Why is using Chlorine Important? Disinfection/sanitation by a chemical such as chlorine is the most important factor in maintaining a swimming pool that is safe and healthy. Chlorine is the most widely used sanitation chemical for residential swimming pools. While there are other chemicals sometimes used for disinfection we generally don't recommend them because they aren't as effective.

PH Balance & Total Alkalinity
Along with testing for chlorine levels, checking your pool's pH level is critical (should be between 7.2 - 7.8) to keeping your pool water properly balanced. Water that is acidic or too alkaline in a pool can cause serious problems and also has an impact on the effectiveness of chlorine so it is important to check the pH on a weekly basis. This should be a procedure done by your pool professional each time he/she comes to service your pool. Total Alkalinity helps keep the Ph balanced and should also be tested from time to time.

Total Hardness & TDS
Over time solids such as salt (from liquid chlorine) and minerals will be build up in your pool, requiring either all of the water or at least half of it to be drained and refilled with fresh water. Your pool professional regularly perform a total hardness test to see how much calcium is in the pool. TDS is Total Dissolved Solids that includes salt build up in the pool which impedes the movement of chlorine molecules thus hampering proper sanitation and could contribute also to an algae bloom. Your pool professional will use a special TDS meter to determine if the level of total dissolved solids are high enough to require a drain and fill of the pool.

Even when chemical levels are properly balanced by a pool professional, algae will occasionally appear in a customer's swimming pool. Algae spores are microscopic single-cell structures present in the air that are blown into the pool by the wind, washed into the pool by rainfall, or carried into the pool on swimmers' skin or bathing suits. Under the certain conditions they will bloom into those bright green, mustard yellow, or black discolorations in the water and/or on the walls or floor of the pool.

1. Inadequate filtration can lead to algae growth. Water clarity depends on daily circulation and filtration. Anything that impedes water flow from the pool to the filter such as clogged skimmer baskets, a dirty or damaged filter, a defective pump motor, or a failure to run the pump for an adequate amount of time each day can encourage algae growth. The first warning sign of a filtration problem is hazy or cloudy water.
2. Algae can also develop when little or no chlorine is present. Sunlight, rainfall, temperature, number of swimmers, and frequency of pool use, and lack of stabilizer can affect the rate of chlorine loss. The lower the chlorine level below the recommended amount, the more of the possibility of an algae bloom. Keeping the stabilizer at the proper level is important part of a pool professional's program to protect residual chlorine from the effects of heat and sunlight, keeping a sufficient amount chlorine in the pool for adequate sanitation. We typically add stabilizer once a year before the swim season starts, or more often if needed.
3. Debris in the pool can also contribute to an algae bloom. Leaves and dirt left on the bottom of the pool not picked up, over time, not only promote algae but can also cause pool staining. We recommend an automatic pool sweep (like Polaris or Jandy Ray-Vac), especially for pools that tend to get large amounts of debris on a regular basis. You will be spending less time netting debris between the visits of your pool professional.

Water clarity depends on three factors: proper chemical balance, adequate daily circulation, and quality filtration of small particles. Your swimming pool water needs the combination of these three things to stay crystal clear, algae free, and ready for safe and enjoyable swimming.

The filter is designed to remove small particles from your pool water. These small particles can make pool water look cloudy. A dirty filter can impact the clarity of the water since it cannot filter out as many particles. Similiarly, a home vacuum becomes less effective in picking up things from your carpet when the bag is full. Which is why regular backwashing of D.E. type filters and cleaning of all types of filters are so critical to performance.

1. Cartridge Filters
   Most filter manufacturers recommend cleaning cartridges when the filter has built up to 10 psi higher than the baseline pressure as indicated on the pressure gauge. We recommend cleaning filter cartridges at least once a year but sometimes more often, depending on dirt accumulation and filter size.



2. Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) Filters
   Most filter manufacturers recommend backwashing a filter when it has built up to 10 psi higher than baseline pressure as indicated on the pressure gauge of the filter. Even with regular backwashing, D.E. filters accumulate debris and it is a good idea to have your filter dismantled and thoroughly cleaned and recharged with new filter media at least once a year. By opening it up your pool professional can check it internally for wear and tear of the grids to ensure that the filter is working properly. We recommend and regularly use a D.E. substitute made of cellulose fiber that actually filters out even smaller particles than D.E., is biodegradeable and non-toxic, making it a superior product that is also environmentally friendly.

As your pool professional we will regularly check to make sure the water is circulating adequately. We check the pressure each week when we come to do the servicing on your pool. And we will clean or backwash your filter when necessary, typically once or twice a year.

Make sure the pump timer is set to run adequately all year round, the time should be set to run longer during the warmer spring/summer months. We do not recommend that you try to cut back on the hours that your pump runs to try to save energy because you would be compromising on adequate santitation and filtration which is a health hazard and it could also lead to algae growth.

As mentioned above debris left on the bottom of the pool over long periods of time can cause staining, so adequate cleaning/debris removal is essential. Another factor to keep in mind is that the mineral content of your water increases every day. This is due to evaporation, which removes only pure water leaving behind mineral solids (liquid chlorine also leaves behind salts that accummulate over time).

Minerals like calcium and magnesium leave behind white deposits often on the tile above the water line of the pool. Sometimes dark staining is due to dissolved metals such as copper, iron, magnesium and or they combine with each other to leave various discolorations. One way to prevent metals from staining your pool between draining and refilling with fresh water is to use a sequestering agent. Sequestering agents keep metals dissolved in solution so they have less tendency to deposit on your pool. We recommend you consult us as your pool professional if you think you might have this kind of staining.