Sanitization and Maintenance Options

STATE OF THE ART SANITIZATION

For years pools were sanitized with one chemical, Chlorine. Many pools nowadays still are, either by chlorine tablets, powders, or salt chlorine generators which produce chlorine. We’ve all been there, getting out of a public or hotel pool and smelling like a chlorine tablet with hair that feels like straw. Over-chlorination and low pH is the reason. Brothers 3 offers various chemical options for clients whom wish to cutback on the amount of sanitizers needed in order to keep your pool clean!

Frog Mineral System

Looking for a simple way to keep your pool clean? When using a Mineral System, the chemicals are prefilled for no mess, no guess, no stress water care. The Mineral System works because it kills bacteria 2 ways. It uses the combination of a low level of chlorine and sanitizing minerals. This allows for you to keep up to 50% less chlorine in the pool when comparing to a traditional chlorine style pool and a salt chlorine generator. Partner this with their 90 day algaecide and you as the homeowner get to spend less time taking care of your water and have more time to enjoy your pool.

Another benefit of the Mineral System is its ease of installation. There is no professional installation necessary and does not even require ny electrical hook up to use. This also means that there is no electrical components to fail in the future like all the other chemical feeders will do at some point. The system is so reliable that it even comes with a limited LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Oxygen System

Looking for a system in which you can use NO chlorine? Then the Oxygen system is for you. No longer will you need to shock your pool every week with high dosages of chlorine, battle with pH fluctuations, or drain water to reduce your Cyanuric Acid levels. With an Oxygen Pools system, all that needs to be done is add a low dose of non-chlorine shock weekly, and ensure the system is powered on and you’re set to swim. On top of swimming more healthfully, Oxygen Pools systems are less expensive to operate than Salt Chlorine Generators. There is nothing to replace, and the energy consumption is minimal. The on-board Ozonator quickly oxidizes contaminants and bacteria in the water. Your end result is tiny champagne bubbles coming out of your return jets. This, and the small LED light on the unit are the only visual indications that the system is working as intended.

Chemicals are used more sparingly with an Oxygen Pools system, mainly because there are fewer chemicals to upset the balance of your pH and Alkalinity. Bather load and rainfall are the main reasons for those levels to decrease. On top of the low cost of ownership and fewer chemicals in your pool, installation is also extremely easy. The system can be installed by any homeowner as it comes with threaded connections and PVC connections that can be installed by the filter equipment area or by the return jet. The system comes with an attached 115V cord. Adding it to an existing system is a breeze!

CHLORINE: ITS PURPOSE AND APPLICATION

Disinfection is the most important single factor in maintaining a pool which is safe and healthful. Chlorine is the most widely applied disinfecting agent for swimming pool water.
Pool water should always contain 1.0 to 3.0 parts per million (ppm) chlorine. This chlorine residual may be achieved by adding one ounce of Power Gran for each 5,000 gallons of pool water. In order to be sure that the pool water contains the proper amount of chlorine it is necessary to test periodically using Brothers 3 Test Strips. 
There are a number of factors which affect the rate at which chlorine is consumed in the swimming pool. Chlorine dissipates more rapidly in warm water than in cold water. Ultra violet light (sunlight) causes an increase in the rate of consumption as does the presence of organic matter such as perspiration and bacteria that are carried in on bather’s skin also increase the amount of chlorine needed to maintain an adequate chlorine residual. For these reasons, it will be necessary to add more chlorine on sunny hot days and when there are more people in the pool than when the opposite is true.

Power Gran our best chlorine should be added to the pool by putting it directly thru the skimmer while the filter system is running. If Power tabs are used they should either be put in the skimmer or in a floating dispenser. It is important to remember that they may bleach a spot on the floor of the pool if they are permitted to rest there and caution should be taken to make sure that they are beyond the reach of children who may place them in their mouths. NEVER MIX CHLORINE WITH ANY OTHER CHEMICALS and be careful to use a clean dry measuring device when handling this material since any contamination may result in a chemical reaction which may cause fire.

