The chlorine in your pool becomes less effective the longer it remains undisturbed by swimming. This is because the pool water becomes more “active” over time and can begin to eat away at the plastic, fiberglass, and rubber components that make up your pool, causing it to become leaky, cracked, and irritating.
The average pool contains about 300 gallons of water, of which only about 10% is fresh water. The remaining 90% are the chemicals that the pool company has added to enhance the swimming experience. The chemicals in the water can combine with the sun’s ultraviolet rays to form a by-product known as “hypochlorous acid”. This is the substance that causes your pool’s water to become “hard” (more on that below).
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The Main Causes Of Hard Pool Water
There are several different components that can make up hard water, but below you’ll find a brief explanation of the three most common causes of hard water in residential pools.
The Chlorine Cycle
Chlorine is a naturally occurring element that’s abundant in most parts of the world. It’s the element that makes water taste good, and it’s also what causes it to become “active” (i.e., disinfecting). Unfortunately, chlorine becomes less effective over time, as discussed below, meaning that your pool’s water will become harder and harder to maintain.
You can have a completely chlorine-free pool, but there are some drawbacks associated with that. One of the major drawbacks is that without the chlorine, your pool’s water tends to become more inviting to bacteria and algae. Algae growth is totally natural and can be beneficial in small amounts, but too much algae can make your pool smell like pond slime, and it’ll start eating into the pool’s surface as well.
What you need to do is establish and maintain a balance between the amount of chlorine introduced into the pool and the amount of time that it remains there. Chlorine has a tendency to oxidize in the presence of sunlight and water, meaning that it’ll break down into compounds such as chlorine dioxide and hypochlorous acid. The breakdown of these compounds is why, as the pool season approaches, you’ll start to see the water in your pool getting more and more “red” in coloration. This can be a sign that your pool is getting more and more contaminated with bacteria and algae. At this point, it’s usually best to flush the pool with fresh, cold water and start over again!
Treated Water
If you live in an area where the water is considered “hard”, you might decide to spend a little bit of money for the benefit of having clean, sparkling-clear water in your pool. This could be in the form of a pool filter or one of the many different types of water treatment devices offered by various pool companies. The reason why most residential pools are equipped with some type of water treatment system is because the water in your area is typically hard, containing a lot of minerals that become concentrated as the water sits in your pool waiting for you to use it.
Water treatment systems are great for getting rid of bad water qualities, as they allow you to filter out all of the large molecules and smaller particles that make up the majority of the water in your pool. They also reduce the amount of algae and bacteria in your pool, meaning that it’ll be easier for you to maintain a healthy balance of life in your pool.
Under-Sized Pump
A correctly-sized pump is an essential part of any pool setup, and it’s also one of the major causes of hard pool water. Most residential pools are equipped with a submersible pump, which is designed to pump water directly from the pool and into the filter system. However, these pumps are quite inefficient, as they have to work hard just to circulate the water in your pool a few times an hour. This makes a huge difference in terms of energy consumption compared to having a large overhead (surface-mounted) pump, which can circulate the water in your pool without difficulty all by itself.
Having a submersible pump is quite useful for individuals who want to monitor the level of water in their pool at all times. This can be quite beneficial to those who swim or fish a lot, as they won’t have to worry about the water getting too low or too high. It’s also why most residential pools come with a submersible pump installed at the bottom, with a small outtake hose that allows the pump to be drained when empty. Some companies use this feature to their advantage, as they’ll often install the hose in an inconspicuous place and then fill it with water during the summer months, completely covering the pump and its motor with water. This is a simple way to save some electricity and reduce your carbon footprint!
The Consequences Of Hard Pool Water
If you already have a pool, there are several things that you need to keep in mind regarding its maintenance. First of all, it’s a good idea to test the water for chlorine and nitrates once a month, using a pool test kit that you can get for free from most pool stores. You can also hire a professional to test the water for you, if you think that this is a necessary step to keep your pool clean and safe for swimming.
What are nitrates? They’re basically nitrogen that’s found in most forms of fertilizer, animal waste, and sewage. Nitrates occur naturally in the environment in tiny amounts, but they can accumulate in large quantities when there’s an excessive amount of fertilizer used in area lawns and gardens. Nitrates are extremely toxic to fish and aquatic life, so they need to be kept at bay at all times.
As for the chlorine, it’s a dangerous substance to handle directly, and it needs to remain in contact with water for only a few minutes before it begins to break down into gaseous by-products, which can cause irritation.
The longer that the chlorine remains in contact with water, the more toxic it becomes. As a result, it’s usually a good idea to flush the pool with fresh water every week during the summer months and start the chlorine cycle over again. To be on the safer side, most residential pools are equipped with an emergency flush system, which can be activated by pressing the button on the faucet or dropping the temperature of the water in your pool below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This will cause the chlorine to break down into less harmful compounds, so there’s no need to worry about overdosing on this substance!
In terms of energy consumption, it’s usually a good idea to shut off the pump when you aren’t using it, as this will stop the motor from running all of the time and let it cool down a bit, which reduces electric bills. It’s also a good idea to leave the heater on a low burn, which can further reduce your carbon footprint. Finally, regular testing and cleaning of your pool is extremely important, as much as having the right equipment and using the right chemicals! Good luck out there.