Pool School
VIPOOLS believes that the more you know, the more you can do to keep
you and your family safe so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of having a pool!
Here are some helpful tips from our service professionals:
What is needed to keep your pool clean?
Us? just kidding! There are 3 keys to healthy and clean water. The keys of balanced and healthy water are "filtration, circulation and chemical balance". Filtration means to cycle the entire body of water through the filter once per day to filter out any dirt, debris and oxidized organic material. Circulation means to keep the water moving through the filter and pool to get the larger debris to the skimmer and main drain. Chemically balanced water is able to kill germs and bacteria, oxidize organic material, clarify the water, and prevent staining.
Chemistry Overview
What is pool chemistry - Water chemistry is a delicate balance of "Free and Available Chlorine", "pH Balance", "Total Alkalinity", "Cyanuric Acid", "Calcium Hardness" and "Total Dissolved Solids". When everything is properly balanced then the result is sanitary, healthy and clear water. When one aspect of water chemistry becomes unbalanced then it can affect the other aspects and cause unhealthy water conditions and algae growth.
Evaporation
On average, approximately 2 inches to 2 1/2 inches per week of water is lost to evaporation. Turbulence caused by spill ways and water features can also increase the rate of evaporation. As you now know, when the water evaporates only the water itself leaves the pool. Anything in the water such as calcium, copper, iron and total dissolved solids remain in the pool and concentrates more as fill water is added. You will see more calcium deposits where the water evaporates the most, such as water line, spill ways or other water features. On average, the water level for a pool or spa should be checked for and added about twice during the week between service visits.
Changing Your Pool Water
Pool water should be changed every 3 to 5 years depending upon the levels of "Calcium Hardness" and "Total Dissolved Solids". There are many minerals, metals and dissolved solids in the water and as the water evaporates every day. All of the minerals, metals and dissolved solids remain and are added to from the refill water, concentrating year after year. As the water gets older and these materials concentrate, it can cause staining, damage the equipment and even unhealthy water conditions.
Salt Water Pool Systems
Salt Chlorination Systems convert salt (sodium chloride) into chlorine by freeing the chloride from the sodium; the chloride by itself is chlorine. There are many pros and cons to using a salt chlorination system. One benefit of a salt pool is the "feel" of the water, a saline solution which is closer to your body's, and there is less of a feel of harsh chemicals. A down side to salt chlorination systems is that it can make it much more difficult to keep the pool water chemically balanced. While salt is less expensive than chlorine, the system requires more maintenance. There may also be staining and corrosion caused by salt.
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