How Well Do You Know Your Pool?

Pool Misconceptions, Myths and Mix-ups.

It’s blue. It’s sparkly. It’s pretty and oh-so-wonderful on a hot summer’s day. But really…what else do you know about your pool? Or

rather – what do you think you know? We turned to some of the worlds top pool experts to find out what most homeowners have got completely wrong when it comes to maintaining and choosing a pool. Here’s what they told us:

Salt vs. Chlorine
One of the common misconceptions regarding salt systems is that people think they are an alternative to chlorine —when, in fact, they are used to produce chlorine. I think some of this misconception is attributed
to the fact that salt systems help to reduce or eliminate some of the undesirable effects associated with traditional chlorine pools, such
as dry skin, dry hair and burning eyes. Even if homeowners realize that salt systems produce their own chlorine, they then incorrectly assume that using salt water systems eliminates the need for regular water
testing. Not true! Improper water chemistry can present problems regardless of what type of sanitization is used. You must test your salt
systems as regularly as you would a traditional chlorine pool!

Clear Enough?
There are many common misconceptionsthat poolowners have. One is if thepoolis clear, all is well. Wrong. A clearpool does not necessarily mean a “balanced”pool. Another common mistake is the notion that a clear pool does not need shock. It denitely does. Shocking, or “oxidizing,” helps
remove chloramines, or bacteria attached to chlorine, which is an
irritant and must be oxidized weekly in warm water. Hard chlorine and granular chlorine perform completely different functions. Hard chlorine is a sanitizer and granular chlorine is an oxidizer. Homeowners also incorrectly think that a hard shock will clear an algae bloom overnight. The shock will need an algaecide added to the water in conjunction to kill the algae, then the pump and lter will help clear the water of the dead algae. This all will happen over a matter of days, depending upon the
severity of the algae bloom.