With more people staying close to home in recent years, there is more focus on improving your own indoor and outdoor environment including the use of swimming pools. Taking good care of your pool allows you to enjoy a “staycation” all summer long, without leaving your home. As we anxiously await the return of warmer weather, we can start to think about how we will improve our own backyard and maintain our swimming pool for maximum enjoyment.
Be Wise and Sanitize
We all know that it is necessary to sanitize our swimming pool water so that it is healthy and clean for all swimmers. The typical sanitizer of choice is chlorine either in liquid or tablet form. Some chlorine tablets include cyanuric acid, a stabilizer that helps to prevent the sun from degrading the chlorine. Liquid chlorine typically will not include a stabilizer and could require frequent treatments.
There are other methods that you can use to sanitize your swimming pool water, however, and the method you choose could depend upon how often your pool is used, the environment, and whether you perform your own pool maintenance or hire a pool maintenance professional.
Sanitization Options
Speaking with a swimming pool professional and testing your pool water regularly will help to determine the best method of sanitization to achieve the desired free chlorine level of 1 to 3 parts per million (ppm). Some popular methods for sanitizing your swimming pool include:
Cal hypo tablet feeder systems – a tablet feeder system allows pool owners to stack multiple tablets inside of a feeder that is plugged into the pool water circulation system. The tablets slowly dissolve to keep your pool chlorinated and help to control cyanuric acid (CYA) levels in your water. Too much CYA is not good either, so be careful to not overdo it and test your water regularly.
Liquid chlorine or granular shock – both of these products work the same way although liquid chlorine is unstabilized, whereas granular shock is stabilized and dissolves in your pool water.
Borate – adding Borates to your pool can help as a buffer to prevent fluctuations with pH, reduce algae growth, help your water feel silky smooth, save on electricity as you do not need to circulate your pump as often and only needs to be added once in the spring.
Bromine – Bromine and borates are two different things that can help sanitize your pool. Borates provide the benefits above and since they kill algae, it helps bromine work more effectively. Bromines are reliable to kill bacteria and keep your pool water clean and clear.
Salt water systems – Salt water generators convert salt into chlorine for a steady chlorine level and provide many additional benefits. Learn more about converting to a salt water pool and the many benefits of salt water pools. The Swimming Pool Store can help you to evaluate the best sanitization method for your pool. We offer quality salt water generators and salt water generator installation.
Learn everything you need to know about choosing the best salt water generator, how they work, how to maintain them, and the many benefits they provide, such as decreased chlorine use.
Free Guide – Salt Water Pool Generators
The Swimming Pool Store has been providing quality pool services for more than 50 years. We offer pool renovations, free pool water testing, all the pool chemicals you need and maintenance programs. Contact us with any questions on the various methods for sanitizing your pool.