Thought i would say a few words about the most important constituent in our pool.. oh- and of course we would not be on this earth!!!!!
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The water in it`s purest form is odourless, nearly colourless and tasteless. It’s in your body, the food you eat and the beverages you drink. You use it to clean yourself, your clothes, your dishes, your car and everything else around you. You can travel on it or jump in it to cool off on hot summer days. Many of the products that you use every day contain it or were manufactured using it. All forms of life need it, and if they don’t get enough of it, they die. As we are talking about swimming pool water, the 2 most important terms to think of in relation to our water is “Hard” or “Soft”. These 2 terms are very geographical in your country, it depends really on were your water is gathered and then supllied to you. |
The water in it`s purest form is odourless, nearly colourless and tasteless. It’s in your body, the food you eat and the beverages you drink. You use it to clean yourself, your clothes, your dishes, your car and everything else around you. You can travel on it or jump in it to cool off on hot summer days. Many of the products that you use every day contain it or were manufactured using it. All forms of life need it, and if they don’t get enough of it, they die.
As we are talking about swimming pool water, the 2 most important terms to think of in relation to our water is “Hard” or “Soft”. These 2 terms are very geographical in your country, it depends really on were your water is gathered and then supllied to you.
I will endeavour to explain these terms. These terms are derived by how the Natural water Cycle works.
| The Natural Water cycleThe natural water cycle is the continuous movement of water between the land, the ocean, rivers and lakes, and the atmosphere.Water is always cycling around, through, and above the Earth. As it moves through the cycle, water continually changes from liquid (rainwater, saltwater) to gas (water vapour) and back to liquid. The liquid can also get cold and become solid (ice or snow). | ![]() |
| What is water hardness? Water hardness relates to the amount of calcium and magnesium compounds present in water. |
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| What is the difference between hardwater and soft water? Hardness in water is influenced by what the water has passed through, such as soft rocks like chalk or limestone, with water picking up minerals and becoming harder, whereas water which may have travelled through granite or peaty soils remains soft and does not pick up any of these minerals. |
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| What happens if the water is soft? Water is considered soft if has a hardness of under 50ppm as calcium carbonate and an alkalinity of under 30ppm as calcium chloride. In the British Isles, soft water is common in Scotland, Wales, the extreme SW of England and parts of Ireland. The pH can be rather unstable in soft water areas, but alkaline chlorine donors such as calcium hypochlorite will help to increase hardness as will the addition of calcium chloride. |
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| What happens if my water is hard? Hard water isn’t as convenient or efficient as soft water is when it comes to your swimming pool or spa. Hard water could do damage to your pool because when hard water is heated, re-crystallization can plug your pipes and hot water heater, causing heater failure and necessitatig that you replace your heater. It may also cause skin irritation. If this is your problem then there are commercial hardness reducers available, you should contact your local swimming pool company who will be able to do a reliable test and offer you a solution. |
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