This sampling of FAQs should help with some basic chemistry information and trouble-shooting issues. Of course, talking to your BioGuard® Dealer is always your best bet.
BioGuard® offers many solutions based on your individual needs. Your Dealer will make educated recommendations after performing a water sample test. BioGuard has products such as:
Learn more about different algae types and suggested BioGuard treatments in our troubleshooting page.
Your best course of action is to take a water sample to your BioGuard Dealer. They can test your water and provide personalized instructions on the best corrective measures.
Some suggestions your dealer may provide are:
(Note: For BioGuard SoftSwim® pools, use SoftSwim Filter Aid and Flocculent.)
Sanitizing pool water kills bacteria that can be harmful to bathers and also aids in controlling algae. You need to constantly check and maintain your sanitizer level because bacteria enter the pool continuously from many sources. BioGuard offers several chlorine/bromine based sanitizer options including our Mineral Springs® program, or explore our non-chlorine sanitizer program, SoftSwim®.
This is the active chlorine in the water that has not combined with organic matter and is therefore available for killing bacteria and algae. The proper range for free chlorine residual is 1-3 ppm. Below 1 ppm can cause swimmer irritation, cloudy water and even allow algae to grow. You should test often throughout the summer when the pool is used most.
“Shocking” your pool water chemically destroys the organic contaminants introduced by bathers and the environment. They restore water clarity, help maintain water balance and eliminate the main causes of eye and nose irritation.
Use BioGuard Scale Inhibitor to help prevent scale formation that can cause serious damage to pool surface and equipment. Keeping pH and calcium hardness in range will also help to prevent scale buildup.
It is recommended that pool filters be cleaned at least two times a pool season – mid-summer and in the fall – or more often if needed. The filter should also be cleaned at spring opening if it wasn’t cleaned as part of the pool closing procedure in the fall. Strip Kwik® removes oil and grease while Kleen It® removes dirt, scale and metals from from all filter types. Use SoftSwim® Filter Cleaner for SoftSwim pools.
It’s a way to measure the acidity or alkalinity of water. This is the most important part of chemical balance because it protects the equipment, allows the sanitizer to do its best job and increases swimmer enjoyment.
Ideal range 7.4 to 7.6
It’s a measure of the water’s ability to resist changes in pH. pH can be affected by environmental factors such as acid rain, pollution, run-off from the surrounding land, and fertilizers-just to name a few. Keeping the TA at the proper range will help prevent pH from fluctuating and help prevent scale and cloudy water.
Ideal range 125 to 150 ppm
It’s the amount of dissolved calcium in the water. Keeping CH at the proper range will help protect equipment and keep water sparkling. It also helps prevent cloudy water.
Ideal range 175 to 225 ppm (200 to 275 ppm for plaster and SoftSwim®)
Chlorine Demand is the consistent inability to maintain a chlorine residual in a pool. It is caused by a build up of contaminants which creates and “overload” on the sanitizing system. Quite simply, it means that more sanitizer is required that is being provided to the water.
There are two ways to treat chlorine demand. The first is to add the appropriate amount of chlorine. The quickest way to find out what that amount is would be to have a BioGuard dealer run a chlorine demand test on the Accu-Demand30®. The second way to treat chlorine demand is to drain some of the water and replace with fresh water. While this will not completely take care of the demand, it can help lower the amount of product needed.