Learn More Add This Feed to Your Homepage
|
Swimming Pool Chemicals | Spa Chemicals | Hot Tub Chemicals |
|
| Swimming Pool Question by Tim QUESTION: Can you get herpes from swimming in a public pool? |
| Pool Chemicals by Tim POOL CHEMICALS There are many chemicals used to balance, sanitize, and clean the water in swimming pools (including hot tubs and spas). The following describes the principal chemical products used to maintain pools. Pool water is most comfortable when it is maintained at a pH between 7.2-7.6. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, where 1-6.9 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and 7.1-14 is alkaline. The pH is controlled by adding either acid or alkali products. An acid, either muriatic acid (also known as hydrochloric acid) or sodium bisulphate, is added to lower the pH. To raise the pH, an alkali, sodium carbonate (also called soda ash) is added. Pools use sanitizing chemicals to remove algae, harmful bacteria, dirt, germs, and organic matter carried into the pool on people's bodies and by the wind. These chemicals oxidize organic matter. Most typically a chlorine product is used to sanitize the pool. Either a liquid or dry product is added; liquid chlorine is usually a 10-15% solution of sodium hypochlorite and dry chlorine is usually calcium hypochlorite. A stabilizer is added to these products to reduce the quantity of chlorine dissipated by the sun. Occasionally, algae will not be controlled by the chlorine sanitizer. A shock treatment of a large amount of chlorine (superchlorination) or a cationic detergent may be added to the water to kill the algae. Many of these pool chemicals are corrosive and are hazardous to human health through skin contact splashed into the eye. Many of these chemicals, including different types of chlorine, can react violently when mixed to produce toxic gases, fire, or explode. Use: Pool chemicals are often in concentrated form and should be handled with thought and care. Carefully read and follow the instructions and warnings on the label of each product. Clearly label the product with the date of purchase. Never mix various pool chemicals together. Use separate and clean scoops for each product: Always add the chemical to the water. Never add water to dry or concentrated chemicals. When adding liquid chlorine into the pool, pour it as far from the pool edge as possible so it will disperse quickly into the water. Pool chemicals should always be added to the pool water separately and according to the time specifications of the directions. Pour chemicals gently into the pool, trying not to splash. Add chemicals while the filter pump is running to aid in rapid dispersal throughout the pool. Do not add chemicals while people are swimming and do not allow swimming again until the chemicals have dispersed for the specified amount of time. Mixing different chlorine products can cause severe reactions or explosions, so if you change brands of solid chlorine, be sure to rinse the dispenser or basket to remove any residue. Do not handle pool chemicals with bare hands or them on eyes, skin, or clothing. Wear protective gloves and safety goggles. Wash hands and all exposed skin after handling chemicals. Do not handle chemicals near sources of ignition as some are flammable. Do not smoke while handling chemicals. Storage: Keep away from children and pet. Close chemical containers tightly. Store them in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated area. Keep liquid and dry chemicals separate. Do not stack pool chemicals. Store pool chemicals away from flammable materials and sources of sparks. Do not store them near metal tools or mechanisms since pool chemicals can cause corrosion. Disposal: The very best way to dispose of these chemicals is to use them up or give them to someone who will. Some suggested places to donate your unwanted pool chemicals are the YMCA, schools, or the park system. If you cannot find an outlet for your chemicals and if you can store them appropriately, secure and hold the chemicals for a professional hazardous waste collection program or give to a licensed hazardous waste handler for disposal. If you cannot find someone to use the unwanted chemicals and you cannot safely store them, flush small quantities down a drain connected to a sewer system with plenty of water. Contact your local wastewater treatment plant to determine if pool chemicals can be flushed into the sanitary sewer system. Be sure to wear protective gloves and safety goggles while doing this. Do not put pool chemicals down the drain if you use a septic tank or lagoon. |
