Swimming pools are a great place to relax or play fun games in. However, you need to know how to keep it safe for those activities by lowering the swimming pool chlorine levels.
Using a swimming pool is quite easy as you only have to jump in and have fun, maintaining it is another story as it requires a lot of effort and tools in order to keep the water safe from infection.
Cleaning the pool regularly with the best pool cleaners on the market is great. These appliances can remove the gunks and debris in the water and all over the pool liner to keep it clean.
The thing, however, is that there is some dangerous bacteria and debris left by the pool cleaners on the pool. That is why you need something else to keep those bacteria out.
Chemicals are the main defense for these threats and they do a great job at that. They stop the growth of specific debris. This, in turn, will keep the water safe for the swimmers in it.
It will also give better protection and health to the pieces of equipment around it. However, they bring a lot of problems as well if you leave them in an unbalanced environment or state.
Chlorine is one of the most common chemicals in the swimming pool. This chemical helps in killing bacteria and other microorganisms that are starting to grow in the water or on the liner.
This chemical forms a weak acid that helps in eliminating germs in the water while also keeping the acid as safe as possible to avoid irritations and other more serious health threats.
Over-chlorinated pools are risky because that means that your water has too much acid in it. So if that happens, you need to know how to get it back down to the safe level, here is how.
What Causes High Chlorine Level In The Water?
There are many reasons why your chlorine level is too high and sometimes you have no control over these causes. However, you also need to consider that you might have made a mistake.
So in order to keep the chlorine levels in balance, you need to know where you went wrong and try to fix it right away. Here are some of the most common causes of high chlorine levels.
Unattended Dispenser
Chlorine dispensers are great for your pool as they automatically spread the chlorine in the water without you having to manually maneuver them or do the spreading of the chemical.
However, this is a commonplace where you might make mistakes of over-chlorinating your pool. You might have put too many tablets on the dispenser and left it in the pool for too long.
Maybe you left the dispenser in the water and left the tablets to dissolve and when you came back, the water was now over-chlorinated. Now, you have to be as quick in putting the levels back.
So in order to avoid this, make sure to only put only the right amount of chlorine that is needed in the dispenser. This way, the water will have a safe and balanced chlorine level.
Shocking The Pool
Most companies would advise you to shock the pool before swimming in it. Shocking the pool is a process where you add excess chlorine to kill the extra bacteria and algae in the pool’s water.
While this is necessary, you might have added a little too much chlorine to the water. This will cause even more damage and problems than what it initially had when you put the chlorine.
Miscalculation is one of the most common mistakes in shocking a pool. So you need to know the level of chlorine needed for a specific amount of water to keep it safe and clean.
Too Much Solar Exposure
Chlorine tablets and other forms are sensitive to heat and sunlight. So when you leave too much acid in the pool, they will get so concentrated especially if they are exposed to the sun.
It is a benefit if your swimming pool is under the shade of a tree in this equation but then, that would bring more debris in the pool. So you really need to keep the chlorine levels balanced.
One thing you can do is to cover the pool whenever it is not in use. This will slow the process of breaking down the acids and keep the chlorine levels low for as long as possible.
Covering the pool will also reduce the number of dirt and debris that gets in the water. So if the pool is not in use and you do not want to expose it to the sun, then always keep the cover on.
What Is The Safest Chlorine Level?
Chlorine level is measured in parts per million (ppm) which means that you really do not need a lot of it. The safe reading for chlorine level is between 2 to 4 parts per million.
So in order to keep that balance, you need to test the water before adding any chemical to the pool. Chlorine might also react to other chemicals so always check the chemicals in the water.
See, when your chlorine level is lower than 2ppm, the water is not that clean. This means that the pool is not sanitized enough for it to be considered a safe place to swim in.
When the chlorine level is over 4ppm, that would mean that the water is too acidic and this can cause a lot of damages to both the swimmers, equipment and other parts of the swimming pool.
Ways To Lower The Chlorine Level In The Water
The thing with any chemicals put in the swimming pool is that they can go lower if you leave them be. Time and sunlight will actually get the chlorine level to go lower if you wait.
