This presentation teaches the basics of sanitation in pools and discusses the options available to owners.

1. PC201: SANITATION
SMART START Pool School

2. WHAT IS SANITATION?
➤ In pools and spas, sanitation refers to the prevention and control
of bacteria in water.
➤ Unlike other pool care aspects, sanitation must be constant
in a body of water to prevent bacteria and algae growth.
➤ Sanitation may not directly correlate with water clarity; it is
possible to have enough sanitizer in the water and to still
have issues with clarity.
➤ The amount of sanitizer required is dependent upon each
individual pool or spa; the only way to know if enough is
present is frequent testing.

3. TYPES OF SANITIZER
➤ The most common sanitizer used in pools and spas is chlorine.
➤ Many systems use trichlor-based products, such as 3”
chlorine tablets or compressed sticks. These dissolve slowly
and provide a slow, consistent dose of sanitizer. They
should be replenished when they run low.
➤ Some systems opt for dichlor-based products, like Super
Soluble. These dissolve quickly at normal operating
temperatures (approximately 78°F). The only way to know
if enough sanitizer is present is to test for it.
➤ Pools equipped with chlorine generators produce chlorine
with the use of an electrolytic cell and salt.

4. TYPES, CONTINUED
➤ Bromine is a less popular
sanitizer for pools, but very
common in spas.
➤ Like chlorine, bromine can
be found in tablet or
granular form and is usually
stabilized with a small
amount of chlorine.
➤ Biguanide (PHMB) is a non-
chlorine sanitizer that is found
in liquid form. It is
incompatible with chlorine
products!

5. CHOOSING A SANITIZER
➤ For most pools, trichlor-based products dispensed from a
chlorine feeder, floater, or skimmer are the best choice.
➤ For skimmer application, the pump must run 24 hours a
day or the chlorine used should contain SmartGuard
(Smart SilkGuard Sticks) to stop dissolving when the pump
is off.
➤ Dosing for these products is based on the gallons of the
pool and average daily usage. Generally, you will want to
use 1 tablet or stick for every 5,000gal of water weekly.
➤ Check tablets and sticks regularly; do not allow feeders,
floaters, or skimmers to run completely empty!

6. CHOOSING A SANITIZER, CONTINUED
➤ Pools which do not want to use slow-dissolving chlorine may
use dichlor-based products instead.
➤ Super Soluble is fast-dissolving, but it is important to
brush the product if it settles to avoid damage to the pool
surface.
➤ Always apply the product with the pump running and leave
off all pool covers for a minimum of eight hours to prevent
damage from the gas produced when chlorine dissolves.
➤ Always apply this product to the main body of the pool; do
not add this product through the skimmer!

7. ➤ A note about trichlor- and dichlor-based chlorine: these
products contain a stabilizer that slows the destruction of
chlorine from UV rays, i.e. the sun. Indoor pools, pools with
little usage, and pools that receive little sunlight may want to
perform longer backwashes or more regular additions of water
to keep this stabilizer level within acceptable ranges
(<200ppm). You can confirm your stabilizer level by testing
with The Pool & Spa House monthly.

8. WHAT ABOUT SALT?
➤ Salt pools are chlorine pools!
➤ With the use of an electrolytic cell, the pool takes salt and
produces unstabilized (not protected from sunlight)
chlorine as the primary sanitizer.
➤ These pools should check their salt levels monthly and
adjust to keep within the recommended ranges provided by
their cell’s manufacturer. Additionally, stabilizer should be
kept within acceptable levels to protect the chlorine
produced from being burned off by sunlight.
➤ Salt pools may also want to supplement their sanitizer level
with the use of a fast-dissolving dichlor-based product.

9. WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?
➤ Talk to your water care
specialist at The Pool & Spa
House to determine the best
choice of sanitizer for you.
➤ Think about how often you
would like to add sanitizer,
how often you are able to run
your pool pump, and how
much use and sunlight your
pool gets during the summer.

10. THANK YOU!
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