| Indoor pools are often pretty stunning. In | | | | the house. |
| northern climates, they are quite the attraction in | | | | Oxidation also occurs via direct sunlight. UV light is |
| hotels & condominiums & apartment | | | | an excellent oxidizer. The more direct sunlight you |
| buildings. They provide year round enjoyment for | | | | can get on the pool, the better. This is one the |
| millions of people around the world as they | | | | real problem areas with indoor pools; there's just |
| vacation or just go about daily living. Indoor pools | | | | no sunlight on the pool for 5 or more hours each |
| provide terrific places for low-impact and "zero | | | | day. Direct sunlight can dramatically cut down on |
| gravity exercise" for healthy individuals as well as | | | | the amount of water mold and even algae (notice |
| those who may need physical therapy. You'll find | | | | that most of these problems typically start in |
| them in many towns and cities across the | | | | "shady" areas of the pool). |
| country. Schools, community centers, are busy | | | | Bather Load. Bather load is exactly that: how |
| with swimmers twelve months each year. Indoor | | | | many people are using the pool at a time. |
| pools are not just for the rich! | | | | Obviously, hotels, condominiums and other |
| More importantly, indoor pools require special | | | | commercially operated pools have greater use. |
| treating. Yes, they are swimming pools. Yes, they | | | | The more people using the pool, the more stuff is |
| have the same type of filtration systems that | | | | being put in (as mentioned above). The more a |
| outdoor pools have. But there are differences in | | | | pool is used the better from a circulation & |
| the care that is required. This article will help you | | | | even from a "cleaning" (feet & bodies rubbing |
| to understand those needs. | | | | and touching the pool surfaces) point of view. |
| There are 4 main concerns of indoor pools that | | | | In commercial pools, shocking may need to be |
| need to be addressed: Odors, Oxidation, Bather | | | | done 2 to 4 times each week to break up |
| Load, and General Care. | | | | swimmer waste, chloramines and other stuff. This |
| Indoor Pool Odors. Who hasn't walked into a hotel | | | | is especially necessary after large events with |
| or building and there is that immediate "pool | | | | above average swimming use. |
| chlorine" odor? You KNOW that the facility has a | | | | Similarly in residential pools, even though the |
| swimming pool! The question is why? Why does it | | | | bather load is less, it still must be shocked. |
| have to be that noticeable? Many people wonder | | | | Weekly at least. |
| and question - sometimes rightfully so - how well | | | | Do not put the solar blanket or automatic cover |
| the pool is being cared for. Indoor pools should not | | | | back on for at least 3 to 5 hours to allow proper |
| "smell." Will they have an odor? Yes, but they | | | | gassing off the oxidized waste. |
| should not smell. If a pool smells - especially if the | | | | General Maintenance. A little more care in |
| odor is acrid or pungent - you can be sure that | | | | maintenance is needed with indoor pools. Why? |
| something in the pool is not right. And if your | | | | Three general of reasons: lack of sun, year round |
| eyes become irritated, the situation could be even | | | | use, perception that "it's indoors, nothing's getting |
| worse. Keep in mind that the problem is NOT the | | | | there." |
| chlorine. The problem is the water balance. | | | | We've already looked at the lack of sun. Regular |
| Water balance is the single most often | | | | oxidizing of the pool is paramount. |
| misunderstood problem of pool care and how | | | | Year round use is just that. The pool is available |
| great a difference it makes. When water balance | | | | 24/7 wherever you are. The filter needs to |
| is incorrect, nothing works right chemically: chlorine | | | | operate 8 to 12 hours each day. Period. With that |
| or sanitizer efficiency is affected, the water can | | | | in mind, the pool needs good, regular cleaning. |
| become cloudy, the water can become irritating | | | | That means weekly vacuuming of the pool |
| to skin, hair & eyes, the water smells, etc. | | | | interior. If you don't feel vacuuming is necessary, |
| Briefly, high pH and total alkalinity lead to "slow" | | | | then at a minimum brush the pool walls and |
| and inefficient chlorine and sanitizer activity. Algae | | | | bottom weekly. Brushing aids in breaking up |
| & bacteria growth is promoted leading to | | | | biofilms, algae, water mold (even though you may |
