Saturday, May 26, 2012


THE BIG 6

by Joe Gautier

There are six vital components that make up a healthy pool.  If you ignore or mis-manage any one of these key components, your pool will eventually fall out of balance and become an unhealthy and ugly environment.  So, instead of fixing your issues, you can simply bleach them away, right?  What you can't see can't hurt you, right? Wrong.  In fact, it's not so much the chlorine that's so bad for you, but the disinfection  by-products (THMs for one are 10,000 times more toxic than chlorine).

So, if you're going to have a natural, healthy pool for your family and friends, you will have to assess the issues and address the issues.  Nature Boy is the only system in the world that tackles all of "The Big 6".   Move the "dot" down the line with your cursor to see the entire article.

They are:

1 Filtration- This component measures the ability of certain types of filters to remove contaminants.  There are three factors:
a. Capture size of the media (measured in "microns")
b. P.S.I. or "pounds per square inch" of a pumps capacity to circulate water effectively. (measured in horse power/HP)
c. Type of filter.  Charcoal, RO, DE, cartridge or pool sand filters each have different actuarial effects on contaminants that are captured.  These are typically from 1-20 microns.  The smaller the number, the more effective the filter.

2. Circulation- The ability of a pools pump to circulate the entire body of water (pool capacity) within a certain time frame.  A healthy pool should circulate completely through one complete cycle at least one and a half times in a 12-hour period.  We recommend two times daily during heavy swim seasons.

3. Organic load- pools, spa or hot tubs, especially those  that are located outdoors, are subjected to a variety of organic precipitation on a constant basis and, more so in particular seasons, when foliage sheds pollen, mold spores or leaves. This "organic load" is the pirmary source of most potential algae blooms and bacterial growth in your pool.

4. Chemistry-pH, Total Alkalinity, Hardness, etc. are central to the effectiveness of pool chemicals and in establishing an environment that is either favorable or not favorable to the growth of certain organic feeders, such as cyanobacterium.

5. Residual chemical contents.  When switching from one type of disinfectant to another, there may be residual chemicals, such as cyanuric acid in the water, which would be left behind as a by-product of residual chlorine.

6. Disinfection by-products.  Chlorine or salt systems produce hypo-chlorous acid, which is the primary disinfectant in chlorine.  The action of these disinfectants on organics can cause the production of THMs and other carcinogens, as a by-product of the process.  In fact, swimming one hour in a public pool, is the health equivalent of drinking chlorinated pool water for a week!

Trihalomethanes (THM or THMs) form when disinfectants such as chlorine combine with organic substances like sweat, skin and hair. The dangerous chemical is making news because there is evidence to suggest that it is thousands of times more toxic than chlorine. They are particularly hazardous because they are a gas and can therefore be absorbed and inhaled through the skin when showering, as well as from drinking water. One example of this toxic substance is chloroform. Studies have found a link between breast cancer and high levels of Trihalomethanes.

No comments:

Post a Comment