Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Sanitiser?
A sanitiser is a product which kills bacteria. It is the only job a sanitiser has. There are many types of sanitising methods available on the market. The most common method is Chlorine. There are many different types of chlorine products on the market as well. Other types of sanitisers include Bromine, Hydrogen Peroxide and Peroxide variants.
What is an Oxidiser?
An Oxidiser is a product designed to destroy waste material in the water. Waste material includes all of the killed-off bacteria and algae as well as the depleted chlorine molecules. This depleted chlorine (Chloramine) is the cliché chlorine smell people usually associate with having too much chlorine in the pool. These chloramines and dead bacteria can become food for other bacteria if it is left in the water. Introducing an oxidiser will eliminate this “food” and greatly reduce the onset of bacteria or algae growth.
How long should I run my pool?
It depends on your own individual pool and it’s equipment. It is best practice to circulate your pool’s water volume twice a day for residential pools and twice again for commercial pools (x4). For residential pools, it is best practice to run your pool for 8 hours a day. It is also best practice to split this up evenly into 2 cycles per day. 6am to 10am and again in PM works very well for summertime and summertime usage. When the year starts to get into the cooler months, the filtration can be reduced to 6 hours per day for Autumn and Spring. Wintertime can allow you to reduce your running times to 4 hours a day. However, the water quality must be maintained and running times may need to be re-increased depending on weather conditions.
When should I test my water?
Your pool or spa water should be tested every week. It can be reduced in spring autumn and winter to a 2-week frequency. For a spa, you should do a sample every week especially if it is continued to be used even through winter. The most important thing is keeping it regular.
How can I reduce the running cost of my pool?
A lot of people shut the pool off to save money on power costs. This is the worst thing to do with your pool. Having no filtration and circulation is the quickest way to an algae infestation. It is not recommended. The costs of algae treatment can greatly surpass the cost of running the pump. But power bills are not getting any lower. You can work your pool pump around peak power times if needed but the pump is still required to turn over the water for 8 hours a day. Setting your pump to run just after 8pm or so can get you outside peak power times, but you must check noise levels and council requirements. The best way to save power on your pool is to install an Eco Filtration Pump such as the 9-star energy-rated Hayward Variable Speed Pump. Another products that can save you running costs is the Dolphin Range of Robotic Cleaners. Ask us how.
How can I reduce the maintenance on my pool?
Keeping the surrounding area clear of leaf litter and your gardens tidy can go a long way with pool maintenance. There are products today designed to make your everyday life easier. Whether this be a smartphone, iPad, or maybe a more efficient vehicle. Pools are no exception either. More efficient pool pumps can move more water around with less effort, thus cleaning your pool better. The Dolphin Robotic Cleaners can also reduce your maintenance procedure and cut down on filtration running times as well. If you would like to sign up for one of our maintenance schedules, it is a great way to create more time for yourself.
What type of chlorine should I use?
There are heaps of chlorine products on the market and we can advise on the best product for your pool. A lot of people grab any type of chlorine from anywhere and throw it in their pool. Unfortunately, this can have devastating effects on your pool. Remember that your pool is an investment and you want to enjoy it. One prime example of the effects is liquid chlorine used in an above-ground pool. Most above-ground pools are made from steel and the high pH and the presence of salt in liquid chlorine can corrode away the pool. Another example is cheap powdered chlorine bought from a retail store can see calcium levels in your pool water skyrocket. This can create a huge staining problem on the pool interior and a cloudy appearance to the water. Come and have a chat with us and we can recommend the best product for your pool.
How does a salt chlorinator work?
The chlorinator generates a very low voltage current passing through plates known as the electrode. This creates electrolysis; salt and water break up into hydrogen gas and hypochlorous acid. The hydrogen gas simply leaves the swimming pool water in the form of small bubbles. The hypochlorous acid sanitises the swimming pool. In essence, a salt chlorinator creates chlorine. The pH of this production is extremely high and salt pool owners usually require high amounts of pH-reducing products to balance the outcome. This is also how Liquid Chlorine is created.
Why do family and friends get skin problems in my pool?
There can be a few reasons why skin problems arise and most people associate this with an allergy to chlorine. Chlorine allergies are extremely rare and most skin problems can be caused by chloramines (see what is an oxidiser above). Chloramines feed bacteria present on the skin thus creating an irritation. pH is a very large contributor to skin irritation and most commonly red or stinging eyes. Our skin protects us from a lot of things including protecting us from low pH environments but there is only so much it can do before it starts becoming damaged. We compare this to moisturising products. All moisturisers and makeups etc. are pH-balanced to prevent our skin from being damaged. The same thing should happen with pool and spa water by keeping the pH balanced.
Do I need to use algaecide if I don't have algae?
It is best practice to use an Algae Preventative measure in your pool water maintenance schedule. If you maintain the correct pH and chlorine levels as well as a maintenance algaecide, it is nearly guaranteed that algae will not become established in your pool. Stranger things have happened though and if this is the case, we need to look at other factors that could have created this problem such as circulation and filtration.
Why does my pool turn green?
There can be a lot of reasons why a pool turns green. Algae can form when conditions for growth are optimised. A high pH, a low chlorine level, lack of circulation and lack of filtration are just a few issues that people can find being the cause of algae growth. Ensuring that your filter is in good health, and running the correct amount of time each day can aid in the prevention of algae. Keeping an eye on pH and chlorine levels will also aid in prevention. An Algae preventative Algaecide is also recommended to ensure that algae growth is kept in control.
My pool turned green over night, why?
Pools can seemingly turn green overnight but believe it or not, algae has been present in the pool for a while. Algae starts life off as a transparent growth. It is invisible to the naked eye but you can usually tell by feeling a slippery and slimey surface. When the water becomes green, algae has a very strong foothold on surviving in your pool. Algae growth can also be accelerated by the presence of nitrogen found during heavy rain storms or lightning storms. Overnight greenness is usually a coincidence or perhaps the water hasn’t been consciously noticed for a day or two. It’s OK, we can help with the treatment of algae, let us know how bad it is with a photo of the pool.
