Common Chemicals Used In Swimming Pools

Handled improperly chlorine can quickly turn your backyard pool into a hazmat scene.

Common chemicals used in swimming pools.

To take care of pathogens in the water you have to introduce a disinfecting agent that will get rid of them. Ph 7 2 7 6 alkalinity 80 120 ppm calcium hardness 180 220 ppm cyanuric acid 30 50 ppm chlorine 1 3 ppm. Nava 1 1301 24 24 pack chlorinating shock treatment for swimming pools nava chemicals offers a strong chlorine shock made of 99 sodium dichloro s triazinetrione with 56 available chlorine. The most popular pool disinfectant is the element chlorine in the form of a chemical compound such as calcium hypochlorite a solid or sodium hypochlorite a liquid.

It was one of the main agents of chemical warfare used in world war i. It clears algae spots and kills algae. Typical chemicals used include muriatic acid an archaic name for hydrochloric acid sodium bisulfate carbon dioxide sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate. There should be a constant.

Given this information some may be tempted to forgo chemical use. Oxidizers are the secondary sanitizer used every few weeks to kill algae and bacteria. And all these pool chemicals are big business. Even for plaster pools chlorine shock can be harsh for the pool finish and is recommended for pool closing because it won t disrupt or destroy other winter pool chemicals usually added at the same time.

What chemicals are needed for pools. This treatment is good for a quick chlorine dose. But there is no need to use this more expensive shock if you are adding it just before closing the pool unless your mesh safety cover lets in a lot of sunlight. Sodium bicarbonate also works but it has a greater effect on the total alkalinity of the water than it does on the ph.

One of the most common chemicals added to a pool is stabilizer also known as cyanuric acid. When the compound is added to the water the chlorine reacts with the water to form various chemicals most notably hypochlorous acid. It has a 5 7 concentration so if you have a 5 000 gallon pool you will be using 3 cups or 24 oz to raise the chlorine levels. For starters chlorine one of the chief chemicals used for water quality maintenance can also be highly toxic to humans.

You want to have a chlorine level of 1 3ppm so you can make sure that your water is safe for swimmers and free from contamination. Clorox is considered to be the most common bleach product that is used for pools. If you make the mistake of adding stabilizer directly to your pool water you will instantly turn the water into a milky mess by the way i have done this.