Dealing with Excessive Chlorine Loss

Well, it’s hot, but you already knew that! And so does your swimming pool.

When it is excessively hot here in the Oklahoma area (pretty much all summer!), pools can experience excessive chlorine loss. This is especially true on extra sunny days with no clouds. But you do have options, and you can enjoy a crystal clear, clean pool.

What is Excessive Chlorine Loss

This happens when your pool has a consistent inability to maintain chlorine levels. You may have heard this referred to as chlorine demand.

When you have a high level of inorganic and organic contaminants in the water, you will end up with chlorine demand.

Why? These contaminants force the chlorine to work extremely hard to oxidize them, leaving little chlorine to protect your swimmers. Proper chlorine levels cannot be reestablished without first eliminating the contaminants.

External factors such as sunlight and heat contribute to this chlorine loss because bacteria grow better when it’s hot. As the bacteria multiply, your pool uses up your free chlorine.

In addition, sunlight causes a loss in free chlorine because as the ultraviolet rays shine on your pool, the chlorine is released as a gas. You can experience a huge loss of chlorination in your pool in just a few hours on the sunniest days.

Proper pool maintenance can help prevent and alleviate the problem.