Step 2 – Disinfection
Pool water should be clean both because it looks much more inviting and fresh, but also because you feel good about swimming in it. Clean means hygienically clean, crystal clear, odorless and free from bacteria and microorganisms.
This is achieved by using oxidizing agents such as chlorine, active oxygen or bromine.
Also remember to always shower and wash yourself before jumping into the pool.
Chlorine is the most common disinfectant. There are several different types of chlorine that have slightly different effects and affect in different ways. For good pool care, you need both long-term chlorination and shock chlorination of your pool water. Long-term chlorination involves continuous chlorination of the pool water, so that the water always has an ideal chlorine value of between 1.0 -1.5 mg/l (ppm). Long-term chlorination can be done weekly or daily, depending on which you prefer. How much chlorine is needed depends on the amount of water, water temperature, the weather and the bathing load, i.e. how many people bathe and how often.
Shock chlorination involves temporarily giving an extra strong dose of chlorine. This is done when opening and starting up your pool in the spring and when long-term chlorination is not enough. This can be, for example, during high waves, high swimming load, heavy rain and sometimes other times as well.
High chlorine concentration cleans the pool, algae and bacteria disappear and metals such as iron, manganese and copper oxidize. During shock chlorination, bound chlorine is also released from the pool water.
After shock chlorination, the chlorine value may temporarily become so high that it takes a few days before you can read the value on a test again.
