Most pool chemicals have a shelf life of 3-5 years, when stored properly: Consistent and cool temperatures, in a dry and dark location. Tight bucket lids and bottle caps, and sealed inner bags to lock out moisture and contaminants.
Most floating chlorinators can hold anywhere from two to eight weeks worth of chlorine, depending on conditions such as the season and your pool's size. An automatic feeder works in a similar way, allowing it to mix with the pool water slowly and deliberately. This type generally comes in a large bucket.
Shock is liquid or granular chlorine. You should add one gallon (or one pound) of shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water every week to two weeks. During hot weather or frequent use, you may need to shock more frequently.
The degradation rate of chlorine in direct sunlight without CYA is 75 % loss in 2 hours or a complete loss of chlorine in 4 hours. CYA will keep the chlorine in the water 8 times longer than without it.
However, chlorine solutions are known to be effective against a broad range of viruses11-31. Wet contact time is the amount of time that a surface being disinfected should remain wet with disinfectant. Wet contact times for chlorine range from 2 minutes to 10 minutes depending on the microbe/virus.
Liquid Chlorine has the shortest shelf life of all your pool chemicals, losing up to 50% or half of its potency six months from when it was first opened and up to 90% after a year.
Chlorine gas; disadvantages:
Chlorine is an extremely volatile and hazardous chemical and requires specific precautions for it to be shipped, stored, and used safely. Systems using chlorine gas also have the disadvantage of producing toxic disinfection by-products.
What is this? However, to successfully convert the saltwater and generate chlorine, it needs the right temperature to work at. This temperature is above 60°F (or 16°C). So, if the pool temperature falls below this, the SWG will completely shut down.
Warmer water means more chlorine demand. This is not due to sunlight degradation of chlorine, though summertime does mean more hours of direct sunlight hitting an outdoor pool. The real reasons for higher chlorine demand are because both living and non-living contaminants are more prevalent in warmer water.
Aim to maintain a chlorine level of 3 to 5mg/l at all times. How frequently you add more chlorine will depend on your usage and bathing habits. It could be daily, every two to three days or weekly. For 1mg/l, add 2g per 1000 litres.
You should cover your pool every night for several reasons. First off, a pool cover saves energy and conserves water by decreasing the amount of make-up water. Also, it reduces the consumption of chemicals, and finally, it saves a lot of cleaning time since it keeps the debris out of the pool.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool? Shocking your pool regularly will help to keep the water clean and free of contaminants. You should aim to shock your pool about once a week, with the additional shock after heavy use. Some tell-tale signs that your pool needs to be shocked are cloudy, foamy, green, or odourous water.
When is it time to shock your pool? Every couple of weeks during the swimming season. When your pool is outside of the recommended free chlorine levels of 1-3 ppm. Shocking your pool will raise the chlorine level.
Are chlorine and shock the same thing? SKIMMER NOTES: No. Chlorine and shock are not the same thing. Shock has a more intense chemical strength than the traditional chlorine sanitizers, and it also differs in how you should apply it to your swimming pool.
A dirty skimmer basket, clogged or dirty filter, and a clogged pump strainer, can cause insufficient water flow for the chlorinator to produce less chlorine.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is naturally alkaline, with a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity. Many commercial pool products for raising alkalinity utilize baking soda as their main active ingredient.
Maintain Proper pH Levels
Your pH levels affect your chlorine levels and the ability for the chlorine to do its work properly. If your water's pH is too high, it hinders the chlorine's ability to efficiently clean the pool. A water pH level that is too low causes the chlorine to dissipate more quickly.
Open your pool under normal procedures, and let the filter run with its normal amount of chemicals. When all the other chemicals, such as chlorine. pH and alkalinity, are balanced, add the chlorine stabilizer. Add the stabilizer only after the filter has been backwashed to ensure it is cycled through a clean filter.
Keep Swimmers Comfortable
Set your pool heater's thermostat to a temperature between 78°F and 82°F (26°C and 28°C) to keep the majority of swimmers comfortable. Maybe a little cooler if you're in an area with very hot summers, or a little warmer if you live in a milder climate.
Hot Weather
The result? You lose free chlorine. In the heat of the summer, consider adding twice as much chlorine to your pool so you maintain an adequate level.
If you're looking for a perfect pool temperature, not too hot, not too cold, 77 – 82 degrees (25 – 28°C) may be the way to go according to most recreational swimmers. In most cases, pools should be comfortable, and the average swimmer will agree with this.
The benefits of chlorination are:
Proven reduction of most bacteria and viruses in water. Residual protection against recontamination. Ease-of-use and acceptability.
However in reverse osmosis (RO) systems, membranes are easily damaged by chlorine in the feed water. Chlorine damage to the membrane can lead to lower salt rejection and poor-quality permeate, which in turn could result in costly membrane replacement and down-time.
Besides killing dangerous germs like bacteria, viruses and parasites, chlorine helps reduce disagreeable tastes and odors in water. Chlorine also helps eliminate slime bacteria, molds and algae that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs, on the walls of water mains and in storage tanks.