| Pollution in pool water
comes either from the environment or is carried into the
water by the swimmers. Environmental pollution includes
dust, leaves, chemical wastes, pollen, spores, bacteria and
so on, that are blown into the water by the wind. Swimmers
carry other pollutants into the water: sweat, suntan oils,
urine, bacteria, viruses, etc.
Every swimming pool has a
circulation pump and filter. The filters most common these
days are sand filters, and are much easier to maintain than
the earlier diatomaceous filters of a few years back. The
pool pump ensures that the swimming pool water moves through
the filter every day, thus removing unwanted pollutants and
disinfected organic materials as quickly as possible.
Other common pool filters
include DE (diatomaceous earth) filters, which are able to
filter out finer particles of dirt, though they require more
maintenance. Cartridge filters are also quite widespread and
are quite simple to maintain. Nowadays a filter sand
substitute containing zeolite is
gaining in popularity. The zeolite (specifically the
clinoptilolite mineral) is able to filter particles as
finely as DE filters in addition to having a capacity to
absorb ammonia and its complexes (reducing combined chlorine
and offensive chlorine odors), while not requiring any extra
maintenance.
Generally,
the swimming pool pump should run for at
least 6 - 8 hours each day. There is usually a timer
which cycles the pool pump on and off to ensure this
constant filtration. The circulation of pool water will
remove floating or suspended particles of dirt from the
water, but has no effect on the substances which have
settled to the bottom of the swimming pool or "stuck" to the
walls.
Depending on the
environmental conditions and swimmer load, the swimming pool
needs regular brushing and vacuuming,
generally about once a week in the swimming season for home
pools. With the circulation pump turned off, the walls and
floor of the pool are swept with a stiff brush. When the
"dust" from the brushing settles, it is vacuumed off the
floor of the swimming pool. The pool must also be vacuumed
after treating with a flocculant. Nowadays, there is a
variety of automatic swimming pool cleaners, which suck the
dirt off the walls and floor of the swimming pool whenever
the pool pump is running. These are really great for pool
owners who never seem to have the time for swimming pool
chores.
Now that the vacuuming is
done, it is time to backwash the filter.
Sand filters trap dust and dirt, as the name implies, in a
bed of sand. When the filter has accumulated a large amount
of dirt, the water cannot pass freely through the sand and
the filter loses efficiency as the pressure increases.
Backwashing sends water backwards through the filter and
flushes the trapped dirt out. After backwashing, you will
notice an increase in return pressure to the pool, and if
you have a pressure gauge, you should notice an increase of
at least 0,5 bar.
With the pool pump off, turn
the filter setting to "backwash". Remove the leaf basket
from the weir, clean and replace it. Turn on the pump and
let it run until the water coming out of the waste pipe is
clear. This generally needs a few minutes. Turn off the pump
and set the filter to rinse; this cleans out the pipes and
prevents any dirt from returning to the pool. It also
settles the sand in the filter which has been stirred up by
the backwashing. Run the pump for about a minute and then
turn it off. Set the filter to "closed". Open the leaf trap
near the pump, remove the basket and clean out all the
leaves, twigs and rubbish it may have collected. Replace the
basket, set the filter to "filter" and turn your pump back
to its automatic (timer) operating position.
Great! The swimming pool
looks clean and the filter has been rejuvenated. Now it's
time to test the pool water and adjust the pH and chlorine
levels.
If your swimming pool needs
topping up, now is the ideal time to put the hose in the
pool. It is very healthy for the swimming pool water to be
replaced bit by bit, to prevent it becoming stale and
creating chemical problems or pool water problems. A routine
of 5-minute backwashing followed by a 1-minute rinse every
week will ensure that you replace about 5% of the swimming
pool water each month. This means a complete changeover of
swimming pool water approximately every 2 years.
REMEMBER
too, that the useful lifespan of the sand in your filter is
3-5 years. If you neglect to change the sand, your filter
will not be able to remove the finer particles of dirt and
your swimming pool can never be completely clean. Have the
pool filter opened for inspection at least every 2 years to
avoid filtration problems.
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