| Swimming pool chemicals by Tim Scale floating in your hot tub can be a frustrating problem to solve. Scale builds in the pipes and then slowly breaks apart and comes out your jets. Symptoms are typically small and large chunks of square beige colored particles floating in your hot tub. Hot tub filters catch some of the scale but because much of it is large it doesn't make it in the filters. The larger scale pieces sink back into the jets only to return when you next run the hot tub jets. Scale buildup is usually due to periods of high PH levels in your hot tub. Scale can also appear if you miss the once per week application of a scale defense spa chemical. Draining your hot tub may reduce the scale but usually hot tub owners are disappointed when the scale returns after they refill the hot tub. How to get rid of scale floating in your hot tub? The key to reducing the floating scale in your hot tub is to stop relying on the hot tub to filter the scale. It is also necessary to begin a regular application of a spa chemical scale protector or scale defense. This will prevent additional buildup of new scale while you get rid of the old scale floating in your hot tub. Now remember I said the scale sinks down to the floor and comes back out when you run the jets. This is to your advantage because you can make the scale come up to the top, and filter it out with a swimming pool net. Spend 30 minutes a week running the jets on high for 15 seconds. Then kill the jets and run the net across the top of the hot tub water. Shake out your net with each sweep. Then after a few passes run the jets and re sweep the scale out of your hot tub. You'll notice an immediate improvement in the level of scale floating in the hot tub. The key here is to do this many times to catch the scale before it can fall back into your jets. Rinse out your filters more often as well so you can get the smaller scale particles out of your hot tub. There is a spa chemical called System Flush that you use just before training your tub. I imagine it is a fairly harsh spa chemical that breaks scale from the inside of the spa jets. You then must flush out the chemical. This may take a few time draining and filling with rescreening in between. The key as well is to keep PH in the proper range so scale doesn't continue to build. |
| Swimming Pool Chemicals | Spa Chemicals | Hot Tub Chemicals by Tim For many people, it's never been a question of whether to use a submersible pump vs. an external pump because most people have smaller ponds and are used to just using a submersible pump. They're easy to install, and are pretty reliable - so why even consider an external pump? There are a couple of reasons... But before we go into that, let's briefly talk about the benefits of submersible pumps first. For obvious reasons, a submersible pump is named as such because it is designed to be placed in the pond, and submerged under the water. These are the easiest of all pumps to install, just drop them in the water and plug them in - and you’re ready to do. Of course, you might have some quick plumbing to do, attaching a hose to the waterfall or to a submersible filter (another article entirely), but other than that - that's pretty much all there is to it. Submersible pumps range in size or gallons per hour, from 50 GPH all the way up to 50,000 gallons per hour, but for most ponds - pumps anywhere from 350 GPH to 4000 GPH will do just fine... So why might you also consider an external pump instead? Here are a couple reasons. First, external pumps can much more energy efficient. Now, a typical swimming pool or spa pump won't usually fall into this category - so be careful not to compare apples to oranges! Pool pumps can also be huge energy hogs, so always check the amps to compare different pumps together. Anything over 10 amps will draw a significant amount of $$ out of your pocket every month in electrical costs. The external pumps that we are talking about are designed specifically for ponds and water gardens, and are engineered for energy efficiency. I'm not sure why those folks in the swimming pool and spa industry haven't figured out how to this yet, but I'm sure they'll catch on sooner or later. I'm inclined to think the average pond owner is a bit more intelligent than the average pool owner. Why else would someone choose a pool over a pond? Unless of course you have both, but at any rate - let's just assume that we're talking about external pond pumps here. For comparison, a typical 4000 GPH (gallons per hour) submersible pond pump will typically draw anywhere from 10 amps all the way up to 15 amps, depending on the brand. This can really burn a hole in your wallet (or pocketbook) on a monthly basis, and in some parts of the country will run you $50 - $70 in energy costs. In contrast, a comparatively rated external pond pump like the William Lim Wave I External Pump. It is rated at 4380 GPH at 3.47 feet of head, and only draws 2.3 amps - that's 3/4 less energy consumption than the submersible pumps. When you start getting into larger ponds, 1000 gallons up to 20,000 and above - it's usually a good idea to look into these more energy efficient pumps. For example, the 3/4 HP Dragon pump will move 7,770 GPH at almost 5 feet of head (and under pressure) and only burn 6.2 amps! That's impressive. External