How to Reduce Chlorine in Swimming Pool

Buy a chlorine neutralizer at a pool equipment store. Ask a salesperson for advice if you do not know which type to choose and avoid arbitrarily using chemicals purchased elsewhere. Chemicals sold at pool equipment stores are specialized for swimming pools.

• Sodium thiosulfate is probably the most commonly used chlorine neutralizer, but it should be used with caution.
• Hydrogen peroxide is usually the most economical option; It also breaks down into harmless particles, but is less effective if the pool’s pH is less than 7.0. ^[14]

Discontinue use of the pool. Do not add chemicals to the pool when someone is using it. If the pool is used frequently by people, put the warning signs in a visible place.

Observe safety warnings. Many pool chemicals can cause damage in contact with the lungs, eyes or skin. Please review the following criteria before proceeding: ^[15]

• Read the product manual carefully to learn how to use it safely, the necessary protective equipment, and what to do in an emergency.
• Store pool chemicals in a cool place, away from sunlight, moisture and high temperatures. Do not place acids and chlorine near each other, do not let dry chemicals near or below liquid chemicals,
• Open only one chemical at a time, then close it and store it in storage before opening another.

Calculate the amount of chemical required. You should always follow the product’s instructions for use to determine the required dose and add it to the pool properly. Many chemicals are sold in different forms with varying concentrations, so general instructions for use may not apply to all situations.

• Overall , you can add 15 ml of sodium thiosulfate to every 3,800L of water. ^[16]
• When handling public pools, you need to use more precise amounts of chemicals. 77 ml of sodium thiosulfate will reduce the chlorine concentration in 37,900 L of water by 1 ppm. ^[17] The staff at the pool equipment store can help you with the calculations, or you can also use an online pool chlorine reduction calculator.

Add neutralizer in small doses. Adding too much neutralizer to the pool can cause major problems: the chlorine concentration can drop to zero and the residual neutralizer will remain in the pool and continue to break down the added chlorine. enter. You should only use about ⅓ or ½ of the original calculated amount of chemical.

Wait and check often. Give the chemicals in the pool time to adjust according to the instructions for use. You will need to check regularly and do not enter the lake until the parameters return to normal levels. If the readings are stable but the chlorine concentration is still too high, continue adding a small amount of neutralizer.

• If the water circulation in the tank is slower than average, you will need to wait longer for the neutralizer to take effect.

Increase the pH if necessary . Neutralizers will often lower the pH in the pool. So be prepared to raise the pH once the chlorine level has returned to normal. The pH in the aquarium should remain between 7.2 and 7.8, ideally approximately 7.5. ^[18]

Understand UV (ultraviolet) sterilization. Ultraviolet lights (UV lamps) for swimming pools can neutralize most bacteria. While it’s not possible to keep pools safe on their own, UV lights allow you to reduce residual chlorine to as low as 1 ppm or even lower where permitted by law. ^[19] This device may also degrade some irritating or dangerous compounds present in chlorinated swimming pools. Finally, although not commonly used for this purpose, certain types of UV lamps can reduce high chlorine concentrations in swimming pools.

• Each locality may have different chemical concentration regulations.

Try using a UV (ultraviolet) lamp with medium pressure. A UV lamp with “medium” pressure is a smart choice with the following benefits:

• This is the most common type of lamp that can decompose large amounts of chlorine present in the aquarium. However, you will need 10–20 times higher pressure for water disinfection purposes. You will need to use multiple lights for this.
• These are the most effective lamps for breaking down chloramines, chemicals that irritate eyes and skin and give water a “chlorinated” smell.
• This type of lamp has a good disinfecting effect, but it is not the best choice.

Consider using a low-pressure UV lamp. This type of lamp is also known as a filter because it is very effective at disinfecting, although you will still need to use (less) chlorine. This light is very suitable for public swimming pools.

• This type of lamp is also cheaper and more durable than medium pressure UV lamps.
• Advertised as being able to remove chloramines, however this is only partially true, in reality a low-pressure UV lamp may not be able to remove obvious signs of chloramines, such as sensitization. eye irritation.

Review of other lamps. There are many other less common UV lamps on the market. You can refer to the information below to better understand this type of device:

• In essence “Ultraviolet” covers a wide spectrum of light bands with many different uses. Ultraviolet rays are generally divided into UV-A (315–400 nm), UV-B (280–315 nm) and UV-C (100–280 nm). ^[20] You’ll find information about the type of light or the wavelength (such as 245nm) on each device.
• Only UV-C rays have the effect of disinfecting the pool.
• Only UV-A rays (including UV rays from the sun) decompose large amounts of chlorine. However this requires a large amount of light.
• All three types of UV light help break down chloramine.