Continental Pool School Pop Quiz
As the swimming season begins, the professionals at Continental Pool and Spa are “springing” this pop quiz on you about pool water chemistry. How well do you know your stuff?
2019 Pool School Water Chemistry Pop Quiz
- True or False? If your pool smells like chlorine, you are using too much chlorine.
- True or False? If the water is clear, and the pool is sparkly clear, then the water is safe for swimming.
- True or False? One of the main causes of pool liner failure is chemical abuse?
- True or False? Mowing or fertilizing my lawn has no effect on my pool water chemistry?
- True or False? Extended periods of low PH can cause pool equipment damage, eye irritation, and pool liner failure.
- True or False? I should never shock my pool more than once each week.
- Besides Chlorine and PH, other essential elements I should be testing my pool for include:
- Alkalinity, Phosphates, and Stabilizer
- Beers and Bratwurst and Nachos
- Oils and Lotions and Creams
- All of the above
- None of the above
- True or False? Cloudiness in my pool always indicates a need for free chlorine and/or high PH?
- How long should I wait before swimming in a pool that I just shocked?
- Ideally, overnight, with the system running.
- An hour or two
- I don’t need to wait at all
- At least until next season
- None of the above
- Who should I contact if I am having difficulty with my pool water chemistry?
- Continental Pool and Spa
- Omaha’s Leading Pool & Spa Company
- A Company that has been owned and run by the same family for more than 35 years.
- A place with helpful, professional, and friendly staff.
- All of the above
Pool School Pop Quiz Answers:
#1. ) False!
It is a common misconception that burning eyes and a strong chlorine smell to the water is the result of too much chlorine. Actually, the cause is not enough chlorine!
A combined chlorine compound, called a chloramine, is produced when a free chlorine molecule combines with a nitrogen or ammonia molecule. These compounds smell bad, irritate the eyes and skin, and get in the way of free chlorine trying to do its job.
Shocking or super chlorinating the pool is necessary to oxidize, or break apart these molecules and remove the foul smelling chloramines from the pool water!
#2. ) False!
Just because your water is clear does not mean your pool water chemistry is in balance. Your alkalinity, stabilizer, and/or PH may be out of balance. This is the reason we recommend testing your water at least weekly and more often during periods of high use or warm weather!
#3. ) True!
Consistently unbalanced pool water will damage your pool liner. Using inferior products or maintaining excessively high levels of chlorine or other products can cause wrinkling, fading, and other issues. See our technical bulletin on protecting your pool liner investment!
#4. ) False!
Lawn fertilizers, lawn clippings and other organic waste add phosphates to your pool. Phosphates are algae food! To prevent phosphate build up in your pool we highly recommend adding Natural Chemistry’s Pool Perfect and PhosFree to your weekly maintenance routine.
#5. ) True!
Water that has a PH below 7.0 (neutral) is called acidic! This acid will eat away at your equipment and liner (staining) and can cause burning and stinging in your eyes. This is why we recommend a PH level between 7.2 and 7.4, as your eyes naturally maintain a PH level of 7.3.
High PH (above 7.6) causes its own set of problems, including making your sanitizer less effective, thereby creating an ideal environment for cloudiness and algae growth. It can also cause mineral deposits to accumulate on pool surfaces and your equipment. Maintaining your pool water between 7.2 and 7.6 will go a long way toward balancing the rest of your pool water chemistry!
#6. ) False!
You need to shock your pool whenever it needs to be shocked. Once weekly is recommended for maintenance, but other times to shock include whenever the pool has experienced heavy use, after a heavy rain or long periods of hot weather, or whenever your tests show free chlorine levels at zero, or total chlorine levels at 0.5 or above.
#7. ) “1” Alkalinity, Phosphates, and Stabilizer is the correct answer.
Things that will cause pool water problems other than imbalanced Sanitizers and PH include Alkalinity, Phosphates (see above) and Stabilizer. Talk to your pool professionals about how to maintain proper levels of all these elements. They have the expertise to advise you and provide you with the most effective products. They will also advise you to limit the use of oils, lotions, and creams in your pool. (We suggest talking to your local grocer about maintaining proper beverage, bratwurst, and nacho levels!)
#8. ) True!
Imbalanced Chlorine levels and PH levels can cause cloudiness in your pool. However, if these levels are fine, there could be other suspects. If you are struggling with a cloudy pool, bring us a water sample. We will test it for some elements your test kit or strips do not test.
#9. ) “1” Ideally, overnight, with the system running is the most correct answer.
Ideally, for the safest and most effective method of shocking your pool, shock should be added after sunset, and your system should run overnight. This will thoroughly distribute the product throughout the pool. We do sell products that allow for a shorter wait time for those situations where you want to swim sooner than that. Talk to your experts at Continental!
#10. ) The correct answer is “5” All of the Above, of course!
You can always count on Continental Pool and Spa, as more than a generation of Omahans have, for the very best in Pools and Spas, including Sales, Service, and Supplies. Thank you for being our customer – your continued satisfaction with our products, our staff, and our service is a key element in our success.
