Chemical Usage

[bshiel]

Hi,
Having just started using the splasher pool.I understand about the PH levels but the chlorine free and bromine? indicator on the test strip show as low.What do I need to do.

I have a chemical starter pack.

Thanks

[Glan]

Hi,
Glad to see you have the splasher up!.
Ok so I know you say your ok with Ph, but for the rest of the forum, let me just run through a couple of things.
Ph - ideal range 7.2 - 7.4.
Why? ok 2 reason:
1. Red eye is normally caused by Ph levels.
2. Chlorine converts from your various forms of dosed chlorine, i.e tablets, granules or liquid, into Hypochlorus acid (don't worry if I spelt it wrong). The key word is Acid, the chlorine is converted to a really nasty killer of all know germs acid. So if your pool ph is 7.8, the amount of chlorine acid produced will be lessend. The easiest way to show the relation, is by thinking about a car, and petrol. If you thrash your car at 100mph, not only will you get a ticket, but your fuel efficiency will be massively reduced (7.8ph). If you drive at 55mph (yeh thats going to happen), your fuel economy is greatly increased (7.2ph), obvioulsy we can't always drive at 55, we are not American's yet! so 7.4 is ideal.

They(chemists) estimate that if your pool is running at 8.0ph you will only get 10% of the chlorine you dose into the pool turning into Hypochlorus Acid.

So check your ph, and if its ok, you will just need to add more chlorine.

The test strips only show you the free chlorine, and that's the chlorine that is in reserve sitting in the water waiting to kill all those bacteria that make us unwell, the nasty chlorine smell you get when you go to a leisure centre, is normally the gases from the spent chlorine, called chloramines. High chlorimines indicate a dirty pool. The Bromine on your test strips are for people generally with spa baths/hot tubs. Bromine is used instead of chlorine in spa's, because it is less Ph & temperature sensitive, as spa's have a greater range of ph change due to the air blower, and other factors, that change a spa's ph from one moment to the next. Bromine also has far less odoour than chlorine, but is non UV stable, so has a short life outside. Most fountains, including the Millenium dome fountains which we maintian, are run on bromine, due to the air induced into the water.

hope this helps
Glan

[bshiel]

Hi Glan,
A great help ....Thanks :)

[Laura]

And from me toooo :)

Laura.