly erode the inside of the drain and permanently damage the pump and pool filter components.
Step 3. Surprise the pool every week
While it can clean your pool water, chlorine can also bind to other chemicals such as ammonia and nitrogen. Thus, this combined chlorine becomes ineffective in sanitizing pool water and becomes an irritant that can cause skin conditions, such as tinea cruris (fungal infection in the inner thighs and around the genitals). To prevent this, do pond water shocks several times a week.
Step 4. Follow up with algae treatment the next night
Algasides are surfactants that work on the surface of the pond to kill algae growth.
Method 4 of 5: Maintaining the pH Level of Swimming Pool Water
Step 1. Maintain proper pool water pH levels
This step is as important as the use of chlorine. The right pH level for pool water is the same as the pH level of human tears, which is 7.2. Optimally, the pH level of pool water ranges from 7.2-7. 6. Chlorine works most effectively on water that has a pH level of 7.2, compared to water with a high pH level, for example 8.2. You can measure the pH level of your pool water using a drip test kit or test strip. However, be aware that test strip test results are sometimes inaccurate.
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Usually, untreated pool water has a high pH level. Preferably, the pH level is lowered by directly pouring “muriatic acid” (hydrochloric acid) slowly in the deepest part of the swimming pool. However, be aware that granular acid (pH reducing or pH minus) is safer to use than muriatic acid.
Properly Maintain Swimming Pool Water Chemistry Step 13
Step 2. Add a little muriatic acid, if the pH level of the pool water is high
Check again the pH level of the pool water after being filtered continuously for 6 hours, then adjust the pH level again if needed. This is done to prevent a "spike" (bounce). If you have a true pH problem, it is usually due to the low total alkalinity of the pool water. Once adjusted, the pH should not change for 1-3 weeks, depending on rainfall, frequency of use, etc.
Step 3. Know that if a swimmer experiences “burning eyes”, the cause may be a pH level that is too low or too high, and not a high chlorine level
Step 4. Test the pool water at least twice a week to ensure its balance
Keep the free chlorine level in your pool water (FAC aka free available chlorine) always at 1-3 ppm, and your swimming pool can be treated easily and quickly during the swimming season.
Method 5 of 5: Weekly Pool Maintenance Summary
Step 1. Put the chlorine tablets into the floating chlorine feeder
The test strip will show you any other maintenance the pool needs
Step 2. Surprise 1.3 kg of pool water at night each week
Step 3. Test the pH level of the pool water again
The desired water pH level is 7.2.
Step 4. Add algaside the next morning
Step 5. Test the pool water balance twice a week
Step 6. Adjust the alkalinity of the pool water first, then bromine or chlorine, after that adjust the pH of the pool water
Tips
- Always match the chemicals in the pool water in alphabetical order. First, adjust the alkalinity, then the bromine or chlorine, and finally the pH (level) of the pool water.
- The difference between chlorine and bromine is that chlorine which has bound and killed bacteria and/or other harmful organisms is no longer effective in sanitizing swimming pools. This “combined chlorine” will be burned by shock treatment of the pool water and discharged through a filter. On the other hand, bromine that has bound bacteria or other harmful organisms will still continue to actively sanitize pond water. When you shock bromine-treated pool water, only the harmful contaminants burn. Thus, only bromine remains in the pond. Therefore, the amount of bromine tablets required is also less than that of chlorine.
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The use of bromine has advantages and disadvantages. Some people argue that bromine is better in treating pool water because it is less irritating to the eyes and skin. Therefore, many pool owners who have sensitive skin prefer to use bromine. However, bromine is in the same periodic group as chlorine so it won't help people with chlorine allergies. The drawback of bromine is that it is more expensive than chlorine. In addition, bromine odors are more difficult to remove from swimwear and skin because of its highly stable nature. Overall, bromine is more suitable for use in small swimming pools or spas than large swimming pools. Bromine is available in tablet form and can be fed into chemical feeders to dissolve in water. Notes:
bromine cannot be stabilized with cyanuric acid so it is best not to try.
- Do not convert bromine pool to chlorine. Your efforts will be in vain as the added chlorine will only recover the bromine.
- To prevent scale formation or acidic conditions, follow the Langelier index aka the Stability Index to determine your overall water balance.
- Pools should be professionally tested 3-5 times each season. The pool specialist will further test your pool, for example total chlorine versus free chlorine, cyanuric acid, acid requirement, alkali requirement, total alkalinity adjustment, calcium hardness, water temperature (influences overall water balance), total dissolved solids (TDS), iron, copper, QAC (quaternary ammonium compound), or algaside content.
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If chloramine or combined chlorine is allowed to accumulate, they will be more difficult to solve or control so that the water becomes "smelly", cloudy, irritates the eyes and skin, accelerates algae growth, etc. and becomes a "chlorine demand". When the need for chlorine arises, safe chlorine levels are difficult to maintain and require large amounts of chlorine (9 kg or more per 76,000 liters of pool water). If the chlorine requirement is not met, this problem will only get worse because the amount of combined chlorine and chloramine will increase. Special note:
In the US, a lot of public drinking water is treated with chloramine (chloramination) which can cause problems.
- Another chlorine substitute is baquacil, which contains the active ingredient biguanide. Although difficult to use and more expensive, it is a solution for people with chlorine allergies because even salt pool water systems produce chlorine. If you use baquacil, the balance of calcium levels and pH can be adjusted with other products. Special note: baquacil cannot be stabilized with cyanuric acid.
- Add borate with a concentration of 50 ppm to pool or spa water as a secondary pH enhancer. This way you can minimize changes in pH and make the water have a soft and smooth texture.
- Salt chlorinators are another way to sanitize pool water. A little salt is added to the pool water, which is then converted into chlorine in the pool control box so that pool water sanitation is well maintained. Pay attention to the pH level of the pool water because the chemical reaction due to the addition of salt will increase the pH level and need to be lowered with muriatic acid. Improper installation of a salt/chlorine generator will cause problems such as scratching the pool surface, premature corrosion of some metal parts and pool accessories, including stainless steel.
Warning
- Don't put too many chemicals in the pool water.
- Chlorine MUST be added to water, and not water added to chlorine as it will cause a dangerous reaction.
- Always allow a minimum of two hours between each application of chemicals to swimming pool water to prevent negative chemical reactions and maximize the effects of chemicals in pool water.
- These chemicals are dangerous. So, keep it out of reach of children.
- Always read and follow the instructions on the label on the product packaging.
- Don't do anything you're not used to doing.
- Muratic acid is the best option for lowering pH levels. However, this material produces hazardous fumes and must be handled with extreme care. Otherwise, you can use sodium bisulfate, pH minus granules or the safer and more user-friendly pH reducers to lower the pH level of swimming pool water.
