Chlorine Alternatives To Sanitize Your Pool
Chlorine is without a doubt the best and most effective sanitizer on the market. However, there are several reasons why some people go another route.
Some people are just more sensitive to the stuff than others, for example. And some people just prefer using something a little gentler.
Whatever the reason, there are a few other things you can try.
Alternatives To Chlorine You Could Consider
Chlorine, nowadays, does have several alternatives that fulfill at least the basic criteria of safety. There are tried and tested alternatives to chlorine and research is still being continued to this day. Other aspects one needs to consider are cost, maintenance, and suitability to your requirements. Here are nine alternatives you may want to consider:
The Different Types Of Chlorine
Whether you choose to go with tablet, powdered or liquid chlorine, know that these come in either unstabilized and stabilized variants.
Without turning this into a chemistry lesson, Id like to cover the basics when it comes to the different types of chlorine, and more importantly what each one means for you as a swimming pool owner.
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How Long Does It Take For Chlorine Levels To Go Down
This depends entirely on which method you use.
Sodium thiosulfate is probably the quickest fix, with other chlorine reducers right behind it.
A more natural method could take a little longer.
Sunlight might take at least 24 hours to decrease the chlorine levels, depending on how high they were to start with.
But if you drain some of your pool water, you can check it as soon as it’s refilled. Sometimes thats all it takes to do the trick.
What Happens If You Put Too Much Chlorine In Your Pool
Exposure to high amounts of chlorine in the pool can lead to skin and eye irritation and lung irritation as well. It can also provoke an asthma attack in patients suffering from the disease.
Swimming in a pool which contains high amounts of chlorine has also been linked to other serious health conditions. This is why you need to ensure you get the best pool chlorine, and frequently check the pH levels of your pool.
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How To Use Vitamin C To Neutralize Chlorine
Both ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate will neutralize chlorine according to the USDA.
1. Ascorbic Acid The chemical reaction of ascorbic acid with chlorine is:
- C5H5O5CH2OH + HOCL C5H3O5CH2OH + HCl + H2O
- Ascorbic acid + Hypochlorous acid Dehydroascorbic acid + Hydrochloric acid+ water
2. Sodium Ascorbate The reaction of sodium ascorbate with chlorine is:
- C5H5O5CH2ONa + HOCL C5H3O5CH2OH + NaCl + H2O
- Sodium ascorbate + Hypochlorous acid Dehydroascorbic acid + Sodium chloride + water
Dilute The Pool Water
Diluting your pool is an efficient option if the chlorine level requires to be lowered slightly.Dumping out your pool water and replacing it with clean, fresh water is an excellent option if you need to lower the chlorine levels in your pool.By lowering the chlorine level in your pool, youll be able to enjoy swimming without getting a headache.After doing this, its essential to do a pool test, considering that youll be draining various other chemicals together with the chlorine.
Pros
- Rebalancing of other chemicals might be needed after that.
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First Test Your Water Chemistry
Before you go adding a bunch of chemicals to your pool water, you need to test your water to get accurate measurements of your current alkalinity level. Read our guide on testing your pool water with a testing kit to learn how to do it effectively.
Once you have your reading, youll know whether your alkalinity level is too high or too low . To raise your alkalinity levels, youll add sodium bicarbonate to your pool water. To lower it, youll use muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate. I know what youre thinkingbaking soda? Yep, there are also other household products you can use to clean your pool.
How To Chlorinate A Pool
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Chlorine helps keep a pool clean, and managing chlorine levels is an important aspect of owning a pool. Chlorine tablets are the best option for maintaining a normal level of 2 to 3 parts per million . To distribute the chemical evenly, add the tablets to an automatic dispenser. In addition to using tablets, you should also sanitize your pool with a liquid or granular chlorine shock treatment every 1 to 2 weeks. Whether youre working with chlorine in tablet, liquid, or granular form, read the products instructions carefully and use it as directed.
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The Water Sample Will Turn A Color Indicating The Free Chlorine Level In The Pool
How to raise free chlorine in my pool. The process may be halted when the combined chlorine level of the pool drops under 0.5 or the free chlorine test shows 1.0 ppm or less. Use your chlorine test kit to measure the chlorine level of the pool. Add a test tablet to the sample, and let it dissolve.
