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Pool Water Filtration

Pool Hygiene

Introduction

It is a strange fact that many families take the health of the water that they are swimming in for granted.

This is partly because we are attracted by the water in a sparkling blue pool and jump to the conclusion that it must be healthy because it looks good and partly because we have been conditioned by many previous experiences of swimming in a pool without any illness.

But beware danger lurks in every pool if the water is not looked after properly!

The Dangers of Inadequate Water Filtration

Many of the swimming pool systems on the market in France use inadequate filtration systems that will just about keep the water clean and healthy if they are looked after with meticulous care. They rely on cartridge filters that can quickly become clogged, thus stopping the whole water purification process - and you don't even know that it has happened.

There is an infamous public pool in Scotland where the staff did not know that the filters had to be changed and lots of people became very ill from using this pool.

It always amazes us that there are so many mothers that look after their children with consummate skill and attention and then let them play continuously in a pool of dirty water for hours at a time - and then wonder why they are ill!

It is a fact of life that young children pee in a pool and you must make sure that the pool water is filtered properly. It is also important that the children shower before they get into the pool, and afterwards when they leave it.

Such elementary precautions can eliminate lots of minor illness and substantially reduce the risk of more serious conditions like Hepatitis and Typhoid.

Pool Water Filtration

How can you ensure that the children and adults using your swimming pool do not become ill?

Your pool filtration system should allow you to;

1. Set the pump timer to pump through the filter for 8 hours per day in two sessions seperated by about 12 hours i.e from 5.00 am until 8.00 am and 5.00 pm until 10.00 pm. Mistake No 1 is not to have a timer.
2. Vary the flow so that about 65% goes through the skimmer(s) and 35% through the main drain. Mistake No 2 is to have a pool where the water is circulated through the legs of a ladder that does not "skim" the pollutants from where they are concentrated near the water surface.
3. Circulate the whole of the pool water volume through the filtration system without any dead spots where the water never moves. Mistake No 3 is to have less than 1 skimmer for each 35 square metres of pool area.
4. Circulate the whole volume of pool water within 24 hours when pumping for 8 hours per day. Mistake No 4 is to have a small capacity pump, filter and pipework that takes about 20 hours to circulate the pool volume so the water only goes through the filter about once every 3 days!

You should ensure that; `

1. The pool filtration system is turned on when the pool is being used. Mistake No 5 is to use the pool and not turn the pump on because it makes a noise (you cannot hear a high performance pool filtration system)
2. Cartridge filters are regularly checked and replaced. Sand filters need to be backwashed whenever operational pressure shown on the pressure gauge shows that filter is becoming blocked. Mistake No 6 is to have a cartridge filter system that does not have an indicator that shows that it needs to be replaced
3. The water that is used to fill the pool is of known quality. Mistake No 7 is to fill the pool from a well or any water source where the water has not been tested
4. The Ph value of the water and the Chlorine content is checked on a daily basis and chemicals added to maintain the correct levels. Mistake No 8 is to fail to ensure that the water quality is maintained by regular checking and chemical replenishment

Why is Ph control so important?

The chemical chlorine is one of the safest and most effective ways of khe killing of bacteria and dangerous pathogens that pollute swimming pool water.

However the power of the chlorine is reduced when the Ph value of the water is high - in other words the higher the Ph the more chlorine is necessary to kill the bacteria and pathogens. The result is that if a pool is just tested for Chlorine and not Ph it will require a massive dose of Chlorine to get the indicator to show that Chlorine levels are adequate.

This often results in the famous green hair that occurs in an over-chlorinated pool.

So you must always test for Ph first and correct it to 74 to 76 and then test and correct for Chlorine. This will always minimise the amount of Chlorine that will need to be added to the swimming pool water.

How does a Bluepools Installation help you meet these?

The Bluepools filtration system

The skimmers, the inlets and all the pipework in a Bluepools installation are all designed to treat the whole volume of the pool in 6 to 7 hours. Hence if the pool filtration equipment is run for 8 hours per day then the water turnover rate is guaranteed.

The water flow through the skimmers and main drain is easily adjusted using PVC ball valves that never corrode and become inoperable.

The filtration in a Bluepools installation is undertaken by a large capacity sand filter. As soon as the pressure gauge on the filter shows and increase in pressure of 0.25 bar the filter should be backwashed. Every pool comes with instructions on how to do this and Luke will show you how to do it when he hands the pool over to you.

Bluepools of 9 x 4 metres and smaller all have one large throated skimmer and pools with an area up to 72 square metres (12 x 6) are provided with two large throated skimmers.

Bluepool optional extras

Introduction

The following items will increase the cost of your pool initially but some will pay for themselves over the course of time from enhanced economy in pool operation and maintenance.

Most importantly the use of the pool will not detract from the health and well-being of everyone that does so.

Automatic Chlorine Injection and Ph Control

This equipment is fixed to the wall of your plant room and is equipped with two containers for acid to reduce the Ph of the very alkaline water that we have in France and liquid chlorine. The instrumentation in the system accurately measures and adjust the Ph and then the Chlorine levels to ensure that your pool water has the exact minimum amount of chlorine required to ensure that the pool water is safe and healthy.

By ensuring that the pool water filtration system is never charged with excess chlorine the possibility of bleach damage to the pool's PVC liner is also minimised.

All you have to do is periodically fill up the chlorine and acid containers and the pool will always be healthy and clean. This system is particularly ideal for Clients with a holiday home that they only visit occasionally.

It is so disappointing to look forward to your holiday beside your dream pool and then find that you lose a week of your precious holiday treating your pool water to get rid of a very green cloud of disgusting looking algae!

The cost of the Automatic Chlorine Injection and Ph Control is currently 2995 euros HT. Part of the quite high cost involved is a consequence of the time required to set it up - but once it is set up and properly adjusted it should give many years of service before it requires re-calibration.

We believe that it is preferable to economise on pool size a little and install one of these sytems because they virtually guarantee water quality without the expenditure of lots of effort and time.

Automatic Water Top-up

The automatic water top-up guarantees that the water is at the optimum level for skimmer efficiency and thus greatly helps to ensure that the water circulation does not gradually move from skimmer to main drain over the course of a days swimming following splash loss and evaporation.

Remember the skimmers are the number one element in the pool's system that maintains healthy water - and they will not work if no water is flowing through them!

Solar heated shower

The solar heated shower is normally placed on the pool paving near the Roman End. It should be used frequently by everyone using the pool as it reduces the load on the pool filtration equipment and saves chlorine because of the reduction in pollutants, such as sun-cream being taken into the water by bathers.

Automatic Water Top-up and Solar Shower Package

The automatic water top-up and pool side solar heated shower require a permanent water supply to the swimming pool and so we install them both as a package.

The water supply costs 40 Euros per metre HT including the fittings at both ends. The Solar Heated Shower and Automatic Water Top-up combined package costs 1295 Euros HT.

So if your pool plant room is about 15 metres from your kitchen or nearest water supply point the total cost of this package would be 1895 Euros HT.

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