Pool Water Treatment
The set of operations (filtration, disinfection and pH control) that keep swimming pool water clear and fit for bathing.
Treatment combines a physical part and a chemical part. The filtration system passes the water through a filter, usually sand or cartridge, which retains suspended particles. The chemical part consists of maintaining a residual disinfectant in the water, usually chlorine or, in spas and indoor pools, bromine, which inactivates bacteria and algae as they enter with bathers, dust or rain. The effectiveness of chlorine depends on pH: at high pH it loses activity and at low pH the water becomes aggressive to the installation and irritating to the eyes. That is why pH and residual disinfectant are checked daily with a test kit. In Spain, Spanish Royal Decree 742/2013 sets the technical and health criteria for public swimming pools, including the water quality parameters and their monitoring.
Instaquim pool products, according to their technical data sheet (all state that pH and chlorine should be checked daily):
- Cloro 90% granulado and Cloro tabletas 90% (symclosene, active chlorine > 90 %): initial superchlorination with 10 g/m³ and pH adjusted to 7.2-7.6; maintenance with 1.5-3 ppm of residual chlorine.
- Cloro 55% acción rápida (sodium troclosene dihydrate): superchlorination with 15 g/m³; maintenance at 1.5-3 ppm.
- Cloro tabletas triple acción (symclosene and copper sulphate): does not alter pH; maintenance at 0.6-1 ppm of residual chlorine.
- Instaminus (pH-) and Instaplus (pH+): lower the pH if it is above 7.6 or raise it if it is below 7.2; 10 ml per 1,000 l changes the pH by approximately 0.1.
- Algiquat Basic (pH 7.0): algaecide; maintenance with 3 l per 100 m³ per day, preferably with a dosing pump.
- Q Brom (active bromine min. 32 %): tablets for spas, jacuzzis and indoor pools; residual bromine of 1.5 to 3 ppm.
- Desincpool (pH 1 %: 1.7): acid cleaner for removing cement and limescale before filling, at 25 %; not suitable for liner pools.