You cannot shock a pool now and then. Instead of the tester strip, water tester kit is more recommended since it can test the amount of free chlorine and give a more accurate result. Increase free chlorine in a pool by adding 1 pound of chlorine or bromine for every 20,000 gallons of water.
How to lower pool chlorine. You have to properly match total chlorine to free chlorine. To raise the free chlorine level, add chlorine to the pool water.
Pool professionals who know how to raise free chlorine in pool use the higher ten times multiplier to make sure they have enough chlorine in the pool. They also realize that having a little extra chlorine in the swimming pool is a much better alternative than having too little. Just make sure to rinse that filter every day and shock once a week try a water test if chlorine levels are low use chlorine shock if not use non chlorine shock and use a pool cover at night i recommend a water proof cover and scrub the pool walls everyday once morning or night and use a skimmer hand held or electric to clean the leafs and debris out of the water and check ph of the water .
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The Truth About Chlorine In Swimming Pools
This summer when you don your bathing suit and walk out onto the pool deck, you may be in for a sensory experience that conjures up happy memories of summers pastwarm sunshine, sparkling pool water and the smell of chlorine. If the chlorine smell is very strong, however, you may soon spot red-eyed swimmers emerging from the pool. Thats 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. Sound confusing? Its time to set the record straight about chlorine and swimming pools.
Chlorine helps protect swimmers from waterborne germs
Most swimmers understand that chlorine is added to pools to kill germs that can make swimmers sick. Chlorine-based pool sanitizers help reduce swimmers risk of waterborne illnesses, such as diarrhea, swimmers ear, and various skin infections. The great advantage of chlorine over other sanitizers, such as ozone and UV is that it keeps working long after it is added to pool water chlorine provides a residual level of protection against germs in the water. Chlorine is not the only game in town when it comes to pool sanitizers, but of the common products, only chlorine- and bromine-based disinfectants provide significant residual protection. Salt-water pools, by the way, are chlorinated pools in which the chlorine is generated on site from sodium chloride.
Swimmers can help keep swimming healthy
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Which Chlorine Alternative Is Right For You
With multiple options for a chlorine-free swimming pool, the choice can be confusing.
Every situation is different, so youll have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each chlorine alternative system.
Salt system pools are very popular, and the most common non-chlorine option, but their high installation cost and potential to damage pool equipment may make you think twice.
A mineral or ionator option seems to be more of what most people are looking for when it comes to chlorine alternatives. The smooth and silky feeling they offer is a big plus, as no one wants to come out of a pool feeling like they just bathed in harsh chemicals.
Meanwhile, you cant really go wrong with the actual chlorine-free options: bromine and biguanide.
Bromine works just as well as chlorine , and biguanide does an impeccable job as well. The only downside to these is their price tags.
Go Slow And Ask A Pro
We strongly recommend asking a pool cleaning professional for advice before adding bleach, or anything else, to your pool water.
Always add any treatment in stages rather than all at once if youre the least bit uncertain of your outcomes, and check chlorine levels with a chlorine test kit every time you add bleach or any other chlorine treatment.
Not sure how much bleach to add, because youre not sure how many gallons of water are in your pool? Ask your pool builder!
If you’d like to get in touch with a pool builder today, whether it’s to install a new pool or get the most out of the one you already have, click the button below and we’ll connect you to an authorized River Pools franchise near you:
Fiberglass pool shells should include detailed dig specs with length, width, depth, and the volume of water it should hold when full.
For example, our D24 model has a 7,500-gallon capacity, while our C40 freeform model holds about 17,000 gallons. Concrete and vinyl liner pools may be a little trickier to estimate, but if you dont mind doing a little math, you can use this formula to figure out your pools capacity…
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How To Safely Add Chlorine To A Swimming Pool
Chlorine is the most popular pool sanitizer. Its responsibilities include sanitization, disinfection and oxidation. Needless to say, having a good residual of free chlorine is essential to having a healthy and safe pool to swim in. This article will explain how to add various types of chlorine to your swimming pool. Let’s get started.
First and foremost, a word of caution. NEVER mix different types of chlorine together. Even storing them near each other can be dangerous. Chlorine is a volatile oxidizer and when mixed with other types of chlorine, it can be deadly. Always use protective gloves and glasses, and use caution. In fact, as a rule of thumb, NEVER mix chlorine directly with anything else.
