- Though a hazardous chemical, chlorine serves a great many useful purposes. Since its development, it has contributed to vast improvements in the cleanliness of drinking water supplies throughout much of the world. For pools, as it degrades in water, it undergoes a complex chemical reaction that allows it to eliminate bacteria and organic matter, which eliminates those possibly harmful substances, though the chlorine itself also disappears at the same time.
- Sunlight or other types of light (from artificial lighting, for example) are both a help and a hindrance to chlorine. Light triggers the degradation of chlorine into free radicals, which are actually the substances that bind with bacteria and eliminate it. However, too much sunlight too often will quickly destroy a swimming pool's chlorine content, which can render the water susceptible to contamination from bacteria again as well as various other organic materials.
- For chlorine to work effectively, a pool's pH balance needs to be maintained within a specific range. If pH is above 8, chlorine doesn't work nearly as quickly or as efficiently in its disinfection duties. Below 7, and chlorine will quickly be destroyed, which is why checking pH balance in your pool is important -- because you're also checking for proper chlorine levels. Most pool test kits are equipped for both pH and chlorine readings.
- You should maintain chlorine levels in your pool at 1.0 to 2.0 parts per million (ppm), which is a very small amount of the chemical but is more than enough to maintain effective disinfecting capabilities. Chlorine is meant to dissipate as it scavenges and sweeps up bacteria and organic material in your pool's water. Rainwater can sometimes deposit such matter, but a pool cover can help prevent this from occurring.
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