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Water Chemistry
Water chemistry is a very important part of pool maintenance. It
is fun and safe to swim in fresh clean water. The clarity of your
water also affects the operation and longevity of your filtration and
heating equipment. You should make it a high priority to keep your
pool and spa water safe. At Aqua Blue Designs, we build in ways to
make it as easy as possible to keep your water clean, clear and safe.
Here is a brief explanation of what we do to accomplish this.
Please follow the links provided to get more detailed information from
our suppliers.
Generally Speaking
Pool water chemistry should be tested and adjusted on a regular basis,
at least once per week, and more often if there has been rain or heavy
pool usage. Testing should include sanitizer levels, pH levels and
alkalinity levels. With fiberglass pools, these three items are
the most important. If you have a concrete pool, you should also
test for calcium hardness. Testing can be done with a test kit or
test strips. Most test strips are accurate enough for pool water
testing and are much easier to use than a test kit. Since they
take only a few second to use, you are more likely to test your water on
a regular basis. Until recently, only commercial pools have used
automated water testing do to the great expense. Goldline Controls
has now introduced a new affordable system that automates testing of
water. Most of our pools use salt water chlorination to eliminate
buying, handling and storing chlorine. Fiberglass pools are made
from very stable materials that do not affect water chemicals.
This means that pH and alkalinity levels are more stable than in other
types of pools.
Salt Water Chlorine
Generators
Salt water
chlorinators use salt to generate chlorine. Pure sodium chloride
is added to the pool water. As the water is recirculated through
the pump and filter, it also passes through an electronic device that
turns part of the salt into chlorine. This chlorine is then pumped
back into the pool where is acts as a sanitizer. A healthy amount
of chlorine for a pool is about 3 parts per million or ppm. The
amount of chlorine required to maintain a certain ppm varies with pool
usage, sunshine, dirt, rain and other contaminates that may enter the
pool. The chlorine generator can be controlled in one of three
ways: adjusting the percentage of output, varying the time the pump is
running, or by utilizing an automated testing system (see Automatic
Water Testing, this page).
Automated Chlorination
Automatic Water Testing
In early
2008, Goldline Controls introduced Sense and Dispense. This system
takes water chemistry automation to the next level by automatically
sensing pH and ORP (Oxygen Reduction Potential) and then dispensing CO2
and chlorine to adjust them to desired levels. Please see the
Goldline Controls website for more information.
Sense and Dispense
Jacks Magic
Jacks Magic offers a
comprehensive selection of stain removal products. We are one of
the few places in Kansas City to stock them all.
Jacks Magic
Pristine Blue
For those who
are allergic to or just don't like chlorine, Pristine Blue offers a
great alternative. We stock the full line.
Pristine Blue
Pool and Spa Chemical
Questions
If you have
specific questions about pool or spa chemicals, here is a link to GLB,
one of the chemical companies that manufactures our pool and spa
chemicals.
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