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Author: Pool Cleaner Expert Research

  • How to vaccum and clean pool in 11 steps

    A pool vacuum is a cleaning device designed to remove debris, dirt, and grime from a pool basin. The pool vacuum works by creating suction that sucks up debris from the pool floor and the pool floor’s surrounding walls. The pool vacuum connects to the pool’s skimmer or a stand-alone suction line and uses the…

  • How to Raise and Increase Pool pH in 7 steps

    A low pH level in pool is any value below 7 on the pH scale, indicating that the water is acidic. The ideal pH level for a pool is between 7.2 and 7.8, with a perfect level being between 7.4 and 7.6. The pH level in a pool below 7.2 causes irritation to the eyes…

  • How to Lower Pool pH in 3 steps

    A high pH level in pool is considered to be anything above 7.8. A high pH level in the pool water indicates the pool water is too alkaline, reducing the effectiveness of chlorine, causing skin irritation, excessive cloudiness in the water, and scale buildup. If the pool water pH is higher than 8, anyone who…

  • How to Winterize a Pool: Steps for Above Ground and Inground Pools

    Pool winterizing is the process of preparing your pool for the colder months when it will not be in use. The process of preparing your pool for the colder months involves turning off the pool equipment, removing accessories, and draining the amount of water from the lines and vessels. The purpose of winterizing a pool…

  • Pool shock: Definition, Types, Steps

    Pool shock is a process that involves adding chlorine or non-chlorine pool chemicals to the water to raise the “free chlorine” level. The aim is to increase the “free chlorine” level to a point where contaminants such as algae, chloramines, and bacteria are destroyed. The pool shock is a high dose of chlorine meant to…

  • Oxidation in Pools: All you Need to Know

    Oxidation in Pools: All you Need to Know

    Oxidation is a chemical process used in swimming pools to remove organic waste and kill bacteria. This process involves the use of oxidizers, which can include substances like chlorine, bromine, ozone, monopersulfate, hydrogen peroxide, and other sanitizers or disinfectants. Oxidation is crucial in maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the water, as it helps to…

  • Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    The Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) is a chemical treatment that uses reactions with hydroxyl radicals to eliminate organic and occasionally inorganic substances from water. AOP enhances the decomposition of ozone into hydroxyl radicals using hydrogen peroxide, producing radicals faster than standard ozone decomposition. The process combines ozone and UV into one system to maximize disinfection,…

  • Saturation Index in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Saturation Index in Pools: All You Need to Know

    The Saturation Index (SI) is a method used to determine if water will deposit or dissolve calcium carbonate. It considers five balance factors: pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, temperature, and total dissolved solids. Sequestering agents enhance the solubility of calcium carbonate, reducing scale formation and potentially shifting the balance point of the SI to a…

  • What is Pool Temperature: All You Need to Know

    What is Pool Temperature: All You Need to Know

    Temperature is a physical factor that affects water balance. It becomes significant under extreme conditions, such as in spas with high water temperatures (up to 104°F). Temperature is also a factor represented in the Saturation Index, which affects water chemistry. Temperature influences the growth of algae in pool water and affects the readings of ORP.…

  • Borate in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Borate in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Borate refers to the borate ion [B(OH) –], which is a form of the chemical element boron. Borate is found in various fruits, vegetables, seawater, and saline lakes, and is also produced from boric acid, a salt known as sodium tetraborate pentahydrate. Borate is used in the pool industry for pH buffering, algae prevention, lowering…

  • Muriatic Acid in Pools: Definition, Levels, Testing

    Muriatic Acid in Pools: Definition, Levels, Testing

    Muriatic acid is another name for hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a compound produced under several conditions: when hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is used in an oxidation reaction; after HOCl has completed the process of eliminating organisms; or when chlorine is degraded by sunlight. The amount of acid produced is nearly equal to the amount…

  • Cyanuric Acid in Pools: Definition, Levels, Testing

    Cyanuric Acid in Pools: Definition, Levels, Testing

    Cyanuric acid is a conditioner and stabilizer for pools. Also known as 2,4,6-trihydroxy-s-triazine, it is a white, granular solid chemical that reduces chlorine loss due to ultraviolet rays from sunlight. Cyanuric acid is not toxic and does not significantly penetrate the skin. It is used in commercial or public swimming pools in the U.S. up…

  • Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) refer to the total weight of all soluble matter in the water. This includes everything that has dissolved in the water and remained, such as minerals, cyanurates, chlorides, suntan lotion, dirt, and other substances like hardness, alkalinity, sodium, sulfates, salts. TDS are estimated by measuring the water’s electrical conductivity, which increases…

  • Calcium Hardness in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Calcium Hardness in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Calcium hardness refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. The water collects these minerals as it passes over soil and rocks along its journey from its source to the tap. The hardness level of water depends on the type of rocks and soil it flows over. For instance, water flowing…

  • Swimming Pool Alkalinity: Definition, Ranges, How to Raise and Lower

    Swimming Pool Alkalinity: Definition, Ranges, How to Raise and Lower

    Total alkalinity is a measure of the total amount of alkaline materials dissolved in the water. Total alkalinity acts as a pH buffer, preventing the pH from decreasing. Total alkalinity indicates the water’s resistance to pH change and its ability to neutralize acid. It is also a measure of the soluble minerals present in the…

