Continuing on from last month, here are a few more problem situations and how to deal with them.
BATHER DISCOMFORT PROBLEMS
Stinging eyes, sore throat and skin irritation. There are three possible causes - use your test kit to see which is the most probable.
1st suspect A pH problem - the water could be too acidic or too alkaline. The pH of the eye is around 7.4-7.5 - anything above or below will irritate.
Cure: - Correct the pH.
2nd suspect High combined chlorine (chloramines). Chloramines are an irritant. If you get unpleasant chlorine smells reminiscent of the old Municipal Baths its odds on that the problem is due to high chloramines. Cure: - superchlorinate the pool to 10ppm free chlorine to react out the chloramines.
3rd suspect Incompatible detergents used for cleaning the pool sides and removing scum lines (tide-marks). The resulting reactions in the water can cause eye and skin irritation. Similar reactions can occur if soap or shampoo get into the water, e.g. if bathers jump in to rinse. Cure: - Superchlorinate to react-out the detergents. Change to cleaners that are chlorine compatible or abandon their use and resort to a little elbow grease.
Blond or tinted hair turns green. Caused by: - Copper in the pool, either from copper-based algaecides or from corroding copper fittings in a heater.
Cure: - Correct the pH. Replace half of the pool water. Wash the affected hair with aspirin solution.
Allergy to chlorine. Possible causes. Be sure that you really are suffering from an allergy and not something else. The discomfort you feel could be due to other factors, e.g., it may be due to incorrect pH or excessive chloramines. See ‘Stinging eyes, sore throat and skin irritation’ above. Be your own guinea pig - use another pool sanitised with chlorine and see if you get the same reactions. If you don’t, your problems are probably more to do with your pool water.
Chloramines are formed by the breakdown of nitrogenous compounds such as perspiration, cosmetics, mucous etc. when reacting with free chlorine. The chloramines are eventually broken down to form harmless substances. All this usually happens in the pool water but the reactions can take place on the skin if, e.g., you have been exercising or sweating. Wash those nitrogenous compounds from your skin by showering before entering the pool. You will find the pool water much more comfortable.
If these suggestions don’t help, then you may be one of the very few who experience an allergic reaction to chlorine. An allergy is a hypersensitivity to a substance. Chlorine is unlikely to be the original or primary allergen, but those suffering from allergies can, unfortunately, find themselves sensitised by chlorine. Cure: - If you think you have a genuine allergy, then the only remedy is to change to a non-chlorine sanitiser. Some alternative sanitisers require the periodic use of chlorine.
The info above is condensed from our Pool School Booklet, available by mail-order for 10 Euros inc. p/p. The booklet, an integral part of the Deep Blue Pools Pool School Course, will save the average pool-owner hundreds of Euros a year and 1000’s of Euros over the life of a pool.
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