This year’s Austin summer has been the best so far keeping it under 100o!!! As we enjoy our days by the pool, we are constantly reminded of certain pool water myths that can make you hesitant to enjoy some poolside fun. Well, we thought we would clear a few up for you so you can enjoy your pool worry free! Here are the six most common myths in pool-water chemistry.
 

THERE’S TOO MUCH CHLORINE IN THE POOL – YOU CAN SMELL IT!

Does this swim-team mom cry sound familiar? The truth is, when you smell it, that’s not chlorine! Too little chlorine in the pool for days is the result of ammonia-type introduction. What you actually smell is urine, sweat and decomposing organic matter, which produces ammonia compounds in the chlorine. These are also the sources of the odor and irritation.
 

GREEN HAIR IN BLONDES IS CAUSED BY TOO MUCH CHLORINE

Not at all. Green hair is actually caused by copper in the water – but not right away during a swim. Copper is a metal that is found in some swimming pools, particularly ones that are filled using well water. Copper can also enter the pool water from certain copper-based algaecides. Your hair turning green as a result of copper usually occurs long after the pool water has dried in the hair. The culprit could be a couple of things:
 

First, the operator might have, inadvertently, allowed copper (pipes, heater, impeller) to be dissolved by the water in the pool. Error two is the swimmer’s fault. She or he didn’t shower (rinse) or even towel dry the pool-wet hair. It dried with that half cup of copper-bearing water leaving its contents behind. To avoid a hair mishap you can follow these simple steps:
 

• Some algaecides contain copper, and are very effective in killing algae,but they can also cause staining and, of course, green hair. Look for polyquat algaecides to use in your pool as a weekly algae preventative, such as Algaecide 60. Or don’t use algaecide at all and just keep your chlorine level in check.
• If you have metals in your water, be sure to remove them by using a chemical that removes metals in the water or a pre-filter that you can attach to your garden hose while filling your pool
• You can also protect your hair by using a leave-in conditioner before swimming. Also, wash and rinse your hair as soon as you get out of the pool. FYI – Everybody, by the way, gets green hair under this sequence of events, it just shows up better in bleached blondes.

 

THE IDEAL pH FOR ANY POOL WATER IS 7.4

This is impossible to know. In reality, there is no “ideal” anything. The water’s hardness, other Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) variables, and even the values read from the make-up (fill) water help you determine the most appropriate value. In general, the best pH is the lowest pH you can get away with. Chlorine works much better at lower pH values.

 

POOL-WATER CHEMISTRY IS MADE UP OF CHLORINE AND pH.

Actually, chlorine has nothing to do with the balance in pool water chemistry. Temperature, pH levels, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and – to a minute degree – total dissolved solids make up the group of five variables commonly used to calculate the CSI. This numerical index is the most preferred way to determine the water’s so-called balance. The CSI helps predict the water’s aggressiveness, its scaling potential, or the state of balance between those extremes. Chlorine is simply the necessary oxidizer/sanitizer compound one adds to the nicely balanced water.

 

WHEN A DPD CHLORINE TEST FLASHES A LITTLE PINK THEN TURNS CRYSTAL CLEAR, YOUR WATER HAS ALMOST NO CHLORINE IN IT

The opposite is true! More spas are fried and bathing suits bleached because of this error than just about any other. As you know, the universally accepted DPD test for chlorine turns progressively more pink as higher residuals are detected in the sample… that is until the indicator is itself turns clear. Many, many untrained pool owners have dumped excessive amounts of chlorine in their water (most often in hot whirlpools or spas), thinking all along that for some crazy reason they just hadn’t yet put enough in to get a reading! In a small bodies of water this testing error has resulted in creating some very unsafe, damaging or at least unpleasant conditions.
 

HIGH HARDNESS MAKES CLOUDY, SCALY WATER.

False. It takes a very high pH (well above your state’s code) to precipitate calcium scale. If you keep your pH reasonable — we hope in the low sevens so your chlorine is producing serious CSI— you can run your hardness up to 1000 ppm or even higher with brilliantly clear, non-scaling water. Even if the calcium saturation index is positive your water will not scale at all unless the pH exceeds 8.0.

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

You can’t do an adequate and safe job thinking that tossing in a little chlorine while holding some good pH/chlorine test-kit readings will take care of that chemistry stuff just fine. Please don’t do it!

 
5 CHEMICALS LEVELS THAT EVERY POOL OWNER SHOULD KNOW

◦ FC – Free Chlorine – A sanitizer that keeps your pool water safe and free of germs. Chlorine must be constantly replenished. (level depends on CYA)
◦ PH – Acidity/Alkalinity – Needs to be kept in balance to prevent irritation and protect the pool equipment. (7.5 to 7.8)
◦ TA – Total Alkalinity – Appropriate levels help keep the PH in balance. High levels can cause PH to rise. (60 to 120, sometimes higher)
◦ CH – Calcium Hardness – Appropriate levels help prevent plaster damage. High levels can cause calcium scaling. (220 to 350, vinyl lower)
◦ CYA – Cyanuric Acid – Protects chlorine from sunlight and determines the required FC level. (outdoors 30 to 50, SWG 70 to 80, indoors 0 to 20)

 

If you fail to properly care of your water chemistry you can put your loved ones and your pool at risk of the following:

• Eye and skin irritation
• Staining
• Unsightly wrinkles in vinyl liners
• Interferes with the efficiency of sanitizers
• Corrosion of metals (pump seals, heaters, lights, etc.)
• Cloudy water
• Scale build-up (white chalky appearance) on pool surface as well as inside filter and heater
• Pitting and corrosion of gunite/concrete pools

 
Proper water balance is the single most important factor to maximizing the life and appearance of any swimming pool. Making sure your pool care technician is certified is essential! Certifications are becoming mandatory by many state agencies. Remember – you can always reach out to us at EasyPools.com and we will take care of you and your pool.