How to Kill Bacteria in Pools
While swimming pools can provide hours of fun, they also present the problem of bacteria growing in the water. Left unchecked, swimming pool water presents a friendly environment for increased amounts of bacteria, algae and other harmful contaminants. Adding chemicals to the pool --- such as chlorine, stabilizer, pH and alkalinity adjusters --- will help reduce and eliminate the majority of chemicals. You should check and add chemicals on a weekly basis during your region's summer swim season. If your pool is used heavily, check chemicals twice a week to curb bacteria levels.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Pool water test kit
- pH increaser
- pH decreaser
- Alkalinity increaser
- Alkalinity decreaser
- Stabilizer
- Chlorine
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1
Measure your water's current chemical levels. Use a standard pool water test kit to test the pool. Follow the manufacturer's instruction to correctly test the pool.
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2
Adjust the water's pH and alkalinity to achieve range from 7.2 to 7.8 and 80 to 100ppm (parts per million). Follow the instruction on from the chemical manufacturer when adding these chemicals.
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3
Add a stabilizer to the pool. Following the manufacturer's instruction, add enough stabilizer to achieve a level between 30 to 50ppm.
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4
Increase the chlorine in the pool water. Use a litmus strip from the water test kit to determine the current chlorine levels. Add tablets or granules to the chlorine dispenser according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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5
Run the filter at least eight hours a day to help remove debris from the pool water. Increase the filtration time during periods of heavier use.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You will probably be unable to remove all bacteria from the swimming pool water. However, a weekly maintenance schedule can help keep about 98 percent of bacteria from the water.
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References
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