However, this is not a very practical way to lower the chlorine levels especially if you want to swim right away or if you are used to getting in the swimming pool every now and then.
There is not much of a process when it comes to lowering the chlorine levels in the pool. So we will talk about the ways of lowering it with many techniques that you can easily do.
Natural Way Of Lowering
If you have observed that your swimming pool has too much chlorine in it, you can do the most natural approach which is to leave the solar cover off of the swimming pool and wait.
This process will take about two days so if you are planning to have a pool party at the weekend, you need to do this during the middle of the week to lower the chlorine level.
Ultraviolet rays from the sun are natural sources of waves that can break the chlorine bonds. Just make sure to not let anyone swim in the pool until it has gone back down to safe levels.
Of course, this is going to take a lot of time more so if your swimming pool is located indoors or under a shade but then, it is free so you can do this if you do not need the pool right away.
Swimming In The Pool
There are dangerous levels of chlorine that will actually burn your skin or make irritations at the least. However, there are also safe levels of chlorine that are considered high on the scale.
If your chlorine level is a little over the 4ppm mark, then you can encourage the kids to swim in the pool as it will still be safe. This can actually lower the level of chlorine in the pool.
See, chlorine eliminates contaminants in the water, so if the chlorine level is a little bit higher than the safe level, then you can add contaminants by swimming in the water for a while.
This is a free way to lower the chlorine levels but then, I would not advise it as it can still be harmful to certain swimmers. Just be sure that the levels are not too high when you do this.
Chlorine Neutralizer
There is a specific chemical that counters the chlorine in the water. It is called Sodium Thiosulfate or more commonly known as Chlorine Neutralizer and is the most viable option.
This chemical can come in different forms and names such as Sodium sulfite, Sodium bisulfite, or Sodium metabisulfite but they are all known as Chlorine Neutralizers so go get one.
Using these chemicals is one of the easiest ways to lower the chlorine levels in the water. They also act fast so if you want to swim right away, then you can use these chemicals for the process.
The chemicals are pretty common and so you can find them in the nearest shops. They are also inexpensive so in my opinion, they are the best option for lowering your chlorine levels.
The disadvantage of these chemicals is that it can affect the other chemical reactions in the pool. These chemicals directly affect the pH level in the water and will lower it significantly.
Drain Some Of The Water And Replace
This process is another inexpensive way to lower the chlorine levels in your pool again. You can dilute the chlorine in the water by draining some of the water and then refilling it again.
You will also be draining the chemicals in the pool so make sure to do a test before you get in the pool. Adding fresh water will dilute the chlorine and so you can do it safely and quickly.
The risk with this process is that you might need to rebalance the other chemicals afterward. That is why you always need to test the water for chemicals before adding anything to it.
Add Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide might not be the most common chemical for pools but there are industrial-grade kinds of this chemical that are sold as oxidizers for swimming pools.
The food-grade kind of Hydrogen Peroxide is the safest one to use in the pool. This has a 35% concentration which is a little bit stronger than the common kinds of the same chemical.
However, this chemical will also bring down the pH level in your swimming pool. It is also less effective if your pH level is lower than 7 so make sure to use it only when viable.
Why You Need To Keep The Chlorine In Balance
High chlorine levels mean that there is also a high chance that the acidity of the water is higher than the safe level. This can cause many problems for the pool and your health.
One obvious thing that you will observe with high levels of chlorine is the decoloration of bathing suits or the pool cover. They might start losing their original color and fade into a lighter one
Health risks such as nausea, vomiting, itchy eyes, burning sensation on the skin, and difficulty in breathing are clear signs of high chlorine levels. So you need to avoid that as much as possible.
Conclusion
In order to keep the swimming pool safe for any activity that you do in and around it, the chemicals should be kept in check. These are helpful yet harmful chemicals if not controlled.
There is a certain amount of chemical that you need in a specific amount of water. If you go over it, these chemicals might get dangerous rather than helpful to your health and the pool.
Chlorine is a great chemical that keeps the pool clean. It eliminates bacteria, debris, and other microorganisms that roam around the swimming pool all the time.
However, it can also cause a lot of problems for your health if it goes higher than the recommended level. So follow the tips above and keep your pool safe at all times.
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