Many pools appear to stay clean, but you may not know what is lurking below the surface. Swimming

pools see their chlorine levels reduced quickly, especially during warmer weather with more

swimmers. Regular pool cleaning and maintenance are essential if you want your pool to last the

whole swimming season. Routine cleaning and maintenance include brushing and vacuuming the pool

to keep algae at bay. Just because your pool looks clear does not necessarily mean that it’s clean and

fit for swimming.

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There are many reasons why your swimming pool water may have a green appearance to it. Some of

these reasons include algae growth from phosphates or having metals in the water. Algae has the

ability to grow rapidly, especially during the warm summer months. When it happens quickly, it’s

likely due to an imbalance or a lack of chlorine in your pool water. Chlorine serves as a sanitizer, and if

you let the chlorine levels drop for even one day, an algae outbreak can occur.

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It’s essential to keep your pool chemically balanced if you want to enjoy it for the entire swim season.

Keeping the water chemically balanced will impact the operation of your pool as well as the condition

of your equipment. Balanced water protects the pool surface and equipment while providing a

comfortable swimming environment.

Unbalanced Water Causes…

High pH – A high pH level results in scaling water. That water clogs filters and heater elements. It also

reduces circulation, results in cloudy water, and creates metal staining. A high pH level creates

chlorine inefficiency and can lead to eye and skin irritation.

Low pH – A low pH level in your pool results in corrosive water. This type of water causes etching of

the pool or spa surface, corrosion of metals, and staining or surface walls. Low pH levels can cause

wrinkles in vinyl liners and eye and skin irritation.

High Alkalinity – Water with high alkalinity creates pH lock, resulting in cloudy water, clogged filters

and heater elements, rough pool and spa surfaces, and reduced circulation.

Low Alkalinity – Pool water with low alkalinity creates pH bounce, resulting in the staining or surface

walls, etching of pool and spa surfaces, and heater failure.

High Calcium Hardness – Pools with high calcium hardness lead to scaling water. This causes clogged

filters and heater elements, cloudy water, reduced circulation, and eye and skin irritation.

Low Calcium Hardness – A swimming pool with low calcium hardness creates corrosive water. This

results in heater failure and the etching of pool or spa surfaces. Low calcium hardness causes water to

become aggressive and seek calcium from other sources such as the surfaces of your pool or spa.

High Cyanuric Acid – A pool with high cyanuric acid levels creates cloudy water and affects alkalinity

readings.

Low Cyanuric Acid – Pools with low cyanuric acid cannot maintain a sanitizer effectively.

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The word shock can be used as a noun or a verb when it comes to swimming pools. Buying shock

describes a sanitizer to clean the pool. Shocking a pool means raising the sanitizer level to 10 ppm. If

you do this yourself, be sure you follow all chemical precautions, including wearing personal

protective equipment like gloves, goggles, and chemical masks. The best course of action is to leave

the pool cleaning and sanitizing tasks to the expert team at Millennium Pools & Spas.

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Algae requires nutrients, sunlight, and somewhere to grow. The best way to prevent algae from

growing in your swimming pool is by maintaining the proper sanitizer level and brushing. Algae needs

to have a surface to cling onto and grow on, so brushing it will prevent it from hiding in crevices. Algae

can be transferred from pool to pool, so be sure to wash your bathing suit after you take a vacation or

swim somewhere besides your home pool.

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Depending on the chemical introduced it is generally safe to use your swimming pool after the

chemicals have dispersed throughout it. Industry standards recommend waiting about six to eight

hours for commercial pools and eight to 12 hours for residential swimming pools for certain

chemicals. It all depends on your pool equipment and circulation capabilities.

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We regret to inform you that the smell which you call "chlorine" at the swimming pool is not, in fact

chlorine. Chlorine doesn't actually give off the distinctive "pool smell”. Chloramines, on the other

hand, do, and are produced when chlorine reacts with ammonia from the sweat, body oils and urine

of pool users. Chloramines are the main cause of skin and eye irritation as well as the strong chlorine

smell in pools.

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