Salt Water Pool: Understanding the Factors Influencing Stabiliser Levels
The maintenance of a salt water pool can be challenging for individuals without an understanding of the functional mechanisms. In general, a pool must contain a chemical known as sodium hypochlorite chlorine to be termed as a salt water pool. The process through which this compound is formed begins with the addition of salt to the pool. In simple terms, one must add salt into the water to the point of saturation.
The saline water will then be pumped into a chlorinator cell, causing the release of chlorine gas. This gas then combines with the water in the pool, forming sodium hypochlorite. While this process is simple, numerous pool owners experience difficulties with stabilisation of the pool. Therefore, here are some simple factors which affect the chlorine stability mechanism in the salt pool to help you avoid related problems in your pool.
Pump Running Time
If your pool pump is turned off prematurely, the desired level of stabilisation in your salt pool will not be realised. Simply speaking, your pump must operate for a prolonged period to allow sufficient generation and circulation of chlorine gas into the water. Therefore, you should run the pump for the duration recommended by your pool contractor to avoid dealing with the premature decline of the levels of chlorine in your salt water.
High Usage Levels
The stability of your salt pool can be compromised by an increase in the bathing load. Often, the stabilising levels of the compounds will decline when more people use the water. This decline can be attributed to that fact that a lot of chlorine is expended as the water is used. If the bathing load in your pool increases, you should think about manually adding some chlorine. This maintenance task will rebuild the normal chlorine levels.
Inadequate Cyanuric Acid
If the level of cyanuric acid in your saltwater pool is low, the chlorine in the water will not be stable. It will be depleted prematurely, especially if the pool is being used heavily. Therefore, you should be diligent in making sure that you have added a sufficient amount of the acid during your maintenance processes. You should inquire about the recommended levels from your Sterns salt water pool contractor. Also, you should remember that adding excess cyanuric acid can corrode some pool interiors.
Finally, you should make sure to test the chemical levels in your salt pool on a regular basis and make adjustments as desired.