A Quick Overview of Pool Chemicals

In a perfect world, you’d simply have to fill up your swimming pool and never worry about it again. But of course, like most great things, pools require responsibility. The good news is that you don’t have to be a chemist to learn to care for your pool! To prove it, here’s a quick overview of pool chemicals:

Sanitizer

When it comes to killing bacteria, you have some options. Here are the two most popular:

Chlorine – By far the most popular sanitizer, pool owners love chlorine because it’s inexpensive and it’s effective. This chemical gets the job done using oxidation. This means that it penetrates the bacteria molecule and kills it from the inside. You can use chlorine to kill bacteria, viruses, and it will even help prevent algae.

Bromine– Bromine is the next most popular choice for sanitizer. Bromine works by ionizing molecules. Put simply, it breaks the chemical bond in the contaminant which destroys it. Pretty cool right?

pH

Most of us learned about pH in science class. However, for some of us, that was longer ago than we care to admit, so here’s a quick refresher. pH is a form of measurement used to determine the acidity of something. The numbers go from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is considered acidic and above 7 is basic. You can use a pH increaser and a pH decreaser to take control over your water’s balance. Anything that gets into your pool will affect your pH balance so it’s important to check it regularly.

Alkalinity

This handy dandy pool chemical acts as a buffer. It “soaks up” any major chemical changes before it affects the pH. You should always keep a good stock of this one to keep your pH steady.

Make sure you’re using only in-date and high-quality pool chemicals for your above ground swimming pool. We promise, there really is a big difference between the chemicals you find at the Big Box Store versus those from your local pool dealer.

So that’s your basic overview of pool chemicals. Have any questions or can’t find what you’re looking for? Swing by one of Bonnie & Clyde’s six locations for the freshest chemicals and knowledge from the experts.