Glossary - SunSpot

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Glossary

Glossary of Terms


Algae
Minute Algae spores that enter the swimming pool, via rain, wind and dust, can be the free floating or clinging type. Algae discolour and turn the water cloudy usually green or black in colour.
They can give rise to slippery surfaces and undesirable odours and tastes.
Algaecide
Chemicals that prevent and control algae growth.
Bacteria
Microscopic organisms which are introduced into the pool via swimmers, dust, rain and other elements. A large number are harmless (non-pathogenic) whereas others are harmful (pathogenic) giving rise to disease.
Backwashing
Reversing the water flow through the filter to remove dirt, indicated by pressure build-up across the filter.
Balanced water
Pool water that has the correct ratio of mineral content and pH level to prevent corrosion or scale formation.
Calcium hardness
The amount of dissolved calcium in pool water. High levels can give rise to scale and cloudy water. Low levels can cause corrosion of metal surfaces and pool equipment.
Chloramines
Compounds formed as by-products of the chlorine combination with pollutants. Chloramines give rise to eye and skin irritation in addition to unpleasant odours.
Chlorine/Chlorination
The accepted method of sanitizing pool water by destroying bacterial and other micro-organisms preventing algae growth and removing bather impurities. Stabilised organic chlorine donors are preferred to non-stabilised chlorines due to their stability in the presence of sunlight in outdoor pools.
Chlorine demand
The chlorine required to destroy bacteria, algae and other pool contaminants. Once chlorine demand is satisfied, the water is properly disinfected until contamination arises.
Chlorine residual
The chlorine remaining after the chlorine demand has been satisfied. The free chlorine residual is the measure of the fast reacting chlorine left in the pool.
Coagulant (see Flocculant)
Cyanuric acid – Pool stabiliser
The chemical stabiliser (or conditioner) that prolongs the effective disinfecting life of chlorine by protecting it from the dissipating effect of sunshine.
DPD
The reagent used in test kits to determine chlorine.
Dry acid
A granular material (Sodium Bisulphate) used in pH level control to lower the pH value and total alkalinity.
Flocculant (flocculation) – Clarifier/granular floc
A flocculant is the chemical for the treatment of cloudy water. When pool water is heavily polluted with fine debris, treatment with a granular floc effectively settles out suspended particles in the water which drop onto the floor of the pool where they can be vacuumed out. It will also form a gelatinous film on the filter to entrap the small particles into larger masses which can be effectively removed by the filter.
Free available chlorine
The amount of chlorine remaining after the chlorine demand has been satisfied. This is the most active form of chlorine that is free to kill bacteria and algae.
Hypochlorous acid
The active compound formed when chlorine disinfectants are dissolved in water.
Mg/l (milligrams per litre)
The unit of concentration used to express any given substance in the pool water. One mg per litre of available chlorine for example means that there is one part of available chlorine per million parts of water by weight.
1 milligramme = 1 ppm per litre
Pathogenic/Non-Pathogenic
The term pathogenic is used to describe micro-organisms which cause disease. Pathogenic means ‘disease producing’. Of the large number of varieties of micro-organisms, only a few are pathogenic. The vast majority are non-pathogenic and are harmless, or even indirectly beneficial to man.
pH
The term used to express a measure of the relative quantities of acidic and alkaline substances dissolved in water. The pH scale ranges from 0 – 14. The pH value of 7 represents neutrality. A high (alkaline) pH reduces the effectiveness of chlorine, promotes scale formation and can give rise to cloudy water. A low (acidic) pH causes eye and skin irritation and promotes corrosion of metal equipment.
ppm parts per million (See mg/l)
Phenol red tablets
The reagent used in test kits to determine pH level.
Scale
Deposits of calcium carbonate which can be found in the heater, pipes, filter or on the pool walls. Mainly caused by high mineral content combined with high pH.
Sequestrant
A chemical compound capable of deactivating a metal ion (electrified particle) in solution by binding it in a form of a soluble and stable complex.
Stabiliser (see Cyanuric acid)
Sterilisation
This is the process of removing all micro-organisms and bacterial spores. It is rarely possible (or indeed necessary) to provide sterile pool water, since bacteria and algae, for example, are constantly introduced into the water.
Super chlorination/Shock treatment
Super Chlorination is also known as shock treatment whereby disinfectants are added in much larger doses than recommended for routine disinfection, in order to eliminate unusual water conditions.
Total Alkalinity (TA)
The amount of bicarbonates, carbonates and hydroxides in the pool water. TA effects and controls the pH. If the TA is too high, the pH is difficult to adjust with possible cloudy water and scale formation. If the TA is too low, the pH will be unstable and difficult to maintain within the desired range: corrosion can also result.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
The TDS content is the measure of the total quantity of solid material dissolved in the pool water and will increase the longer the pool water is retained and in relation to pool usage and level of heating and in relation to the amount of chemicals added.