Environmental Factors of Pool Care:

  Now that we are into the thick of the pool season again, I thought it would be a good idea to go over some commonly unknown environmental issues that effect pool users. The chemistry, filtration and circulation of the pool are all equally important in maintaining a safe, healthy and enjoyable pool experience and you’ve got those mastered with a little help from your friends at HHL. Now it’s five o-clock on a Saturday, you’ve done everything right; you’ve shocked the pool a few days ago, you keep your chlorine/bromine loaded in the pool and you are on a weekly algaecide of some kind, but the pool has gone cloudy! You have guests coming in a couple hours for a BBQ and you don’t know what you’ve done wrong. Do the pool gods hate you? No, but sometimes ‘Mother Nature’ has some surprises in store for you and your pool.

Rain and Thunderstorms:

The most common of the environmental contaminants that effects all out-door pool owners is the addition of rain water to the pool. Rain water has many negative effects on the chemistry of your pool water. Let’s start with the pH and total alkalinity: The pH of the rain we tend to get here in the Maritimes is quite low, meaning the water tends to be more acidic in nature. Acid rain will constantly drive down both the pools pH and its total alkalinity which can cause inefficient sanitization of the water, itchy skin and overall discomfort for those who use the pool, as well as wearing out your pool equipment years before it should. Rain water contamination is usually something we can fix up without any trouble, just bring in your 1 liter water sample to either of our locations and we can adjust the pH and TA very easily. The most important thing to remember when you consider the rains effect, is that it is cumulative, meaning the more it rains and the longer you put off balancing the pool, the worse it is going to get. Holland Home Leisure recommends bringing in a sample monthly, or after any sustained heavy rainfall.

Thunderstorms, like normal rainfall also tend to significantly drop the pools pH and total alkalinity, and this should be dealt with as described above. However, thunderstorms also introduce large amounts of nitrogen gas into the atmosphere that eventually falls to the ground (and into your clear pool!) Nitrogen is a problem in pools because it and chlorine get along very well with each other. So well so, that the day after a storm the chlorine in the pool has been totally used up and now you don’t have any sanitizer left to fight off the bacteria and algae present in the pool. Many pool owners will usually wake up the next day to find a cloudy pool, but don’t worry, this also a fairly easily treated problem. To treat the pool after a thunderstorm all you have to do is shock/oxidize the water. Shocking the pool will release all of that nitrogen gas and used chlorine from the water, allowing the chlorine in the pool to once again do its job.

Dirt Pollen and Debris:

Another common contaminant pool owners will face is the introduction of dirt, pollen and organic debris that blow into the pool. Pollen, dirt and dust tend to either settle on the surface of the water, or end up as a fine dust at the bottom of the pool. For pools in high pollen areas clarifying products such as Kwik-Clear, Polysheen, Clarifying Tabs and Pool Refresh can be used to either aid the filter in removing the pollen through coagulation (making the pollen larger,) or by eating away at it with the use of an enzyme. These contaminants are impossible to fully remove from the water, but keeping on top of your pools maintenance (weekly brushing and vacuuming) will keep these in check and ensure your pool stays clear and enjoyable. 

Algae:

            If you ask any pool owner they will tell you that they have either had an algae bloom or, know of someone who has. The problem with algae is that it is always present in water and is impossible to eliminate fully. Algae spores can also travel through the air and be introduced from water that hasn’t come in contact with the pool. Small amounts of algae diluted throughout a pool is not a problem, it is when the algae blooms, or attaches itself to a surface that it becomes an issue. On a hot day it takes a matter of a few hours for algae to bloom if there isn’t any chlorine/bromine present to fight it. To prevent algae growth in your pool make sure that you are keeping your chlorine levels at 1-3 ppm (or bromine levels at 2-4 ppm,) at all times, shock your pool weekly, and use a weekly algaecide like Banish. If you are on the Synergy System make sure that you are keeping your initiator at the proper level. Weekly pool brushing will also keep the algae from forming colonies on the surfaces of your pool. To treat for algae blooms drop off a water sample to Holland Home Leisure and we will instruct you on how to proceed.

-Craig M.

Holland Home Leisure

Thank you Craig for giving us some great pointers on pool care! Craig is one of our chemistry experts here at HHL and has worked full time in both locations! -Liana Rhodenizer