News of chlorine prices and availability possibly continue to be a problem. Our best option is to find ways to reduce the amount of chlorine we have to use.
Of course borates in the swimming pool is our number one tip. Borates makes maintaining proper water chemistry easier and greatly reduces the amount of chlorine residual required, and decreases the amount of chlorine we have to add even more.
Mineral systems are also a good option for reducing chorine consumption. Blueray XL, Pool Rx, and nature 2 mineral systems take on a lot of the algae killing responsibilities so you can run lower chlorine levels. The only problem is possible staining issues if you don’t monitor and control water balance, total dissolved solids, and stabilizer levels.
Ozone systems for pools are getting better and better. A good ozone system may reduce your chlorine consumption by up to 50%.
UV systems do a good job on keeping water safe by killing organisms, but it doesn’t oxidize anything. So UV systems are a healthy addition but the reduction in chlorine usage may be unimpressive.
AOP systems are fantastic. They are a little pricey, but the hydroxyl radicals they create and the little bit of hydrogen peroxide residual they leave is by far the most effective chlorine reducer that I am aware of. You still have to maintain some chlorine, but the levels are much lower than any other system that I know of.
Salt water chlorine generators. I do not like the bad effects of salt water, but the ability to produce most or all of the chorine residua in the pool is weighing heavier and heavier to making salt water a better option.
And of course the basics of pool maintenance are critical for reducing chlorine usage. Proper circulation, water balance, removing debris, brushing, and cleaning your filters will all help reduce the amount of chlorine required to maintain a pool.
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The Deep End Pool Podcast focuses on residential pool maintenance and may not cover commercial pool requirements. Please consult the CDC and local authorities regarding the code requirements for commercial pool maintenance.
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