pumps are almost always better for using with pressurized external filters as well, as submersible pumps are not designed to handle all the back pressure. Other benefits of using an external pump include: Easy to clean without getting your hands messy Come with a removable leaf trap which clog less often Easy to hook up to bottom drains or surface skimmers Generally last longer, and easier to repair / replace parts So that's it, more than enough information for you to make an educated choice. Just to recap: For smaller ponds, and for simple installation and daily use, submersible pumps are probably your best option. For larger ponds, 1000 gallons and above, it may be worth looking into an external pump for your needs. Although they cost a little more on the front end, the energy savings alone can often more than offset this increase in cost during the first year of use alone. |
| Spa Chemicals and Health by Peter McGarry For the past decade, people have focused on the importance of clean drinking water. Purified drinking water reduces or eliminates chemicals found in normal tap water. However,the body derives its need for water from alternative sources, most notably while showering. It is common practice in North America to shower on a daily basis, sometimes more than once. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that more chlorine is absorbed through the skin during the average shower than by drinking six to eight glasses of tap water. This may make one wonder,how clean is shower water? Are you a fan of hot showers? Since the skin is porous, it is the body's way of excreting toxins and regulating temperature, hot showers cause the pores of the skin to dilate, allowing chlorine and other free radicals to be rapidly absorbed. Chlorine is also contained within the water vapor that enters the air as steam, and which we breathe into our lungs as we shower. Dr. Halina Brown, a professor of water chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, claims that the exposure to vaporized chemicals in water supplied through showering,bathing and inhalation is 100 times greater than through drinking the water. Furthermore, chlorine and other water contaminants reduce the effectiveness of many shampoos, conditioners, lotions, oils and skin creams, leaving your skin dry and unnourished. Any contact the body has with water is cause for concern. Swimming pools and hot tubs use chlorine to kill bacteria. Little thought is given to the effect on the human body. Chlorine is a highly toxic element, which has the ability to denature protein. All living organisms are made up of protein; thus any living organism that comes in contact with sufficient quantities of chlorine is killed. After swimming or showering you may notice that you have sore eyes, sinus blockage, respiratory problems (such as asthma), cracking skin (hands and feet), or dry hair and an itchy scalp. You may also feel tired and your skin might smell of chlorine for hours afterwards, even after showering. What is your health worth? The May 2003 issue of Elle Magazine, featured a showerhead that has a carbon filter that removes chlorine as well as other toxic substances in our water like lead, iron oxides and other sediments that leave dulling deposits on the hair. If the showerhead removes the minerals that cause this dulling effect, one might notice an increase in shine and hydration. This is something you may want to consider when comparing showerheads and filters. Here’s to your health. Peter McGarry |
| Swimming Pools and health by Tim THE SWIMMING POOL ANALOGY Let me close this "short course" with a mental picture I'd like you to take away. In my life, I have owned two swimming pools. No more. Too much maintenance. But one thing you learn early on about swimming pools is that algae formation in the water must be controlled. Once it begins to take over, the sides of the pool become coated with this "green mung" and recovery becomes difficult, but not impossible. Today's conventional cancer treatment doctors (oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, etc.) remind me of SCUBA divers diving into the pool (your body) and blasting away at the algae in an attempt to kill it off and stop its growth. If you've ever tried to overcome algae in a pool, you know the only way is to correct the chemical composition (alkalinity, chlorine level, etc.) of the water. At that point, the pool becomes sparklng and attractive again. The algae dies off and is disposed of with a vacuum. The above regimen ("The Weapons") describes a way to bring the "chemistry" of your body back into sparkling, attractive health by correcting the normal balance of the pool's water (your body). That's my mission, folks. To convince people like you to learn the procedure and substances necessary to restore that balance. That's what I mean by "taking charge of your own health care." The dead algae (cancer cells) are disposed of by your body's normal "vacuuming" system. Too rapid a "die-off" of the cancer cells can cause problems with this cleansing system. That's one reason you need "assistance." The above "Weapons" are gentle enough that they can be taken "until the doctor comes." |