| cloudy water. Some eye irritation and a | | | | not see these problems). |
| sometimes "slimy" feel. Low pH and total alkalinity | | | | No matter what type of filter your pool utilizes - |
| lead to "too fast moving" chlorine or sanitizer; the | | | | sand, cartridge or DE - be sure to chemically clean |
| water may be very clear but has a strong odor | | | | the filter every 3 months with a good filter |
| as well as an acidic "feel". Chlorine is more rapidly | | | | cleaner. Backwashing of sand or DE filters and |
| used up and exhausted. | | | | rinsing of cartridge filters only removes dirt and |
| In cases of pools having attached spas, chemicals | | | | debris; it will not remove filtered greases, oils, and |
| and bather wastes are aerosolized and spewed | | | | body wastes. Filter chemical cleaners break up |
| into the surrounding air. | | | | these accumulations. Here's the analogy: would |
| A further problem is the continual formation of | | | | you rinse dirty clothes or launder them with |
| chloramines or combined chlorines or bromines. | | | | detergent? |
| These form when there is excess waste like | | | | Solar blankets and automatic pool covers need |
| nitrogen. Sanitizer efficiency is severely reduced | | | | regular cleaning. Solar blankets should be removed |
| and a pungent "chlorine" odor is emitted. Chlorine | | | | and chemically cleaned (for the same reasons that |
| "odor" is fine. Think of a bathroom or sick room | | | | you chemically clean a filter) at least twice each |
| that has been cleaned with chlorine (bleach). The | | | | year. Automatic covers are a different story. |
| odor left behind tells you that it is CLEAN. That's | | | | They are almost impossible to remove and clean, |
| the chlorine odor we want. This leads us to the | | | | although the same build-ups occur and affect the |
| question of Oxidation. | | | | water. When you have dealt with cloudy water or |
| Oxidation. The bottom line is indoor pools need to | | | | algae in an indoor pool that has a blanket or |
| be shocked as often as, if not more often than, | | | | automatic cover, there is 90% or higher |
| outdoor pools. In the oxidation process (shocking | | | | probability that the problem started with the |
| or super chlorinating), unfiltered or not filterable | | | | cover being dirty or having a bio-film. |
| waste (greases, body oils, body powders, | | | | Bio-films are just that (see our other articles |
| perfume, nitrogen) are oxidized (burned off) are | | | | dealing directly with bio-films) a film of bio-matter |
| released into the atmosphere or surrounding air. | | | | or bacteria growing on a surface. What is a |
| But the pool is indoors. What happens then? | | | | surface? In the pool a surface is the walls and |
| That's exactly the point. Many of those | | | | floor of the pool, the ladder or rails (both inside |
| "gassed-off" wastes can't fully gas off. What | | | | and outside of the rail), underneath the treads, |
| essentially happens is that these wastes literally hit | | | | light lenses, behind the light in the niche, the back |
| the ceiling and fall back down into the water. The | | | | side of the skimmer flap (weir), directional returns |
| problem is made worse in cases of poor | | | | (eyeballs), safety ropes and floats, pool toys, etc. |
| ventilation. Ventilation can be in the form of fans, | | | | I think you understand. |
| open doors & windows, ventilation systems, | | | | Bio-films are the breeding ground that can later |
| whatever it takes to change the air and bring in | | | | develop into algae, pool mold (white water mold), |
| fresh. | | | | or pink slime. If there is a surface and it becomes |
| A similar situation exists with spas & hot | | | | wet or moist, a bio-film will grow. To remove |
| tubs where insulating covers trap heat, but also | | | | bio-films in the not so obvious areas, use products |
| when not removed for extended periods of time | | | | such as AquaFinesse or sphagnum moss products |
| (several hours per week), odors and chloramines, | | | | such as PoolNaturally; these products will remove |
| bromines & other unwanted odors | | | | the bio-film and then prevent it from returning. |
| accumulate. | | | | Reports are coming back to us showing that |
| Even in the middle of winter it is a very wise idea | | | | regular use removes bio-films even on the |
| to do a monthly super shock (2 to 3 times the | | | | underside of solar blankets and automatic pool |
| normal amount of chlorine or shock), remove the | | | | covers. |
| solar blanket or automatic cover, open the | | | | Enjoy your pool & treat it right. You'll have |
| windows and let all of that stuff just get out of | | | | much less work to do. |