Tips for optimal water quality in pools

For uninterrupted fun with your BINDER counter-current system, your pool water should be checked regularly.

We will show you what this involves.

Every day, countless particles end up in your pool, whether from human skin or carried in on the wind. During hot weather in summer, algae and bacteria quickly multiply. For this reason, you should continually monitor the quality of pool water.

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What test methods are available?

There are three main options for checking water quality: testing strips, electronic pool testers or professional analysis by your specialist dealer. Test strips usually detect the concentration of several different chemicals in the water. They are dipped in the pool and then held still in the air for a while, without shaking off the water running down them. The colour change is then compared against a scale on the test strip packaging.

Electronic pool testers either evaluate the test strips automatically or determine water quality via a built-in sensor or via a sample, to which a tablet is added.

All test methods should at least be able to measure the pH value and chlorine concentration of the pool water. Water hardness, active oxygen and algaecides can often also be detected in this way.

If there are problems with the dosing of pool care products, and especially at the beginning of the season when the pool is first filled up, a professional water analysis by a specialist swimming pool dealer is highly recommended.

How often should pool water be tested?

As a rule, you should check the water quality of your pool at least once a week during the season. Moreover, it’s also useful to do a water test before adding pool care products.

What does the pH value reveal?

The pH value is an important indicator of your pool’s water quality. It indicates whether the water is acidic, neutral or alkaline, and it determines how effective the water care products used are.

The ideal pH value of your pool is between 7.0 and 7.4. To lower the pH value, you can add pH Minus products, and to raise it there are pH Plus products.

Because the pH value of pool water changes constantly due to rain or other environmental influences, you should check it often.

Cartridge filters or sand filters?

Whether for hair, textile fibres or skin flakes, filter systems remove a large number of unwanted particles suspended in the water.

You can choose between cartridge filters and sand filters. Cartridge filters are suitable for small pools or pools exposed to low levels of contamination. Larger pools, on the other hand, should be fitted with a sand filter. This does not always have to be filled with quartz sand; glass filter media or polymer fibre balls are also suitable filter media.

Disinfecting: What are the options?

You have several options for disinfecting pool water: the three main ones are chlorine, UV light disinfecting and salt electrolysis.

Chlorine is good value for money and very effective at low concentrations.

Disinfecting via UV light is a physical process: a UV lamp emits ultraviolet light, which deactivates the cells of pathogens.

With salt electrolysis salt is added to the pool water, which then passes by electrodes that convert the salt into natural chlorine. These systems generally manage on very little salt, so they don’t pose a risk to stainless steel fittings in the pool.

Water quality generally is a decisive factor in your swimming experience and the longevity of pool fittings. This naturally also applies to all the components of our turbine driven counter-flow systems, such as the cover plate and the piezo button for example. If salt water is used, or if the pH value is outside the reference limits, limescale or rust deposits can form that attack the built-in parts, even stainless-steel ones. Therefore, all stainless-steel components should be regularly cleaned with the necessary special chemicals.

For slight soiling, commercially available stainless-steel cleaners should be sufficient, which should be applied with a soft cloth. For heavier soiling, slightly acidic stainless-steel cleaners are available from your specialist dealer. After cleaning, they should be rinsed away with copious amounts of fresh water.

Tips for optimal water quality in pools

For uninterrupted fun with your BINDER counter-current system, your pool water should be checked regularly.

We will show you what this involves.

What test methods are available?

How often should pool water be tested?

Cartridge filters or sand filters?

Do you have any questions on measuring and optimising your pool's water quality?

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