IGH Pool Management

Pool maintenance services: Costa Blanca and Murcia

In order to achieve crystal clear water that is inviting to use , healthy and free from any infections , the pool must be chemically balanced and correctly sanitized .
Pool water testing is an essential and critical part of all swimming pool operation . To maintain clean and fresh pool conditions , chemicals are consistently added , and chemical levels should be         continually monitored .
In order to achieve immaculate results IGH pool management will carry out the following tests on a routine basis .

Ph : ph is a measure of the waters acidity or alkalinity , it has a scale of 1  -  14 , with 7 being classed as neutral . Below 7 is acidic , and above 7 is alkali . For swimming pools the ideal ph range is 7.2  -  7.4 .

It should be noted that this is also close to the natural ph of the human eye and skin , so in keeping within this ph range maximum bather comfort is achieved .

Chlorine : chlorine is the most common form of swimming pool sanitation , and must be tested for in 2 forms , free chlorine and combined chlorine . The free chlorine is the amount of chlorine which is available to kill bacteria , and destroy pollution . Combined chlorine is chlorine that has reacted with ammonia from human sweat etc, and has formed chloramines . The acceptable range for free chlorine can differ depending upon the type used , but for stabilized products , such as Tricholor , which is common in Southern Spain , a range of 1.0  -  5.0 ppm should be the target .

As combined chlorine is spent , and has no function as a sanitizer , its level should be kept as low as possible , and " shocking " should be carried out at any level over 1.0 ppm.
If you notice a chlorine odor or smell from your pool , a common myth is that the chlorine level is too high ,when in fact the odor is actually the chloramines , so the course of action would be to   increase the free chlorine content to " burn off " the waste product.

IGH pool management test for chlorine content by using the DPD method , this enables us to test free chlorine level and then total chlorine level . We can then subtract the free from the total to   calculate the combined chlorine level .  Any testing using cheap supermarket type test kits should be avoided , as these use the OTO method of testing which will only read the total level of chlorine , and cannot distinguish the free available chlorine from the unwanted combined .  

Cyanuric Acid : is added to chlorine to act as a stabilizer to prevent the free chlorine from being dissipated by strong sunlight and UV rays . The level of cyanuric acid must be carefully monitored as if it is allowed to rise too high it will shield the chlorine making it less effective and    efficient . Cyanuric acid does not get used up or burned off , so continued use of stabilized chlorine will cause the levels to rise over time . The acceptable range is 30 - 80ppm.          

Total Alkalinity : total alkalinity is the sum of all the alkaline substances which are in the water , this acts as a buffer to stabilize the ph from erratic changes or spiking . When using  stabilized type chlorine a range of 80  -  120 ppm should be the target .  

Calcium Hardness : calcium hardness is a measure of all the calcium salts dissolved within the pool . If the level is too low , the  plaster or grouting can be damaged and too high a level ,scale will form around the pool . The acceptable range is 100  -  400 ppm.

Total Dissolved Solids : TDS is the term given to all the substances which have accumulated in the pool water , from chemicals , pollution and other impurities . High TDS levels can lead to cloudy water , and will reduce the chlorine effectiveness . In outdoor pools the TDS will build up over time as  the strong sunlight will give a high rate of evaporation , leaving excess dissolved solids behind.    The maximum TDS level should not exceed 1000 ppm above the mains or fill water TDS level .