The Dangers of Over Chlorinating

Sanitizer is important in a pool to ensure safety for swimmers in pools and bathers in hot tubs. A healthy dose of chlorine or bromine will kill bacteria, keep the water clear and can reduce irritation; however there is such a thing as over chlorinating a swimming pool or hot tub which can cause effects on both swimmers and equipment.

Over chlorinating a pool can cause skin and eye irritation, blurred vision, and burning sensations. It is important to note that just because your skin or eyes become irritated or rashes begin to form after being in a hot tub or pool doesn’t inherently mean that the water is over chlorinated. An imbalance in pH and/or alkalinity can also cause irritation. Many will convert to salt because they don’t want to deal with chlorine without realizing the salt is converted to chlorine by the salt cell.

Too high of a chlorine count will bleach a liner and will also dramatically reduce the pH which can damage and destroy pumps, piping, tiles, concrete and can also cause scaling. If the free chlorine is too high, or above 4 ppm, there are several measures one can take to reduce the levels. Remove any chlorine tabs from the pool and hold off on shocking until the free chlorine depletes to a more acceptable level. If there is a pool cover, remove it to ensure it gets the most amount of sun possible to reduce the levels. Dilute the water to decrease the level by adding fresh water to the pool or hot tub.

Come get your water tested at Hydra Hot Tubs and Pools and we’ll make sure your water is safe for swimming