| Swimming Safety by Tim * Did you know that drowning is one of the leading killer of Sailors in recreational mishaps? It is preventable if you follow these tips: 1. Learn how to swim 2. Swim only in authorized areas 3. Don't drink alcohol and swim 4. Never swim alone 5. Know the depth of the water before you dive 6. Always wear a flotation device while boating * Beach Safety: Heading to the beach? Swim only at a beach with a lifeguard and take a buddy. Never swim alone. Avoid the big surf and be aware of the shore break. A broken neck can spoil your day in paradise. * Two Marines went swimming in a rain-swollen drainage ditch. They were swept away into a pipeline and drowned. Use some common sense when you're outdoors, so you can live to enjoy some more fresh air. * If you're going to drink like a fish, don't try to swim. Your chances of ending up as a statistic are pretty good. * A Sailor sat in his hot tub after an evening of drinking. To cool off, he dove into a pool that was four feet deep, hit his head and suffered cuts and a compression fracture. Diving in shallow water isn't smart for anybody, and swimming when you've been drinking is inviting disaster. |
| Summer Swimming by Tim "Swimming is great exercise and we want to continue to promote its benefits," said Michael Beach, an epidemiologist in the CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases. "But the fact is that many of the nation's swimming pools and other recreational water venues are not being well-maintained, and the public has become lax about observing a number of practices that help maintain good quality swimming water." Beach adds that the emergence of chlorine-resistant pathogens, such as cryptosporidium, heightens the danger and underscores the need for swimmers themselves to take more responsibility for water cleanliness. He estimates that about half of the outbreaks of water-quality illness in recent years can be traced to organisms that are no longer easily eradicated by conventional chemicals. "It's a myth that chlorine can knock out all of the dangerous pathogens in swimming water," Beach said. "Even if pools are well-maintained, swimmers and the parents of young children using pools have an important role to play in insuring that human waste products, including urine and feces, are not introduced into the water." Among the disease-causing microorganisms found in human waste are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and worms, all of which survive long enough to be passed along to others sharing the same recreational water. The CDC has distilled its advice to swimmers and the parents of very young swimmers down to a set of relatively simple recommendations, for both swimmers and parents of youngsters splashing in the water. For all swimmers: * Stay out of the water when you have diarrhea. This is especially important for kids in diapers. You can spread germs into the water and make other people sick. * Don't swallow pool water. In fact, avoid getting water in your mouth at all. * Practice good hygiene. Take a shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water. For parents of youngsters: * Take kids on bathroom breaks or check their diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late. * Change diapers in a bathroom and not at poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces and objects in and around the pool and spread illness. * Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Everyone has invisible amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms that ends up in the pool. |
| Swimming Pool Efficiency by Tim Efficient Operation * Consider carefully the temperature that you keep the pool water. Each degree rise in the temperature can cost you an additional 10%. The National Swimming Pool Foundation recommends 78º-80ºF for active swimming and 82º-84ºF for general use. * It's a myth that it takes more energy to heat a pool up when you turn the temperature down than you save by lowering the temperature or by turning off the heater. Turn the temperature down, or turn off the heater whenever the pool will not be used for several days. Experiment to determine how long it takes to heat the pool back up. Lowering the temperature and raising it back up again always saves more energy than keeping it at a constant temperature. * Keep all the intake grates clear of foreign debris. Clogged drains require the pump to work harder. * Don't backwash your filter more frequently than necessary. Backwashing too frequently wastes water, while not backwashing wastes energy by working the pump harder. * For residential pools, reduce filtration time to 6 hours/day. If the water doesn't appear clean, increase the time in half-hour increments until you get the desired