Pool Chemistry for Dummies

[AnOther]

If like me talk of Chlorine lock, Cyanauric acid, and numerous other esoteric concoctions, goes right over your head I found THIS site which has has a very understandable explanation of what each chemical does and how they interact etc.

[chem geek]

Yes, but being a manufacturer's website, they don't tell you how quickly the use of Trichlor or Dichlor products can increase your Cyanuric Acid / stabilizer / conditioner level.  For example, even if you have a relatively low 1 ppm Free Chlorine per day chlorine usage, if you use only Trichlor pucks/tabs as your source of chlorine then after just 6 months you will have increased your Cyanuric Acid / stabilizer / conditioner level by over 100 ppm.  Only significant water dilution would limit this somewhat, including regular backwashing of a filter, significant splash-out, rain overflow or intentional partial drain/refill.

In my own pool 6 years ago, my Cyanuric Acid / stabilizer / conditioner level rose from 30 ppm to 150 ppm in just 11 months of in-season use (over one and a half seasons) from using Trichlor alone.  This was with a pool that only used 0.8 ppm Free Chlorine per day due to an opaque safety cover, but I had an oversized cartridge filter so had no backwashing and I had a pool cover pump so didn't dilute the water with winter rains (because at that time, I didn't know anything about these things).

If you were to read the manufacturer's website, you'd never know why Andrew's chlorine injection system is a superior method unless you want to spend extra money on algaecides or phosphate removers to control algae growth.  In my 16,000 gallon pool (shown [url=http://richardfalk.home.comcast.net/~richardfalk/pool/PoolDay.jpg]here[/url]), I use 12.5% chlorinating liquid I buy from my local pool store that I add to the pool twice a week and it costs me $15 per month.  They reuse the containers which is better than recycling.  My pool's pH is very stable so I only need to add a small amount of acid every month or two.  That's it.  No other chemicals needed during most of the season (only touch-up from dilution from winter rains once a year).

Richard

[Théière]

Surely that is an advertisement and therefore not allowed as they are trying to sell you their products, how is that different to going to pool shop?

[AnOther]

I give up..............[:'(]

[Russethouse]

[quote user="teapot"]Surely that is an advertisement and therefore not allowed as they are trying to sell you their products, how is that different to going to pool shop?[/quote]

Because its a third party recommendation - honestly, what IS it with people in this section !!![:@]

[Théière]

Aw don't take it to heart RH, I just said it before someone else did [6]

Honestly Ernie, it is quite helpful, Its just restricted to one companies products so would not be very informative of the wider subject.

[AnOther]

[quote user="teapot"]Honestly Ernie, it is quite helpful, Its just restricted to one companies products so would not be very informative of the wider subject.[/quote]Are you trying to tell me teapot that that company is the only one which makes those chemicals coz even I know that's not so ?

I still don't get all this high falutin chemistry s**t, you keep the Ph around 7.4/7.6 and chuck a bit of Chlorine in, where's the black art in that ?

You swim in the sea with tur*s and used condoms bobbing around you, or in rivers and lakes of completely unknown content so I really struggle to understand just what harm is going to befall you in a domestic swimming pool full of crystal clear water ?

Sticking my head right above the parapet now but after my cloudy water episode which saw me install a proper sand filter, by trial and error I've found THIS product to be perfect for my modest pool. Put it on it's lowest setting and just chucked it in and it's kept my Chlorine and Ph bang on for over a month with no other intervention whatsoever, and claims to last for 3 months, perfick. Doubtless though the pool magicians will rip it to shreds for one reason or another [Www]

BTW, if anyone knows where to buy them I'd like to know because typically where I got it from they don't have any more and the Point de vente on the web site doesn't seem to do anything.

[Théière]

It certainly isn't a black art, people make hard work of it by spending money on all sorts of things for their pools except the item they really need a chemical test kit not just PH and chlorine.

If you keep the chemicals within the required parameters and the pool clean you should not have trouble.

A good chemical tester will almost certainly pay for itself by saving trips to the pool shop and the purchasing of a range of chemicals you may or may not have needed.

Some chemical companies try to think for the customers and add extra ingredients to their basic products, unless you understand what you are adding that can create its own problems.

(if you buy a car and never check the oil, water and fuel it's going to stop working)

I believe you are using a bromine doser, as the link you posted does not work very well and I am not familiar with every product in France.