Large pools used for recreation or sports training have advanced water filtration and purification systems, as well as a constant flow. But small backyard pools require very different maintenance. As you already know, chlorine is often used to purify water and remove microorganisms that would be potentially harmful to your health.
Ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause skin damage. But at the same time, they are also harmful to the chlorine you use in the pool. You will wonder how this is possible?
Ultraviolet rays are actually radiation that changes and destroys chlorine at the atomic level. When dissolved in water, chlorine forms hypochlorite ions, which under the influence of radiation turn into gases and float to the surface.
This is exactly why you smell chlorine in the air while swimming in a pool. If you are in a sports pool, then you don’t need to worry, because the chlorine level is renewed as needed and maintained in the water. But when this happens in your home pool, it is no longer protected.
Then, the sun’s rays will warm the water, and we all know that moisture and heat are an ideal environment for the creation of bacteria and their uncontrolled reproduction.
What does chlorine do in your pool?
This chemical is crucial in keeping a pool clean. Chlorine prevents the growth of algae and bacteria and keeps the water technically sound. Home pool owners have a really big expense when it comes to regular maintenance.
They should either do the cleaning themselves or regularly hire a professional service for it. Chlorine maintains an appropriate pH value of the water, without the risk of creating an environment in which dust particles would create serious contamination.
However, too much chlorine can cause skin and eye irritation, even hair damage, and swimsuit bleaching.
What are the solutions to this problem?
It would be enough to invest in a canopy that will keep shade over the pool. Of course, this may not be the ideal idea you had when building a pool, but it is the simplest and most economical solution. In fact, if you look at miami awnings you will see that it does not look so bad.
With the help of such constructions, you can create a beautiful corner in your yard, where you will spend the hot summer days. In doing so, you prevent solar radiation from changing the water on a physical and chemical level.
Another option is to cover the pool when not in use. In this way, you do not allow the chlorine to contaminate or evaporate. Of course, you must constantly test the chemical state of the water, because a small carelessness is enough to do a lot of damage.
You also have an option to use cyanuric acid, which serves to stabilize the chlorine and prevent decomposition and evaporation. This acid can be compared to sunscreen for water. Another solution is a chemical called algaecide, to prevent green algae from developing even when the amount of chlorine in the pool is reduced.
A few interesting facts about pool chlorine
Taking care of the pool requires so much dedication and money investment. It’s all worth it when you enjoy and swim all day. But, when you take a shower in the bath, keep these interesting facts in mind:
- Chlorine is a gas that is soluble in water and is found in sufficient quantities in nature, especially in the oceans
- Its name in translation means green-yellow and comes from the Greek word chloros because, in its natural and pure state, the gas has exactly that color
- Chlorine has been used to disinfect water since ancient times
- To get pure chlorine, you need to electrolyze seawater
- Poisoning is possible if you inhale natural chlorine
- Chlorine is used as a bleaching agent in the bleaching of textiles and paper in the industry
- The salt we use for eating contains chloride in itself, which is not as harmful as the gas – you surely know that the salt is actually sodium chloride
- Chlorine can also be used in the process of preserving and sterilizing food, as a solvent, and even has applications in medicine.
- If you are cleaning a pool, you need to wear a protective mask to inhale as little chlorine fumes as possible.
- Prolonged exposure to chlorine can be deadly
- If there is too much chlorine in the pool, you may feel burning in your eyes
- Chlorine compounds were used as chemical weapons in World War II
- Chlorine is harmful to the ozone layer
- There is no completely successful antidote for chlorine poisoning, and the only solution is to drink as much water as possible or treat burns with clean water
- Chlorine oxidizes in liquids, and knowing that our body is made up of a large amount of water, means that the toxic effect occurs almost immediately after exposure
Final words
From what you have learned so far, chlorine is a highly toxic gas, but it has properties that maintain the quality and purity of the water in your home pool. To make sure that everything is in order with the pool, you must keep the chlorine at the required level. This is achieved by repeatedly adding chlorine to the water and regularly filtering it.
On the other hand, you can always rely on physical protection, such as pool covers or canopies on the surface of the pool. Of course, in combination with cyanuric acid, you can easily achieve the maximum protective effect.
UV radiation is harmful to your skin as well as to the water in the pool. But you certainly wouldn’t want algae and bacteria to grow in it. Therefore you must be responsible and follow the maintenance instructions.
Find the right balance in which you will not expose yourself to danger, but you will also be focused on always having a clean pool with quality water in it.
