Swimming pool foam can be a huge distraction in and outside of your pool. Foam, or bubbles, make the water feel sticky and can make swimming uncomfortable for some. Good news for the kids, though, a foamy pool is safe to swim in. Still, we always recommend getting rid of the foam as soon as possible.
Milky pool water is not safe to swim in and can be caused by things such as poor water chemistry, improper filtration, or low sanitation levels. Milky pool water can be cleared up by cleaning your pool surfaces and filter as well as ensuring all chemicals are balanced properly.
The most common cause for swimming pool foam is a high organic load that causes the water to thicken. With “thick” water, this means that the surface tension is stronger and bubbles caused by your return jets tend to hang around longer, causing foam.
Foam in a pool is due to the water being “thick.” This thickness creates bubbles. The bubbles are filled with air that can come from your pool circulation system that return the water back into the pool or even the wind outside. Common causes of foam are: Hair care products – shampoo, gel, hairspray, etc.
Adding too much algaecide will have a counterproductive effect. The product will have a tougher time working when it's saturated in the water. There's not much to remedy an algaecide overdose except letting it naturally dissipate. Swimmer usage, evaporation and backwashing are all factors that can contribute to this.
Chemically, it is safe to swim. You will need circulation in the pool to introduce chlorine...... keeping it sanitary and algae free. Do not turn your pump off for more than 24 hours or so.
Using liquid chlorine raises the pH of the water.
When added to water, liquid chlorine (which has a pH of 13) makes HOCl (hypochlorous acid – the killing form of chlorine) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide), which raises pH.
Cloudy or milky water after shocking is normal, and the water should clear up within an hour or so. Just make sure your pump and filter are running properly. If you add algaecide, keep in mind that some algaecide contains copper, which can actually make a pool cloudy.
Having too much chlorine in your pool water can be dangerous. Exposure to high levels of chlorine can cause lung irritation, skin and eye damage, and provoke asthma. Not only is it bad for your health, but it can be bad for your pool due to the increase in chlorine.
The Bottom Line about Pools and Chlorine
As mentioned above, you could probably swim in a pool without chlorine without any major health issues. However, long-term use of a pool lacking chlorinated H2O could make you sick or, at the very least, contribute to rashes and other types of skin irritation.
If the chlorine smell is very strong, however, you may soon spot “red-eyed” swimmers emerging from the pool. That's when the pool water is assumed to have “too much chlorine” in it. Ironically, a strong chemical smell around the pool and “swimmer red eye” may be signs that there is not enough chlorine in the water.
How Long Do I Have To Wait To Swim After Adding Pool Chemicals? It is recommended to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour after adding water balancing chemicals. You should wait 2-4 hours (or one full cycle through the filter) to swim from the moment you use calcium chloride in your pool.
Adding too much DE to your pool may cause multiple negative results. These ramifications include a clogged skimmer, turning the pool cloudy, reducing the circulatory pressure in the pool and putting too much work on your pump that may result in eventually breaking the pump.
DE is a Class 1 carcinogen — but only when airborne! Once it has been wetted, it is considered inert.
High Bather Load
On top of that, skin oils, sweat, (and urine) also build up with lots of pool guests. This is a good recipe for foam buildup, especially if you don't test and treat your water soon after your party leaves. Untreated water after a high bather load often results in foam and cloudy water.
The foam in spa pools is not dangerous and is simply caused by the jets creating bubbles with the surfactants in the water. It is a common spa pool problem and means that your spa pool needs fresh water, or to be rebalanced in terms of pH, alkalinity, or calcium levels.
Regardless of how frequently or what system you use to add chlorine to the water, the chlorine level should stay between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) to maintain a healthy pool. Anything higher will make you to run the risk of red eyes and swimmers itch.
At chlorine levels over 10 ppm, swimsuits can begin to fade. Pool covers become damaged, and the water is generally uncomfortable and unsafe for swimmers. Close the pool and keep covers off until chlorine levels fall back below 5.0 ppm.
The surrounding environment dictates how long it takes for the chlorine to evaporate. Warmer air will cause the chlorine to evaporate more rapidly. If you decide to place the water in a jug that's left open in the refrigerator, the chlorine should evaporate completely within 24 hours.
While the quart or so of water that was setting in the hose may have some chemical contaminants in it, by the time that is diluted into thousands of gallons of water, it's of no concern. That is of course assuming that your swimming pool is not your primary source of all drinking water.
Without Chemicals
If a parent chooses not to use chemicals in the kiddie pool, the water must be drained after the children are done using it. This should occur within 24 hours. That means the parents must go through the hassle of filling the pool with fresh water each day.
Mineral Swim is the only system of it's kind combining Australian made ozone water purification technology with 100% natural Dead Sea minerals to make it the safest, healthiest swimming pool about.
What chlorine level is too high to swim? It depends on who you ask, but the acceptable range is between 1 to 5 ppm. (So, for example, 10 ppm chlorine is not safe to swim in — that's too high.)