Enjoying a bath in the pool is one of the best ways for people to have fun and relax. Kids enjoy water activities even more. What if the water in the pool is not clean?
Yes, this is possible, especially when you have not cleaned the pool recently. In the rush of daily life and professional commitments, you likely forgot to clean the debris from the pool for a few days. How would you know if the water in the pool is clean enough to take a dip? How would you know if your pool needs cleaning?
Pool cleaning should be part of the daily maintenance routine. It is necessary to keep the water clean and ensure it does not threaten your and your kids’ health.
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In this post, we’ll discuss some common signs that indicate your pool is not clean. If you find any of these signs in your pool, you should avoid taking a bath until it is deep-cleaned.
Does your pool smell like chlorine?
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Many people think a slight chlorine smell around the pool is normal. But it’s not. The smell indicates that the chlorine you put in the pool to kill bacteria is not working. This can happen when the pool is dirty and the chlorine cannot do its job.
Urine, sweat, skin residues, and bacteria could be the culprits for making your pool dirty. Chlorine is a powerful cleaning agent, and it can kill most bacteria within one minute of being put in the water. But when it cannot do its job perfectly, it remains in the water in a diluted form. It reacts with urine, sweat, and other substances and forms chloramines. This is what smells in the pool. Now, you need a pool cleaning.
The solution of a smelling pool is not reducing the chlorine but increasing it. However, the chlorine smell around your pool indicates that it is dirty and should be cleaned immediately.
Has the water changed its color?
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Water discoloration is another easily noticeable indication. The pool water should be clean and completely transparent. If it looks cloudy, muddy, or greenish, this is a clear sign that the pool is no longer safe.
The change in watercolor could be due to excessive debris rotting in the water and contaminating it, excess soap and chemicals, or algae growth. Under all these conditions, the water quality has fallen below the safe levels. If it is your pool, a deep cleaning is overdue.
Too many bubbles for too long
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If the pool has remained uncared for a few weeks, its water can become slimy and bubbly. It can also happen when the water has too much soap or other chemicals.
You can feel that the water quality is not good just by looking at it. You will notice some bubbles on the water’s surface for no apparent reason. You might also notice that the bubbles remain intact for longer than usual.
This is because the water’s surface tension is high. This happens when there is an imbalance of chemicals in the pool. If the filter is not working properly, the water can turn like this sooner than a week. Dipping your hands in the water could give you a sense of whether it’s clean.
Is the chemistry alright?
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The cleanliness of pool water depends on its balance of chemicals. For example, we put chlorine in the pool to clean the water and kill microorganisms. The water also has a certain amount of calcium and magnesium that react with the walls and debris. Other things to watch are alkalinity and pH levels.
A pool is in a good and healthy state if the balance between these chemicals is perfect. But if the balance is lost, the pool water can become unsuitable. The pool’s chemical balance can get skewed by the sweat and chemicals we leave behind. Regularly checking the water’s pH level, alkalinity, and calcium is another way to notice if the pool water is dirty or suitable for use.
Does your pool have living organisms?
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If the pool is left untended for some time, it can become a breeding ground for many microorganisms and insects. Mosquitoes and water beetles are very common in this kind of water. Many other organisms can also start breeding in stagnant pool water. You should avoid using the pool if you notice such insects in the water.
Microorganisms and insects don’t live on their own. They represent a complete food cycle in which they feed on something, and some other organisms feed on them. These insects indicate the presence of other living organisms in the water. Using this kind of water can cause irritation and itching skin. You should immediately go for pool cleaning.
Why dirty pool water is not good?
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Bathing in a dirty pool can result in health problems besides an unsavory feeling. For example, Cryptosporidium, a kind of diarrhea, is among the top recreational water illnesses. High amounts of chlorine cause skin burns and can lead to other health problems. Chloramines can cause skin, eyes, and respiratory tract irritation.
Conclusion
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The pool water can get dirty and become unfit for use. There can be many reasons for this, but irregular pool cleaning is one of them. It is not advisable to use a dirty pool for a bath or any recreation. If you find your pool showing any of the signs we have talked about in this article, you should immediately get it cleaned by professional cleaners. Doing it yourself may be a bit tiring, and you may not have the right tools to do this.