Pools
The Chemistry of Water Care
Proper water chemistry is essential to maintaining safe and consistent swimming pool or spa operation. The goals of any water care program should be the same:
- Prevention of disease – By killing disease causing bacteria with the use of sanitizers and oxidizers.
- Protection of equipment – Water that is out of balance adds wear and tear to a pool or spa system. Scale can build up on equipment and pipes, making the system less efficient. Worse yet, these components could corrode and prematurely wear out. Proper chemical balance prevents this damage.
- Provide the expected environment – Your pool or spa water should be clear and sparkling, easy on the eyes and skin and well protected from algae growth.
Though total water care can sound like a daunting and time consuming task, it is really not that difficult. At Sunshine we provide the most effective and easiest to use water care products available, and our expertly trained staff is always on hand to answer your questions or provide guidance on maintaining your pool properly and efficiently. We invite you to bring a water sample into our store for a consultation on how you are doing. Our goal is have you to spend the least amount of time maintaining your water and the most amount of time enjoying it!
The Nature of Water
Typical fill water needs some help in order to make it suitable for pool or spa use. The parameters of water chemistry care involve four basic areas of attention:
- Water Balance
- Sanitizing
- Oxidizing
- Algae Control
Total water balance is important; it ensures that the mineral content of the water is in an appropriate state to protect the pool or spa and the people in it. A proper balance of the following chemical factors is needed for disinfectants to work properly, make the water comfortable to swim in and to prevent scaling or corrosion of the pool or spa or damage to related equipment:
- pH (measure of acidity and the alkali nature of water)
- Total Alkalinity (TA)
- Calcium Hardness (CH)
- Temperature
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
- Saturation Index
For water to be safe for swimmers, it must be properly sanitized. The compound most commonly used for this is chlorine. Unfortunately, chlorine is quickly dissipated by the UV rays of the sun. This dissipation rate can be dramatically reduced through the process of stabilization, therefore, properly stabilized water requires less chlorine, which saves you money. More importantly, the chlorine remains in the water where it protects you by killing micro-organisms and keeping the water clean. Bromine is another sanitizer available for disinfecting water, but it cannot be stabilized, so its use is limited mainly to spas and indoor pools.
Contrary to popular belief, salt water systems do not replace the use of chlorine or bromine; they simply provide an alternative method of adding these sanitizers to the water.
Oxidizers are elements or compounds that create a chemical reaction to form oxygen. Oxidizers are added to pool or spa water to destroy unwanted compounds such as urine, perspiration, suntan lotion and oils, thus enhancing water clarity. The process of adding oxidizers to your pool or spa is commonly referred to as “shocking” the water.
Algae is a microscopic, single celled plant life that reproduces rapidly. Algae species commonly found in swimming pool water are identified by their colour groups: green, black, mustard and pink. It is important to control algae in swimming pools for health, safety and aesthetic reasons. An algae-infested swimming pool is also an expensive and frustrating problem to correct so it is far better to prevent algae growth than to destroy it.
At Sunshine we are the exclusive dealer of BioGuard Water Care products, the leading name in pool and spa water care.
