Chemicals: Better Choices
By Anita Kabak
Walk into a pool or spa store, or visit a virtual one online, and, if you do not already know exactly what swimming pool chemicals or water care products you are looking for, the choices can be overwhelming.
You may ask yourself, which form of chlorine do I want? Is there a good alternative to chlorine? What other swimming pool chemicals do I need? Is one brand of clarifier better than another? What is water balance and how do I achieve and maintain it? Should I use a non-chlorine shock or some other type? What is it with all the different kinds of algicides?
Thankfully, most professional retailers have already done the decision making for you. They have researched the various programs and selected one or two they know work. If you choose a retailer with a solid reputation, the swimming pool chemicals offered will probably be part of an effective preventative maintenance program.
Investing in such a program may seem more expensive at first because there are more swimming pool chemicals to buy, but it is actually the most cost-effective approach to water care. Consider the following example, but note that prices vary widely from one climate to another and depend greatly on pool use. Pool A follows a preventative maintenance routine of a weekly algicide dose and chlorine. For a season, Pool A's owner may spend about $15 to $20 on one quart of algicide and $100 to $150 on chlorine. Pool B uses only chlorine. Because Pool B does not have a maintenance dose of algicide in it, it will need two to three times as much chlorine to prevent algae from forming. Therefore, Pool B's owner will spend about $300 for a season's worth of chlorine. Plus, if Pool B has an algae bloom, it will require a killing dose of algicide, which can be three times the weekly maintenance dose.
Opting for a preventative maintenance program will also save money because the equipment will continue to function properly and not require expensive repair or replacement.
The Basics
A basic preventative maintenance program will have a sanitizer-typically chlorine, but possibly bromine or biguanide. (Other swimming pool chemicals that are used to supplement the tone of these sanitizers include minerals and ozone, but these are not found in bottles; see the related article beginning on page 114.) Biguanide programs have traditionally been more expensive, in part because you must also purchase special biguanidecompatible shock and clarifier. The rising cost of chlorine and new vendors in the biguanide market, however, have made this cost difference less significant.
In addition to a sanitizer, you will need a shock (either non-chlorine or chlorine), an all-purpose algicide, balancing products to adjust factors, such as pH or alkalinity, and test strips or a basic liquid-reagent test kit.
Some other useful swimming pool chemicals for a comprehensive preventative maintenance program are sequestering agents, which help the filter do its job, stain and scale prevention products, and an enzyme formula for breaking down oils before they form ugly scum rings at the waterline. (Some might consider the enzyme products a notch above the basic requirements.)
Many swimming pool chemical suppliers offer kits containing all or most of these items, and some retailers assemble their own.
The Problem Solvers
Many of the preventative maintenance swimming pool chemicals named in the previous section can also be used to address problems with your water, equipment or surfaces. For instance, the same swimming pool chemical that some pool owners apply, say, weekly to prevent staining can also be used to eliminate a stain in a pool or spa. (Of course, the stain probably will not form if you follow a stain- and scale-prevention regimen.)
Also, while there are advantages to applying filter cleaners routinely, these products, particularly the spray-on formulas, can also be used to address an immediate need, such as cloudy water. Cleaning the filter is more likely to clear cloudiness than adjusting water chemistry.
If cloudy water is a problem, and the filter is clean and fully operational, there are several possible problems that can be addressed with the right swimming pool chemicals. For instance, high pH can cloud water and is easily remedied with a pH reducer.
Another possible cause of cloudy water is insufficient chlorine (or other sanitizer) residual. A shock treatment can bring it back into range. A non-chlorine shock and certain chlorine "oxidizer" shocks, which may seem like an extra purchase, will allow swimmers back into the water almost immediately.
Cloudy water can also be cleared up with a good clarifier. Often, a clarifier can be used to collect and coagulate fine particles that would otherwise pass through the filter and back to the pool or hot tub. A clarifier can help the filter remove those particles by chemically bonding them into larger particles. Clarifiers are sometimes thought of as "extra." That is, a bare bones approach to water care might not include a clarifier, but a pool or hot tub that does not receive a regular dose of clarifier might not be as sparkling and clear as one that does.
Algae can also cloud water. Experts say that using an algicide regularly can prevent algae blooms, but if they happen, there is a plethora of specialized algicides to rid your pool of them. There are several types of algae - green, yellow, black, etc. - and, therefore, several types of algicides. Note that a stronger algicide may cost more, but you need less of it to do the same job. When used as directed, a stronger (more expensive) algicide will save money over time.
In addition to swimming pool chemicals that treat the water itself, pool and spa chemical suppliers have developed special formulas for cleaning tile, vinyl liners, spa covers and other surfaces found in pool and spa environments. Do not try to save money by using an all-purpose household cleaner.
As you consider which ingredients will combine to form the best water care program for your pool or hot tub, follow the expert advice of a pool professional you trust.