Pool Care Economics... Part II - Chlorine Demand

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Reduce the Demand & Save Chlorine has three important jobs to do in your pool : Killing germs Oxidizing contaminants Preventing algae. What if you could reduce the need for chlorine by giving one of its jobs to another chemical? Specialty Chemicals Specialty chemicals are used to aid chlorine or completely takeover one of its jobs.   Algaecide As part of a regular maintenance program, algaecide stops algae before it starts. This reduces the demand for chlorine. There are many algaecides to choose from. Some are added weekly, some once ever 3 months.   Shocks Shocking a pool on a regular basis destroys organic contaminants like swimmers waste, plant material or even soil. These contaminants are the main source of “Chlorine Demand”. Eliminating this build-up will maximize the conversion to Free Chlorine and minimize Combined Chlorine.   Phosphates Algae is a plant and plants need food. They make sugars through a process called “photosynthesis”. Phosphate, when bonded to sugars, provides part of the energy to make different kinds of sugars, carbohydrates and starches. These are then transformed into all of the organic compounds of the plant. No phosphate means no algae. No algae means a lower chlorine demand.   Enzymes Have you ever noticed a brown, sticky build-up at the waterline of your pool? This is a sub-category of organic contaminant called “swimmers waste”. Eww. It consists of body oils, sun block, lotions, soap residue and hair products. This is why your pool becomes cloudy after a party. Though shocking the pool will clean this up, the use of an enzyme will prevent it from happening in the first place.   In conclusion, reducing the chlorine demand through the use of specialty products will minimize the need for chlorine. If you use a Salt Cell to produce chlorine, these products will prolong it’s life. Next week…PART III - Mineral Purifiers