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Given the popularity of salt chlorine generators in residential and commercial pools, it is appropriate to share some valuable information for saltwater pool owners/operators, or those considering making the switch to salt.
A stunning number of pool operators ask us about backwashing. Of all the topics in pool operation, one would think backwashing is fairly straight-forward. When the pressure in the filters gets to a certain point, backwash. Right? Well, as it turns out, that's not what pool operators—especially inexperienced ones—ask us. It's not about 'how' or 'when' to backwash. It's more like...
Technically speaking, chloramines are chemical byproducts of chlorine oxidizing inorganic ammonia in water. The term chloramines is used generically to describe all disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that result from chlorine oxidizing nitrogen compounds. Chloramines and these other DBPs are the main cause of air quality problems in indoor pools.
Chlorine is primarily a sanitizer. It's secondary role in pool chemistry is oxidation of other contaminants, like bather waste. Unfortunately there is a lot of bather waste and other oxidants that reduce chlorine rapidly, which interferes with its primary mission of sanitization. Enzymes devour non-living organics (bather waste). Supplementing your chlorine with enzymes is part of our Second Pillar of Proactive Pool Care.
Phosphates in pool water have become a common problem, yet the topic is largely misunderstood or misrepresented. Do you know what phosphates are, where they come from, and why they cause issues for pool chemistry? If not, this article is for you.