What is chlorine?
Chlorine is a chemical used to sanitise pool water to keep it free from nasties. Optimal chlorine levels are between 2-4 ppm, but as high as 10 ppm is still swimmable, just a little uncomfortable.
When chlorine is added to the pool, it is used to kill bacteria, algae and other organisms by breaking down cell walls.
Why do I need chlorine?
Think about pressing a button in an elevator. Many people have touched it before and who knows what they have touched. If they happened to have bad bacteria or a fungal infection, it can easily spread and make us sick. The same principle applies to water: who knows what’s in it, especially after people swim in it or we have a bout of high wind and rain. Adding chlorine to your pool is like rubbing Dettol on your hands before and after touching the elevator button. Adding Dettol before will kill the germs initially, then you add more Dettol after to ensure you have enough to kill all germs. Maintaining optimal chlorine levels will ensure you always have enough sanitiser to kill whatever nasties lurk in your pool.
How can I automate chlorine levels?
Absolutely! Salt chlorinators have come a long way since the old day where your only choice was to manually add chlorine or constantly adjust chlorinator levels depending on the season and weather. With new technology, you can add a chlorinator and what is called a probe to your existing system (pump/filter/heater etc) that will read chlorine levels in the water and adjust output accordingly. Call us on 03 9580 9488 or visit us in store for more information.
What happens if I have too much chlorine?
Too much chlorine can be harmful to swimmers, in worst case scenarios can lead to chlorine poisoning. We recommend you avoid swimming in your pool if your chlorine readings are higher than 10 ppm to keep you and your family safe. Regular water testing using a test strip and popping in store should avoid levels getting too high.
To reduce your chlorine levels, we stock chlorine reducers or alternatively, partially drain and refill your pool.
