03/27/2019
POOL TIME Q&A
Q: How are salt-water pools different from chlorinated pools?
A: Both types of pools actually use chlorine. Salt-water pools are chlorinated pools in which the chlorine is generated on site from sodium chloride. Other types of chlorinated pools use chlorine to disinfect the water with chlorine tablets or sticks.
Q: Why do pools sometimes have a chlorine or chemical smell?
A: Healthy pools don’t smell like chemicals. Pool water is often described as smelling like chlorine, but a well-managed pool shouldn’t have an odor. The pool water scent does not come from the chlorine itself but rather from chemical compounds called chloramines, which build up in pool water when it is improperly treated.
Chloramines result from the combination of two ingredients: (1) the chlorine disinfectants added to sanitize swimming pools, and (2) perspiration, oils and urine that enter pools from swimmers’ bodies. Chloramines can be eliminated using chlorine. “Shock treatment” or “superchlorination” is the practice of adding extra chlorine to pools to destroy ammonia and the organic compounds that combine with chlorine to make chloramines.
Q: Does chlorine irritate a swimmer’s eyes?
A: Swimmers might worry “there is too much chlorine in the pool” if, after a swim, their eyes are reddened or irritated. However when pool water is irritating, that is typically a sign that there is not enough chlorine in swimming pool water!
Have a question regarding your pool? Comment or message us. We have the answers!