results. You can automate this by installing a time clock for daily pump operation. * Tune up your pool heater annually. A properly maintained pool heater is more efficient. Also, keep ventilation system clean and tuned up. * Tighten the building envelope from the inside by sealing all air leakage locations in the exterior shell. This not only saves building heat loss, but keeps damaging moisture from getting to the building structure. * Improve the energy efficiency of the building envelope by properly installing adequate insulation to reduce heat loss. Upgrade single-pane windows to double or triple glazing. Or install tight-fitting plastic on the interior. * Installing a heat recovery ventilator on the exhaust air stream allows the ventilation system to exhaust the moisture while retaining the heat. Or as an alternative, you can install a dehumidification system that reduces the amount of ventilation needed while recovering part of the evaporated water. |
| Pool Water Heating Efficiency by Tim Efficient Pumps/Motors Using properly sized energy efficient pumps and motors when replacing older pumps and motors, or when designing new pools, can significantly lower the electrical consumption portion of pool operating costs. Motors use many times their initial cost in electrical consumption over their life and often consume several times their cost in the first year alone. The energy savings from an energy efficient motor can pay for itself in a very short time. Water Efficiency Reduce water heating costs in the shower area by lowering shower temperatures to 95. It will not only lower energy costs, but will shorten the amount of time people spend under the shower, producing further savings. Install low-flow showerheads and automatic shut-off valves on showers to reduce water consumption and conserve energy. Insulate the shower water heater to further reduce water heating costs. |
| How Pools lose Heat by Tim Unlike outdoor pools, indoor pools are not subject to day/night temperature fluctuations, radiated heat to the night sky, and winds to carry away their heat. However, indoor pools do require room ventilation to control indoor humidity caused by the large amount of evaporation. Without a proper ventilation system, high indoor humidity levels will cause numerous problems, including condensation on cold surfaces and rusting of structural components. The energy required to run this ventilation system adds to the cost of operating an indoor pool. Also, the ventilation air must be conditioned, which further adds to the costs. Because most indoor pools are used year-around and they have no opportunity to gain solar heat, they often have much higher energy costs than outdoor pools. There are many energy management improvements that can be implemented with indoor pools. |
| Swimming Pool Question by Tim QUESTION: We have discovered an installed ozone system (6 months old) in the lodging on post. The inspectors are not familiar with this system and how to inspect for the chemical barrier (if any) that exists as patrons are entering the pool. It turns over every 4 hours, and without a chemical barrier it's like everyone using the same bath water for 4 hours straight. What is the CHPPM guidance to inspectors of ozone treated recreational waters. |
| Swimming Pool Answer by Tim ANSWER: The guidelines we have to go by are found in TB MED 575, Swimming Pools and Bathing Facilities. As far as means of disinfection described in 575, chlorine and stabilized chlorine are emphasized. The TB MED does identify that there are alternative pool disinfectants, but not specifically ozone. However - it should be noted that 575 requires that the use of any alternative disinfectant (meaning anything other than use of chlorine compounds) require written approval from the OTSG prior to implementation. We're beginning to update 575 this year and plan to address the use of alternative disinfectants. We anticipate a draft 575 revisions will be sent to PVNTMED for comment next year. Ozone is a highly effective disinfectant and seems to be increasing in popularity as far as use in pools, but the problem is that there's no chemical barrier provided (as you noted) - or in other words, it doesn't leave a residual in the pool water. Although ozone will disinfect the water where it’s applied, you still have bather wastes, oils, etc. being introduced in the pool by patrons. Because of the continuous introduction of contaminants from swimmers, a residual is still necessary in the pool, in addition to ozone, to ensure the safety of the swimmers. However, the benefit of using ozone is that it allows pool operators to reduce chlorine levels. At this point, does the pool still have the capability to add chlorine (assuming that's what the set-up was prior to implementing ozone)? We would recommend requiring the pool operators to provide supplemental chlorine residual for meeting 575 standards in the pool, in addition to the ozone currently being used. |