The Number Of Hours You Use The Pool
The more swimming there is, the quicker the added chlorine degrades. For example, if you wear your swim cap& swimming goggles and get in the pool twice per week, you may need to add chlorine more often compared to someone who uses his or her pool once per week.
If your swimming pool is not used much, you need to check the quality of the pool water once per week. If you use the pool more than 2 days per week, you should check the water quality 2 3 times every week.
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Rinse Your Skin After Each Practice
Skin reactions to chlorine are uncomfortable and unpredictable, but fortunately, not unavoidable. They often appear as red, itchy rashes, hives, or sometimes even flare-ups of eczema. A simple way to keep skin clear and healthy is to rinse off immediately after each practice in non-chlorinated water. Make sure to scrub thoroughly, as chlorine can leave behind a film that continues to eat away at your skin, even after leaving the pool.
Additionally, it is always helpful to apply moisturizing lotion to clean skin to avoid dry, irritated patches. Hives can simply be relieved by rubbing Benadryl allergy relief cream on the affected area.
Eczema is a more serious skin problem that can be affected by prolonged chlorine exposure. While a very small amount of chlorine can act to eliminate bacteria relating to eczema, research has shown that in most cases, chlorine has an abrasive, drying effect that worsens the condition. The most important thing to remember is to keep your skin clean and hydrated whenever youre out of the pool.
If problems persist, there are interesting products targeted towards dry skin caused by chlorine that employ vitamin C, a natural and safe antioxidant.
Mineral Water Pool Systems:
These cartridge-based systems consist of minerals/alloys that deactivate algae and other microorganisms as water flows through its chamber. Two common brands are Pool FROG and Nature 2 and can reduce the need for chlorine up to 50%. They are easy to use and low on maintenance as you can refill the mineral cartridges. This system can be simply attached to the PVC pipes of pool systems. The drawback is that chlorine must be used and the replacement cartridges can be expensive and have to be replaced often on larger pools.
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How Do You Perform Chlorine Shock Treatment
You can use the following step-by-step plan to to carry out chlorine shock treatment in your swimming pool.
Chlorine shock dosing schedule
You should always check the packaging of your chlorine powder before adding it to the pool.
|
Volume of swimming pool: |
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Adding Chlorine To Your Swimming Pool Water
Swimming pool owners have many different options for adding chlorine to their swimming pools. Liquid chlorine, pucks, chlorinators and dispenser varieties allow you to make a custom setup. Using an automatic chlorinator, salt water chlorinator, or other dispensers can make it much easier to maintain your chlorine levels.
To make sure your chlorine routine is working effectively, water testing is absolutely essential. Whether you use a chlorinator or add your chlorine by hand, understanding chlorine levels can help to ensure you use your chlorine effectively and efficiently.
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How Is It Treated
You can usually treat a chlorine rash with over-the-counter products. This includes corticosteroid creams, such as hydrocortisone. However, most doctors dont recommend putting hydrocortisone cream on the face as it can thin the skin or get in the mouth and eyes.
If you experience hives, you can apply a diphenhydramine cream or take a medication that contains diphenhydramine, such as Benadryl. You can also purchase body washes or lotions that remove chlorine and are designed to soothe the skin. Examples include:
Reduction In Water Temperature:
Reducing your water temperature to colder than normal will help slow bacterial and algal growth. Most of these microorganisms thrive and proliferate in warm to hot environments. Also, it reduces the speed of chemicals reacting with each other or human skin. So, while reducing temperature is not an independent solution, it can definitely reduce the quantity of chlorine you would have to use otherwise. The drawback here is that it is difficult for some people to swim comfortably in cold water. The method you adopt to reduce the water temperature would largely depend on the outside weather. If the climate is warm and pleasant, you can go for a pool chiller. If the outside weather is cold, you can opt for aeration or oxygenation through fountains. If you have a water heater installed, lower the thermostat level. Heaters and chillers are very expensive in comparison to other pool equipment options. Chlorine, or other sanitation systems, still must be used. However, the amount required is reduced. Probably not enough to justify the expense.
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How Much Liquid Chlorine Do I Put In A 15000 Gallon Pool
It implies that whether for a 20000-gallon pool, for 15000-gallon pool, or a 10000-gallon pool, you will be required to have chlorine of about 0.00013 ounces per gallon of pool water.
Adding chlorine calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochloriteto your swimming pool in the evening, instead of the morning can reduce cut your chemical costs BY 50%.