Chlorine should be added to the pool approximately 15 minutes prior to swimming. Tests for the presence of a chlorine residual should be made frequently and additions of chlorine made as needed so long as there are swimmers in the pool.

ALGAE: ITS CAUSE, AND DESTRUCTION

Algae are very tiny plants that grow in untreated water. The air contains millions of algae spores which either settle into the water or are carried in during rain storms. Once present in water they may be recognized initially, by the formation of slime on the sides and floor of the pool developing into a general cloudiness in the body of the water accompanied by a sudden increase in the pH. In the advanced stages of growth, they take on a green color, and if allowed to progress further, will take on a brownish color and emit obnoxious fish type odors. Intense sunlight is very conducive to algae growth by causing increased water temperatures and more rapid loss of residual chlorine.
It can be said, as a general statement, that algae growths will not develop where the proper chlorine residual is maintained at all times. However, it is most difficult to maintain the proper chlorine residual at all times since intense sunlight and increased water temperatures increase the consumption of chlorine therefore making it more expensive to control the growth of algae. Should algae be allowed to gain a foothold in the pool, Green Away is often necessary to remove the growth. This is our very best shock and disinfectant product. Apply this when the pool is not in use. Allow the chlorine residual to settle back to normal before resumption of swimming.
While chlorine may be considered a very effective algaecide. However it must be present in appropriate dosage to be effective. Since the conditions under which algae grow most rapidly are precisely the same as those under which it is most difficult to maintain an adequate chlorine residual, it is recommended that you use Brothers 3 Super Algaecide to help control the growth of algae leaving the Power Gran chlorine free to act on disinfecting against algae and bacteria.
Another factor in favor of Super Algaecide is that most algae require much higher concentrations of available chlorine than do bacteria for the same degree to kill.

PH: ITS IMPORTANCE AND CONTROL

Just as an inch is a measure of distance, so pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. We know that lemon juice is acid and that lye is alkaline, but to help us express numerically just how acid or how alkaline, we use the pH scale.
The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. A pH reading between 0 and 7 is on the acid side. A pH of 7 is neutral, and pH readings between 7 and 14 are alkaline. The pH of swimming pool water should be controlled within the range of 7.4 to 7.6. Water that is decidedly acidic or alkaline is uncomfortable to the bathers. Irritation to eyes and mucous membranes, vague skin discomfort, and bleaching of hair and swimsuits is usually caused by improper pH. Human beings feel comfortable in a relatively narrow pH zone (7.4 to 7.6) and it is fortunate that the effectiveness of chlorine is greatest in this same range.

Pool water which is acidic (pH below 7) is corrosive to filters, pipes and other metal fixtures and will result in excessive chlorine consumption. Overly alkaline water (pH above 7) tends to form unsightly whitish deposits called "scale" which adhere to pool fixtures. In this alkaline range, the effectiveness of chlorine is greatly reduced.
Adjusting the pH of water is a simple matter. To raise a pH which is below 7.2, pH Up must be added. To reduce a pH which is above 7.8, pH Down must be added.

HARD WATER

Swimming pool water is considered hard when it contains dissolved solids in amounts which are objectionable to bathers, equipment, or appearance. Calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese are the chemicals which are the chemicals which are of primary concern. These minerals enter the pool in the water supply, and may also be picked up from piping and pool accessories used in the pool system. The presence of calcium and magnesium contribute to white cloudy water while iron and manganese usually cause colored water. Most hard water conditions can be alleviated through the addition of water softening agents. Cloudy water conditions caused by calcium and magnesium are usually the result of too high a pH and may be easily corrected by adjusting the pH to between 7.2 and 7.8.
Salt Chlorine Generators make pH naturally rise in your pool. Salt gets added directly into your pool, and output from the salt chlorine generator comes hydrogen, caustic soda, and chlorine gas. Caustic soda or Sodium hydroxide has a pH of 14, meaning that it is one of the most strongly basic substances that exist. Brothers 3 pH Down is often used to neutralize the pH more similar to our skin and eye fluid for bather comfort.
Well water or ground waters usually contain high percentages of iron and manganese. Pool waters which contain these minerals may not initially appear to have any color, but upon addition of chlorine, they may be oxidized and will appear as a yellow to brownish color. Colored waters may be eliminated by the addition of Brothers 3 Lift Off.

