Alternative Pool Water Sanitizers Provide New Ways To Reduce The Harsh Chemicals In Your Pool
Sure, you want to keep your pool clean and, in particular, make sure that it is sanitary and hygienic. After all, a dirty pool can become the root cause of several health ailments not to mention skin problems. But, are you focusing so much getting your pool clean and safe that you are overlooking the harm that the chemicals you use can cause? Harsh chemicals in the pool water can cause significant damage to your eyes, skin, hair and overall health as well. Thankfully, there are alternatives that help you eliminate these harsh chemicals completely.
Enzymes to the rescue
Enzymes are natural substances that cause no harm to you or your swim wear which makes them perfect for your pool cleaning. But what do they do for the pool? They make the pool water less sticky and get rid of water foaming and discoloration. They also make it easier for you to manage the water chemistry in the pool. Enzymes work by attacking the problem at the very root- working on the debris that impairs your plumbing system from working efficiently.
Oxidation works too
There is another system that uses oxygen to get the pool clean. Ozone generators do this task without causing any harm to the environment.
The generator goes on the outside of your pool and it works on electricity, (corona discharge method), or UV light to produce the ozone.
Ozone is produced within the pool water by converting oxygen, O2, into Ozone O3. Ozone is strong oxidizer and a disinfectant that does a fabulous job of killing the bacteria in your pool and oxidizing the organic contaminates. Ozone is so safe that it is actually used in home drinking water purification systems, so there is no worry about any health hazard from the ozonized pool waters.
In most cases the UV type of ozone system is recommended for residential pools, where for larger commercial pools the Corona Discharge systems are often used.
UV Treatment
UV water treatment has been around for decades being used in fish aquariums and industrial water process, but recent advances in technology now make this incredible sanitizer cost effective and easily available for swimming pools.
Water from the pool is circulated though a chamber irradiated with UV light. The UV wavelength effectively kills that bacteria that passes through the chamber.
For the most effective performance the UV system can be combined with an Ozone generating system which adds the required oxidation properties missing in the UV application. Together these two are the most promising sanitation combination for your pool.
Is your pool missing a pinch of salt?
Well, not a pinch of salt actually but you get drift. Salt is natural, environment friendly and it certainly does not leave you with faded swimwear or worse, greenish hair and red eyes, at least not until it becomes “chlorine”.
A “salt” pool actually is a chlorinated pool that takes salt, NaCl and splits the molecule using the process of electrolysis to make chlorine.
Switching to a salt system to sanitize your pool removes any worry having to purchase your chlorine in tablet or liquid form as do others. Your pool will actually make it’s own.
You get rid of algae, have better water chemistry management, and achieve better water quality too. The newest automated salt chlorine generators eliminate the task of adding chlorine to your pool by adding it in small continuing quantities as the pool runs.
Ions anyone?
Ionic pool cleaners may sound high tech and complex but actually they are rather simple. During the ionization, copper or silver or both are released into the pool water. These metals are toxic to bacteria and algae and curb their growth.
Thee are two types of systems. The first also uses electrolysis to release copper and/or silver ions into the pool water. More recently efficient “erosion” type systems have become available and are very popular. With an erosion type system, all you have to do is put the “mineral cartridges” into an included canister device that allows the pools water to circulate through the minerals.. The silver and copper are released in minute amounts from the cartridges and the sanitizing gets done.
Special Note:
It should be noted that for water safety to be assured a .5 Part Per Million residual of chlorine should be present in the pools water regardless of the technology you choose. It is not generally possible or realistic to completely eliminate the use of chlorine from the pool, however, the proper design and use of the systems listed above can reduce the requires chlorine levels substantially while oxidizing away the contaminates that are usually the irritating factors to the skin and eyes.