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How To Disinfect A Pool

28 November 2018 by Anton Leinonen

Swimming pools are supposed to be the fun part of the house. The last thing you want is for people to be falling sick because they went for a swim. Unfortunately, this is a real risk when you have a pool in the house because the water doesn't move all the time and various contaminants can also find their way into the pool.

Pools need to be disinfected on a regular basis to ensure that they don't pose a health risk to your or anyone else in the house. How can you disinfect your pool?

Adding Chlorine

The use of chlorine is one of the most common ways of disinfecting swimming pools. This method is especially popular in domestic pools due to its simplicity and relative affordability. When chlorine or similar chemicals are added to the water, they will kill the microorganisms that can pose a health risk to those using the pool.

Using pool chemicals will kill almost all the bacteria in the pool, and this is why this method has been used for decades.

Using an Ultraviolet Light System

Many people have been searching for alternatives to chlorine when it comes to disinfecting the pool. The use of ultraviolet light systems has emerged as a popular alternative because it can greatly reduce the amount of chloramine in the water. Chloramine is what is produced when chlorine reacts with contaminants. Unfortunately, chloramine can irritate the eyes and skin of people with certain sensitivities.

Ultraviolet light systems can render micro-organisms that are resistant to chlorine inert. These systems can be used as the primary disinfecting system and chlorine simply added as an oxidizer.

Ozone Pool Water Disinfection

Also known as Advanced Oxidation Process or AOP, ozone pool water disinfection has been described as the 'next big thing' as far as pool water sanitation is concerned. Ozone has been observed to be quite effective in treating harmful microorganisms in the water. Unlike UV which disinfects, ozone oxidizes the water.

When AOP is paired with UV, the amount of chlorine in the water can be greatly reduced. A good thing for those sensitive to chlorine.

Salt Water Electrolysis

Salt water electrolysis produces chlorine in a natural way and this is one of the reasons why more installers are installing salt water pools. This natural process has a number of advantages, e.g. not having to have chlorine around the house. Your pool contractor can check if this type of pool will be right for your home.

For more ways to disinfect your pool, contact a swimming pool maintenance service in your area.

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