Non Chlorine Alternatives
Posted by thepoolguru in Chemicals on October 12, 2009
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| Non Chlorine Alternatives |
| If you don’t like using chlorine in your pool there many alternatives you can use instead. The alternatives can be banded in to two groups – low chlorine and no chlorine. As the names suggest you have the choice of doing away with chlorine altogether or cutting its use to a very low dosage. The important fact to know is that chlorine is cheap and easy to use and non-chlorine alternatives are not cheap and not so easy to use. But don’t let the expense or extra maintenance required put you off changing, once you have experienced swimming in low or no chlorine water you will never go back! Read the rest of this entry » |
RESIDUAL CHLORINE
The amount of free available chlorine remaining in the water after the chlorine demand has been satisfied.
Trichlor (Stabilized chlorine)
Stabilized chlorine tablets (trichlor) dissolve in water to give not only the free chlorine (hypochlorous acid) that sanitises, but also isocyanuric acid which resists chlorine loss from the effects of bright sunlight.
What causes "chlorine" odor, red eyes and itchy skin?
These unpleasant conditions indicate that the pool water has not been properly treated. A common cause is high levels of chloramines, formed when chlorine combines with body oils, perspiration, urine and other contaminants brought into pools by swimmers. Contrary to what most people think, a strong chemical smell is not an indication of too much chlorine in the pool. In fact, the pool may actually need additional chlorine treatment to get rid of chloramines and sanitize the water. Good pool management, including proper ventilation of indoor pools, can significantly reduce chloramine levels in water and air. Swimmers can help, too, by showering before entering the pool.
Another important factor for swimmer comfort is the pH of the water. A swimmer’s body has a pH between 7.2 and 7.8. If the pool water isn’t kept in this range then swimmers will start to feel irritation of their eyes and skin.
Skin irritation can also be caused by germs. Skin infections (dermatitis) are commonly caused by the germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection can cause a bumpy red rash that usually appears within a few days of swimming in contaminated water. Proper pool maintenance is likely to control the spread of dermatitis.
What makes Chlorine Unique
Sanitizer: Free available chlorine (FAC) (hypochlorous acid) is a sanitizer. It enters through the bacterial cell wall and kills the organism by destroying the sulphur groups on the cell’s enzymes, causing the cell’s metabolism to stop, resulting in the cell’s death.
Fast Kill Times: Not only does FAC kill bacteria – it does it very quickly. The Association of Analytical Chemists uses a kill time of 30 seconds at 0.6 ppm FAC to completely destroy a given concentration of bacteria as a standard for a swimming pool disinfectant.
Stable Residual: FAC is stable enough in solution to allow a residual to exist in every portion of pool water. Such FAC residuals “stand guard” against the presence of bacteria which will be quickly destroyed.
Oxidizing Agent: While not the most vaunted property of chlorine, its ability to oxidize is the key to its usefulness as a sanitizer. It has been estimated that over 90% of the FAC residual is used to oxidize organics introduced into the pool by bathers. if the purpose of FAC was only to kill bacteria, much lower levels of chlorine could be allowed. it is the oxidative properties of chlorine which make it the workhorse of cleansing pool/ spa water.