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What is the Best Chlorine-free Treatment for Your Swimming Pool?

A swimming pool in the backyard becomes one of the most favored spots when summer arrives. Most people love simply wade or floating in a raft to catch the sun’s rays the summer months in the early spring or late summer. Taking a dip in the swimming pool and swimming through its entire length is seen as the best option for cooling off during times of peak heat. It is imperative to properly open a swimming pool and maintain the water chemistry to ensure you pool is healthy and safe.

If you close your swimming pool during the winter months and do not recirculate or maintain the water’s chemistry, by early spring it can become a cesspool of stagnant water. The water can rapidly become a breeding ground for algae and bacteria emanating a foul smell. In addition to this, other organic such as leaves and pollen and in-organic matter from the environment will turn the water darks which can potentially stain the surface, The dissolved organic matter can create a thick and slimy surface making it dangerous to step in or out of the pool. Taking the shortcut of shocking the swimming pool to clarity will produce harmful disinfection byproducts due to the organic load. Treated and untreated under these conditions can have a harmful impact on bathers. This is where proper swimming pool sanitation and treatment options become very important.

There are various pool treatment techniques in use today with chlorine treatment being the most recognized of them. Until a few years ago, this was the most popular method for water treatment in both outdoor pools and spas. However, now chlorine-free treatments are gaining popularity as more consumers are shying away from chlorine and the side effects associated with chlorine’s use. This post discusses why chlorine pool treatment may not be ideal and the importance of various chlorine-free treatments for your pool.

best-chlorine-free-treatment-for-swimming-pool
Best Chlorine-free Treatment for Your Swimming Pool

A List of Chlorine-Free Treatments for Your Consideration

Why not chlorine? Although chlorine is one of the widely available chemicals, recently there has been a decline in its usage for pool treatment due to various reasons. Various studies suggest its harmful impact on human body can be attributed to the time exposed from dermal absorption and inhalation.  This is why the demand for chlorine-free treatments has increased as more and more consumers are trying to rid toxins from their home and food supply. The following are a few common treatments that will help keep your pool clean, safe, and swimmer-friendly.

Copper and silver have been used for water purification for centuries. Modern ionization systems feature electrodes made of copper or copper-silver alloys. Sometimes copper-silver-zinc and copper-zinc alloys are also used for specific applications. A low voltage current is passed through electrodes and metalic ions are released into the water. These ions are totally safe for humans; however, these ions are highly toxic to microorganisms and inactivate bacteria, algae, and viruses in the water.

As the name suggests, this treatment uses the strong oxidizer, ozone,  to clean the pool. This technique helps oxidize inorganic and organic compounds in water as well as affect fungi and bacteria. Ozone is generated onsite with an ozone generator. Chlorine is still required and ozone cannot be a standalone sanitation method.

These systems feature UV lamps that produce high-intensity UV beams, which alter or disrupt the RNA or DNA of targeted organisms such as cysts, algae, viruses, bacteria, and so on. These systems are also known to destroy organic matter in water and inhibit the formation of chloramines. The bulbs should be replaced annually and the quartz sleeve needs to be cleaned at least every quarter. Chlorine is still required and ozone cannot be a standalone sanitation method.

  • Salt Water Treatment:

In this treatment, salt is converted to chlorine using electrolysis. Although this treatment is perceived as an alternative to chlorine, it is quite expensive. The pool receiving saltwater treatment is fitted with a saltwater-chlorine generator (SWG), which is driven by electricity. The system generates chlorine onsite and is what cleans the pool. Salt in saltwater pools may also impact pool decking and suraces and can bleach ou vinyl liners. The salt is corrosive and installation may void warranties on equipment such as heaters and coolers. Please read warranties of any such equipment before you add it on to an existing pool.

  • Mineral Sanitizers:

These sanitizers use metal alloys or minerals enclosed in a cartridge that the water passes through. Like ozone and UV, these systems do not offer any residual sanitation and are used in conjunction with chlorine.

The choice of the right water treatment system for your pool will depend on several factors like the size of pool, water chemistry of pool, and geography of the place where the pool is located. Whatever be the choice, ensure that you look carefully into their short-and-long time effects on the pool and costs incurred. Also, you must source your treatment devices and other essentials from a trusted brand like Intec America. Known as the water treatment specialist in North America, the company was the first to commercialize the copper ionization systems in 1973 for swimming pools and spa. These systems have gained immense popularity over the years, owing to their effectiveness in sanitizing the pools effectively. In addition to this, the company also promotes filtration, tannin removal, water softener system, reverse osmosis system, ozonation, and U/V light technologies for residential and commercial treatment.

 

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