Poolcare 101 Morning Show - Monday, June 3, 2002
The only pool care TV show, featuring pool expert Judd Smith.

Hi TV 3 Viewers

Thanks for watching Good Morning Arizona. The Place With More Stuff!

We hope you enjoyed our or chemical segment of PoolCare 101 this morning.

Pool chemistry is simple once you understand the basics. Here are a few tips that can help you keep your water sparkling clean. Always add chemicals in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Let’s recap our discussion.

Test Kits
Every pool owner should have a fresh test kit to evaluate the condition of the water. Just because the pool is clear, doesn’t always mean the water is free of bacteria. Your test kit is the tool that will show you the condition of the water. As with any tool, it should be in top, working order. If your test kit is over 2 years old, or has spent some time outdoors in the heat, throw it away and get a new one. When purchasing a kit, make sure it can test chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Keep the new one indoors so it will maintain accuracy. Never let your fingers drip into the test vials. It can change your readings. Always rinse your test vials with pool water before obtaining a sample. Take a sample 1 or 2 feet down from the surface. That way the sample is more accurate.

Chlorine
Chlorine in the pool water will kill bacteria and algae, when kept at the proper levels. We recommend using 3-inch stabilized chlorine tablets in a floating chlorinator. For most residential pools, 2 to 3 tablets will do the trick. We always recommend you check the water however, since no 2 pools have the same needs. This is due to bather loads, the environment, trees, etc. We recommend shocking your pool at least once per month (or after a party or storm) to kill of the buildup of chloramines. Chloramines are a by-product of chlorine that causes irritation of mucous membranes and sensitive skin. When shocking the pool, you can use either liquid or granular types. A general rule of thumb is one bag of granular (calcium hypochlorite) is equal to one gallon of liquid. For each 10,000 gallons, you will need to add one bag (or one gallon) to achieve the proper shock. Never shock a pool that has a fresh dose of algecide in it, or the pool walls may become stained.

Acid
Total alkalinity is one of the 2 acid tests. If pool water is too acidic (too much acid), it can be corrosive. If there is not enough acid, it can be scale-forming or cloudy. Always test and adjust your total alkalinity before testing your pH.

To lower total alkalinity, add muratic acid (always add acid in small, 1 pint doses until you achieve your goal). To raise total alkalinity, add sodium bicarbonate.

PH is the second acid test. Like total alkalinity, if the pool water is too acidic (too much acid), it can be corrosive. If there is not enough acid, it can be scale-forming or cloudy.

To lower pH, add muratic acid (always add acid in small, 1 pint doses until you achieve your goal). To raise pH, add sodium carbonate (soda ash).

When the pH and total alkalinity are within the required ranges, the water is considered balanced. When the water is balanced, chlorine is at its maximum effectiveness.

Other Chemicals
There are other chemicals you will need to monitor on a less frequent basis. We recommend you take a sample of water in to your pool retailer to have everything checked about every 3 months. This is a good way to double-check yourself and help make sure the pool is safe for swimming.

Salt Systems
A salt system can be thought of as a little chlorine factory. The electronic cell in the system takes the salt and creates chlorine from it. The benefit is you don't need to lug around chlorine products because it makes its own. In most cases, the water will not need to be shocked as the system handles this task automatically. You will be able to taste the salt in the pool as you swim, but it is not like the ocean (it is about half the salt found in human tears). The salt system manufacturers advertise softer skin with no itching or burning.

We hope this puts you on your way to a crystal clear pool.


Remember…BE WATER-WISE…..ALWAYS SUPERVISE
(480) 699-8926. • www.poolcare101.com • info@poolcare101.com

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