VACUUMING

A filter is designed to remove sediment and suspended matter from the main body of water, however, some dirt will inevitably settle to the bottom of the pool during periods when the filter is not in operation. The only way for this sediment to be removed is through vacuuming.
The swimming pool vacuum operates in a similar manner to the common household unit except it draws water through the vacuum head instead of air. There are two ways in which this may be accomplished. One method employs a jet of water supplied by a garden hose to power the suction which draws the dirt into the head to be trapped in a cloth bag. The other method uses the suction power supplied by the filter which draws the sediment and dirt from the pool floor for removal through the filter. When there is a considerable amount of sediment to be removed the filter valves should be adjusted so that the vacuumed water will bypass the filter and run to waste.
It is recommended that the pool be vacuumed about once weekly, the exact schedule to be determined from the pool owner's experience.

SURFACE SKIMMING

Hair, lint, leaves and insects which enter the pool and remain floating on the surface can be easily removed with surface skimmers. There are two types of surface skimmers-hand and automatic. The hand skimmer is simply a plastic screen or net attached to a long pole and should be used to remove the larger floating objects such as leaves and grass.
The automatic surface skimmer is a device which is attached to the filtering system. During the filtering process, part of the surface water is drawn through the skimmer and into the filter, carrying with it dust, small insects, and other fine debris before these can settle to the pool floor.
The pool should be skimmed frequently since most dirt enters the water through the surface.

Variable speed pumps can save maintenance as when the pump is on, debris that falls to the surface is pulled into the skimmer basket, lessening skimming and vacuuming. Many of our happy customers don’t have their pumps turn off, and run a low speed for around 20 hours per day and high speed for around 4 hours to fully filter the water. With the efficiency of variable speed pumps, full 24 hour runtimes at variable speeds actually cost less than what a single speed pump would cost to run!

TEST KITS

The test kit is perhaps the most valuable aid to the pool owner and enables him to keep his pool in proper swimming condition. A proper test kit is one which includes free chlorine, total chlorine, pH level, and total alkalinity of the pool. Brothers 3 Test Strips are both highly accurate and easy to use. Simply dip the strip in your pool and swirl the strip 3 to 4 times, hold the strip parallel to the ground and match to the color chart. 
When the color produced corresponds to a chlorine reading between 1.0. and 3.0 ppm, the bather is assured that the pool is safe for swimming. Since chlorine dissipates rapidly in hot weather and under heavy bathing loads it is wise to test frequently to assure a sufficient chlorine residual. Just how frequently is best left to the individual pool owner's experience. A colorless reading means that all of the chlorine has dissipated and it will be necessary to add more. A reading greater than 3.0 ppm indicates the presence of an excessive amount of chlorine and bathers should not be permitted to enter the water until the chlorine had dissipated to a safe level.
Tests for chlorine should be made about thirty minutes after it has been added to allow the material to dissolve and mix throughout the water.
Testing for PH the color produced corresponds to pH readings between 7.2 and 7.8 the water will be in proper chemical balance. PH tests should be made at least once daily and more frequently during periods of adjustment. When adjusting the pH be sure to allow enough time for the chemicals to dissolve and to mix thoroughly throughout the water before testing.

FOOT BATHS

Bathers entering the pool frequently carry silt, grass cuttings and the spores or seeds of the fungus infection known as "athlete's foot". The foot bath has been accepted as the most effective means of keeping these foreign materials out of the water.
When used properly, it is filled with a solution containing from one to two ounces of granular calcium hypochlorite for each gallon of water. All bathers entering or leaving the pool should be required to place both feet into the solution for a period of not less than fifteen seconds.