Pool Chemicals

Sodium Bisulphate

- chemical formula NaHSO4 - AKA pH-reducer or pH-minus - is a dry acid used to reduce pH of the pool water

It is considerably safer to use than the liquid pH reducer - Hydrochloric Acid - but it costs anything up to 4 times as much to achieve the same change in pH

It's so safe that it's used as a food additive in things like sausages and sprayed onto lettuce to keep it nice and green at the supermarket

pH-minus powder can be used in perfect safety but, as with any pool chemical, care must be taken in handling, use and storagel

Wear gloves and goggles when dosing the pool

Use only plastic utensils and buckets when pre-dissolving pH-minus

Do not breath the dust of any pool chemical

Store containers of pH-minus separately; away from other pool chemicals

Keep the lid of all pool chemical containers tightly closed

Sweep up any spills with a dry brush and place the swept-up powder in a separate, plastic container until you need to use this chemical again

Then you can pre-dissolve it in water and use it as normal, poured into the pool at the return jets with the pump running

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Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: -

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

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*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

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Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

Hydrochloric Acid

Chemical formula HCl, Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid can be used to lower pH in a pool and is the cheapest chemical to use for this routine maintenance

task. It is the liquid acid used (diluted 50:50 with water) with Automatic pH Controllers

Wear gloves, goggles and a mask when handling HCl and store it well away from any Chlorine compound because if the 2 substances mix (outside of the pool water) they will release Chlorine Gas, which is very toxic

It's a very useful, inexpensive chemical for pool-owners, but care must be taken because it can burn skin on contact and the fumes are very bad for lungs and eyes. It will also burn holes in clothing and footwear

Hydrochloric Acid is the same as stomach acid - so it's clearly not deadly to us fragile humans - but you still don't want to get it on your skin

If you get HCl on your skin flush with clean, fresh water. If it gets into your eyes flush with water for several minutes and then seek immediate medical help

Dosage for pH reduction: -

HCl does not release fumes at concentrations lower than 22% but for pools it's usually supplied at a strength of around 28%; that's the strength that the doses below are calculated for

1 litre of 28% HCl in a pool of 50m³ will lower the pH reading by 0.2
0.25 US Gallons of 28% HCl in a pool of 10,000 US Gallons will reduce pH by 0.2

This chemical is also useful as a cleaning agent around a pool: -

HCl mixed with water in a 1:1 (50%) ratio is used to acid-wash the floor and walls to remove lime-scale and the same strength mixture can be used to Hydrochloric Acid warning label freshen pool copings/surrounds and the walls above the waterline

In all cases, rinse with plenty of fresh water once the surfaces are clean

A mixture of 1:9 (10%) is strong enough for cleaning the plates of a Saltwater Chlorinator but reduce this to 1:19 (5%) for cleaning the elements of Cartridge filters or the grids of DE filters

WARNING: - Always add the acid to the water; NEVER add the water to the acid

Hydrochloric Acid can stain the allegedly 'stainless' steel of pool ladders and handrails so do not allow it to come into contact with these items

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: -

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NOTE: - On the Costa del Sol please contact PoolSchool for supply and installation of all pool-related services and equipment including Jolly Gel

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

Pool Chemistry Guidelines

- recommended Chemical Levels

pH - 7.2-7.6

To Decrease Level - Add Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid or Sodium Bisulphate (pH-minus powder)

To Increase Level - Add Alkali or pH-plus powder (Sodium Carbonate)

Total Alkalinity 80–120 ppm

To Decrease Level - Add Acid or Sodium Bisulphate

To Increase Level - Add Bicarbonate of Soda

Chlorine (Stabilised) 1-3 ppm

To Decrease Level - No action required levels will fall naturally but, if the reading is very high, apply Sodium Thiosulphate

To Increase Level - Add Tricloro

Chlorine (Unstabilised) 1-3 ppm

To Decrease Level - No action required, levels will naturally decline in sunlight

To Increase Level - Add Liquid Chlorine

Chlorine Stabiliser 40–80 ppm

To Decrease Level - Partly drain pool and refill with fresh water - rainwater is best

To Increase Level - Add Cyanuric Acid

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: -

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

Flocculant

Flocculants - clear the water fast

The quickest and most effective way to clear cloudy pool water is to use Jolly Gel, but you can also use Aluminium Sulphate in liquid form.

Some of the particles that enter your pool will never sink to the bottom because they are too small and light; they remain suspended in the water indefinitely

Some examples of this type of particle are bacteria and viruses, broken pieces of pollen, fungal or algae spores and the microscopic dust particles around which raindrops form

Although the filter system will eventually remove most suspended particles of this size you can accelerate their removal

If your pool water becomes cloudy, or if you have scrubbed algae or dust from the walls and floor and made it cloudy, then the best way to clarify the pool is to flocculate the water

Different flocculants work in different ways but all encourage the suspended particles to cluster together into ‘clumps’. These ‘clumps’ sink to the bottom of the pool faster

Generally speaking application of a flocculant will clear the water overnight

Application and removal of flocculants

Overfill the pool by at least 75-100mm (3-4”) to allow for water lost during the Vacuum-to-Waste that follows the flocculation process

Superchlorinate and adjust the pH as required, then let the pump run for 2 hours

During this 2 hour period, thoroughly scrub the steps, sides and bottom of the pool with the pool-brush to remove algae and adhering dust/dirt

Switch the pump to ‘Off’

Mix flocculent with water in a watering can; follow the manufacturers’ instructions and don’t skimp on quantities. (We routinely use 5 litres of flocculent in a pool of 50 m3/13,000 US Gals)

Sprinkle the mixture evenly onto the surface of the pool

The water may turn very cloudy as you add the flocculent but this will disappear quickly

Allow the water to remain still for 12 hours or so, until there is a layer of settled sediment on the bottom - overnight is best

Note: - Sometimes a whitish, lumpy scum forms on the surface. Skim this off into a bucket. Do not try to remove the scum with a net because it will break up and you will have to wait for another 12 hours for it to sink to the bottom

Vacuum the sediment to ‘Waste’; not through the filter

Note: - The sediment is extremely light, not much heavier than the water, and is easily disturbed, but don’t worry if you miss some. You will have to work quickly, because you are pumping the water to waste, but not so quickly that you stir the sediment up too much

When most of the sediment has been removed by vacuuming, stop the pump and set the Rotary Valve to ‘Recirculate’

Let the pump run for 2 hours. During this period the flocculated particles that escaped the initial vacuum to ‘Waste’ will congregate in a few places on the bottom of the pool, deposited there by the currents circulating in the pool water

Set the Rotary Valve to ‘Waste’, not to ‘Filter’, and vacuum the sediment away

Return all valves and switches to ‘Filtration’

Check and adjust water level, Chlorine and pH. Repeat as and when required

Note: If your pool goes cloudy frequently it’s probable that there is a good reason for it

The most likely cause is that the media within the sand-filter needs to be changed due to age - see the Water Problems section to determine the exact cause of the problem and how to rectify it

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: -

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price