How Salt Systems Help Disinfect Swimming Pools

They may look safe and refreshing but swimming pools actually serve as a melting pot of a number of dangerous microorganisms that may harm a person抯 health. Aside from al...

They may look safe and refreshing but swimming pools actually serve as a melting pot of a number of dangerous microorganisms that may harm a person抯 health. Aside from algae and fungi, there are a number of bacteria that thrive within pools including E. coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, on top of parasites like Cryptosporidium and Acanthameoba. This is the reason why pools require to be circulated daily, even hourly, through water pumps and filters. And of course, this is the reason why salt systems are used to keep pools are kept sanitized.

What it does is produce chlorine by utilizing a natural electrolytic process. The salt concentration applied is usually very low, about a teaspoon per gallon of pool water. But it is enough to generate as much chlorine as possible to continuously kill contaminants, bacteria and algae in the water. The plus side of using these kinds of pool supplies instead of chemicals is that there are no harmful side effects to consider. And since it is made from organic ingredients, there抯 basically no downtime experienced, and the pool can be used as long as it is wanted. What is most amazing about using salt systems is that eventually chlorine reverts back to salt and the cycle just repeats itself automatically. As expected, maintenance responsibilities are lessened and expenditure is minimized.

Now, you might question the importance of applying chlorine on inground and above ground pools on a daily basis. The answer is due to the fact that it kills microorganisms. The introduction of chlorine usually encourages the break down water into hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochorite ion (OCl-). And both of these attack the lipids in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, algae and parasites, destroying their structural enzymes and rendering them oxidized and harmless. HOCl acts faster than OCl-, usually in about a few seconds while OCl takes effect in about 30 minutes, ensuring the complete wipe out of any dangerous microscopic inhabitants in the water.

It is important to note that the pool抯 pH level can alter the effects of chlorine on the microorganisms. If it is too high, the potency of hypochlorous acid can be diminished and it may take much longer to get expected results. It is important that pH checking is done at least three times a week through pH strips to see to it that the level is within normal range, which is 7.4 to 7.6.

After taking care of business, HOCl and OCl- usually just disintegrates into ammonia or individual atoms and then released to the air during the condensation process or adopted by water atoms to form other substances ?all of which are non-toxic. There are some notable downsides to chlorine use in swimming pools including fabric discoloration and that distinctive, intimidating smell. But considering what it does, it is clear how much a salt system would be beneficial as one of the pool supplies you acquire for your pool抯 upkeep.