Taking A Water Sample To Your Dealer

Why Stabilizer Is Important
Without stabilizer, the sun’s rays would quickly destroy the chlorine in your pool. Stabilizer acts as a "sun shield" to extend the life of chlorine up to 3 1/2 times. Barbi-Lin Pools will tell you how much E-Z Clor Clor Save to add to your newly opened pool. You should start by raising it to a minimum level of 30 ppm. Afterwards, simply use stabilized chlorine to maintain sufficient stabilizer levels.

Why Balanced Water Is Important
Balanced water is held safely between two harmful extremes. If water falls out of balance on the low side, it becomes corrosive, attacking pool surfaces and equipment. If it should rise out of balance on the high side, there will be a tendency to form scale buildup, leaving unsightly deposits. Out of balance water can also cause skin and eye irritation, staining, cloudy water and it will interfere with the efficiency of sanitizers.

pH
pH is the most important factor in water balance. When the pool’s pH is out of range, the water balance problems previously mentioned, can begin immediately. The pH range is used to measure the relative acid or base of the water. The range is between 0 to 14, with a pH of 7 being neutral. Readings between 7.2 and 7.6 are considered acceptable for swimming pool water. Proper Chemical Balances.

Total Alkalinity
Total Alkalinity (range 80-150 ppm) is a measure of the alkaline materials dissolved in the water. The amount of this alkaline material in the water determines its ability to resist fluctuations in the pH. If the Total Alkalinity is low, the result is "pH bounce," meaning that the pH will tend to "bounce" in and out of range. If Total Alkalinity is too high, it becomes very difficult to make the needed pH adjustments.

Calcium Hardness
Calcium Hardness (range 175-400 ppm) refers to the amount of dissolved minerals (mostly calcium carbonate) in water. A low Calcium Hardness can lead to corrosion of equipment or the etching of a plaster finish. A Calcium Hardness level that is too high, causes cloudy water and scaling.

Water Testing Tips:

• Follow your test kit’s instructions!
• Use fresh reagents! The shelf life for liquid reagents is only one year. Dry tablets last up to three years.
• Rinse out the test cell with pool water before using.
• Retrieve the water sample at elbow depth from the deep end of the pool.
• Fill the cell up to the line.
• Fully invert the reagent bottle and squeeze slowly.
• Use the plastic caps when mixing-not your thumb.
• Check the results while holding the sample against a white background.

What factors should I test at home?
The most important poolside water tests are "free chlorine" and pH. Depending on local conditions, Barbi-Lin Pools may also advise poolside testing for total alkalinity.

Testing For Free Chlorine
Not all the test kits are the same! To get accurate readings of your pool’s chlorine effectiveness, use a test kit that can test specifically for "Free Chlorine"...not just "Total Chlorine". "Free Chlorine" is the unused, effective chlorine that you want in your pool.

Testing for pH
A number of influences can bring about rapid shifts in your pool’s pH. These include rain, swimmer wastes, algae growth, chemical additions, low Total Alkalinity, and the makeup water. To prevent pH changes from damaging your pool investment, use your test kit’s "phenol red" reagent to keep a close watch on your pool’s pH.

Adding Water Balance Adjusters
It is best to predissolve a water balance adjustment chemical in a plastic bucket of pool water. Then add to the deep end of the pool or in front of an inlet, with the pump running. Refer to product labels to calculate required dosages. Never add more than one pound of E-Z Clor pH Up or pH Down per 10,000 gallons in a four hour period. After adding all required product, wait 24 hours and retest.

• To Raise pH use pH Up
• To Lower pH use pH Down
• To Raise Total Alkalinity use Alkalinity Up
• To Raise Calcium Hardness use Calcium Elevator
• To Prolong the life of Chlorine use Clor Save

Adding the right amount of chemicals

Adding Stabilizer
When you bring your water sample to Barbi-Lin Pools (at pool opening), we will recommend adding enough E-Z Clor Clor Save to bring the level up to a minimum of 30 ppm. Backwash filter first then add Clor Save very slowly, through the skimmer, with the pump running. Keep the circulation system running for at least 48 hours. Do not backwash the filter for two days after adding Clor Save.

Chlorine
Chlorine was discovered in 1774. Commonly used to safeguard municipal tap water, chlorine has undergone more testing over a greater period of time than any other sanitizer currently used in swimming pools. Though other alternatives are sometimes tried, chlorine remains the most effective, economical and widely used pool sanitizer available. This is because chlorine is an algaecide, a bactericide and an oxidizer.....all in one.

Manual Method
Hand-Feeding - Quick Dissolve (granular) can be predissolved in a plastic bucket of water, then added to the deep end of the pool or in front of an inlet. Like all E-Z Clor stabilized chlorines, this product is 100% soluble and leaves no residue or cloudiness in the water.

Semi-Automatic Method
Skimmer-Feeding - "3" Chlorinated Big Tabs are placed in the skimmer or floating device to dispense chlorine for several days.

Constant Rate Feeders - Feeder Paks and 1" Chlorinated Small Tabs are used in cartridge type feeder to provide the most convenient, reliable and economical way to chlorinate both in-ground and above-ground pools. These feeders help maintain proper chlorine levels. . . even when you are away on vacation.

For use in Declining Rate Feeders - -

"3" Chlorinated Big Tabs, and 1" Chlorinated Small Tabscan be placed in enclosed chlorinators which can be either off-line or in-line models.

Q: How do constant rate feeders save me time and money?
A: A constant Rate Feeder controls the water level in the E-Z Clor Feeder Pak to prevent the water from dissolving more than a small portion of the chlorinated contents at one time. The remaining chlorinated tablets are stored high and dry until needed.

Superchlorination/Shock Treatment
Swimmer wastes such as perspiration, body oils, and other contaminants can accumulate in your pool. These contaminants join with chlorine to reduce its effectiveness by forming "Combined Chlorine". Its presence includes a strong odor, eye burn, skin irritation and dull or cloudy water. Shocking or superchlorinating your pool will oxidize swimmer wastes and reactivate chlorine, restoring sparkle to the water.

Q: Should you shock treat, or superchlorinate your pool?
A:Shocking with a non-chlorine product such as 0₂ Shock is ideal when combined chlorine is less than 1 ppm. Treating the pool in this way allows the swimmers to reenter the pool in 15 minutes.

Superchlorination (shocking with chlorine)
is required if the sanitize level is below 1 ppm, if combined chlorine exceeds 1 ppm, or if algae is visible. Superchlorination drives the chlorine level to a range of 5-10 ppm, oxidizing swimmer wastes and killing algae and bacteria. Swimmers, however, may not reenter the pool until the chlorine residual has fallen to 3 ppm. Understanding the difference between these two methods of treatment, will help you choose what’s right for your pool.

Adding Shock Products
For best results, predissolve shock products in a plastic bucket of pool water. Then pour the liquid mixture around the perimeter of your pool. After shock treatment with a chlorine product, bathers should not enter the pool until the Free Chlorine residual returns to below 3.0 ppm.

Q: How often should I shock my pool?
A: About every 7 days, and after heavy use, rainfall, or heat waves.a