Chlorine pool levels must be maintained if a pool is going to be healthy for swimmers. You must maintain a chlorine level of between 1.5 and 3.5 parts per million. If this level is not maintained, the pool water becomes unsafe for swimming.
Pool keepers regularly check chlorine and pH levels to keep the water safe for swimming. The pH level should stay between 7.2 and 7.8 PPM to help maintain the correct chlorine level to kill germs and minimize eye and skin irritation. Having a working filter system is also vital to a healthy and safe pool.
Chlorine Kills Germs
If the right chlorine pool levels are maintained, the germs in the water are killed and the water is kept safe for swimming. If the chlorine and pH levels in a pool are too high or to low, no one should swim in the pool until the correct levels are maintained.
Water that has a low level of chlorine will have germs that can cause health issues and sickness in persons that swim in the water. Recreational water illnesses are common when the chlorine level is not properly maintained.
The chlorine keeps the water clean and sanitized. The chlorine pool levels that are maintained properly are safe for kids and adults. Pool water that causes itchy skin, red eyes or has a strong chlorine smell could be the result of contaminates that cause higher levels of chloramines in the pool water. This can happen when contaminates such as urine, perspiration and body oils are in the water.
The Smell of Chlorine
If the pool has a strong chlorine smell, many people believe that this is due to higher chlorine pool levels. However, the opposite is true. A strong chlorine smell means that the pool needs more chlorine. Contaminates have caused the strong chlorine odor and the water needs to be treated with chlorine.
A test of the water will definitely show the pool keeper that the chlorine level is below the ideal 7.2 level. If you smell a strong odor of chlorine, the water is not safe to swim. The chlorine level in pool waters must be maintained or germs can spread.
Stop the Spread of RWI
The recreational water illnesses can be prevented by maintaining the proper chlorine pool levels and the pH levels. If the chlorine level in pool waters is out of range, the pool keeper must correct the problem to ensure that everyone’s health is safe. Always use a chlorine product to make sure that the levels in the pool are maintained at all times.
If you own a pool or use a public pool that has a strong chlorine odor, you may want to reconsider swimming. Public pools have this problem more so than private pools. Take precautions and always test the chemical levels in the pool, especially the chlorine pool levels.
Other circumstances can cause a high or low chlorine level that every pool keeper must know about if they are going to keep the pool safe for swimmers as well.