  • Swimming Pool pH: Definition, Ranges, How to Raise and Lower

    Swimming Pool pH: Definition, Ranges, How to Raise and Lower

    The pH of pool water is a crucial aspect of pool and spa care. The term “pH” stands for power (mathematical) and hydrogen, and it indicates how acidic or basic a solution is. The ideal pH for pool water is considered to be 7.5, as this level prevents most water balance problems and is in…

  • Water Balance in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Water Balance in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Water balance refers to the process of maintaining optimal conditions in a body of water, such as a pool or spa, by managing various parameters. These parameters include pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Temperature, TDS (Total Dissolve Solids), Cyanuric Acid (Conditioner or Stabilizer), and Borate pH buffer. A pool is considered “in balance” when these…

  • Ultraviolet (UV) Light in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Ultraviolet (UV) Light in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Ultraviolet Light (UV) is electromagnetic radiation with a shorter wavelength than visible light. UV light is part of the sun’s light spectrum or is artificially generated. It is divided into three wavelengths: UV-A (315-400 nanometers), UV-B (290- 315 nanometers), and UV-C (220-290 nanometers). UV light is used to generate ozone and as a supplemental disinfectant…

  • Ozone in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Ozone in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Ozone is used to supplement disinfectants like chlorine or bromine in pool or spa water. Ozone (O3) is a colorless, odorless gas used for water sanitation. Ozone consists of three atoms of oxygen and is a highly reactive form of oxygen. Ozone is one of the strongest known oxidizers, capable of annihilating organisms by cutting…

  • Bromine in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Bromine in Pools: All You Need to Know

    BCDMH (Bromine) is a stabilized, organic compound that comes in granular form or tabs. Bromine has 27% available chlorine and 95.5% active strength. In a 1% solution, bromine lowers the pH to 4.8. Bromine is a generic term for any chemical that releases hypobromous acid when dissolved in water. Bromine is a halogen, similar to…

  • Chlorine Generation in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Chlorine Generation in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Chlorine generation is the process of producing chlorine gas, typically through electrolysis. This involves using a chlorine generator that uses resources like salt, electricity, and water. The generator has a plastic tank divided into two compartments by a filter-type membrane. When electricity separates chlorine from sodium in the salt solution compartment, chlorine gas is generated.…

  • Dichlor in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Dichlor in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Dichlor is a stabilized, organic compound that appears in granular form. Dichlor provides 56-63% available chlorine and more than 99% active strength. In a 1% solution, dichlor has a neutral effect on the pH, maintaining the pH level between 6.5 and 6.8. Dichlor refers to sodium dichlorostriazinetrione. Dichlor is a white granular, fast-dissolving chlorine compound…

  • Trichlor in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Trichlor in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Trichlor is a stabilized, organic compound that comes in granular form or tabs. Trichlor has 90% available chlorine and more than 99% active strength. In a 1% solution, trichlor lowers the pH to a range of 2.8 to 3.5.  Trichlor, also known as trichloro-s-triazinetrione or trichloroisocyanuric acid, is a chlorine compound that provides 90% available…

  • Lithium Hypochlorite in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Lithium Hypochlorite in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Lithium hypochlorite is an unstabilized, inorganic compound that appears in granular form. Lithium hypochlorite provides 35% available chlorine and 29% active strength. In a 1% solution, it raises the pH to 10.8. Lithium hypochlorite, also known as Lithium Hypo, is a white powder or granule with a high pH (10.8). It provides 35% available chlorine…

  • Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal Hypo) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal Hypo) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Calcium hypochlorite, an unstabilized, inorganic compound, is available in granular form, tabs, or briquettes. It offers 47-78% available chlorine and the same percentage of active strength. In a 1% solution, it raises the pH to a range of 8.5 to 11. Calcium hypochlorite, also known as Cal Hypo, is a chemical compound with the formula…

  • Sodium Hypochlorite? (Liquid Chlorine) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Sodium Hypochlorite? (Liquid Chlorine) in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Sodium Hypochlorite is an unstabilized, inorganic compound that comes in a liquid form. It has a chlorine availability of 10-12% and an active strength of 10-12%. When used in a 1% solution, it raises the pH to a level between 9 and 14.  Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a liquid solution containing approximately 15 percent chlorine.…

  • Chlorine Gas in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Chlorine Gas in Pools: All You Need to Know

    Gas chlorine is an unstabilized, inorganic compound that exists in a gaseous state. It has 100% available chlorine and the same percentage of active strength. In a 1% solution, gas chlorine lowers the pH to 0. Chlorine gas is a greenish-yellow gas that is 2.5 times heavier than air. It is used in various industries,…

  • Pool Chlorine: Definition, Effects, Adding, Levels, Types

    Pool Chlorine: Definition, Effects, Adding, Levels, Types

    Swimming pool chlorine refers to the chemical compound used to sanitize and disinfect pool water. It is commonly used in the swimming pool and spa industry as the primary sanitizer. Chlorine emerges in different forms, such as gas chlorine (chlorine gas), liquid chlorine (bleach or sodium hypochlorite), or chlorinating granules (such as sodium dichloroisocyanurate). Chlorine…