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;
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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;
`
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 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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