Sanitizers
Sanitizers are products used to purify water, to relieve it from microbes and algae. They are chlorine, in its different forms, and bromine in the case of the pools. Each of them has its advantages and inconveniences. They are sometimes basic, sometimes acid. They can have different impacts on water chemistry and can necessitate various chemical products to counter- balance those impacts or to stabilize them. Warm water is more difficult to maintain, it necessitates greater quantities of sanitizers and, therefore, greater quantities of other chemical products.
Never pour any sanitizer directly into the water intake (skimmer) without having deviated the water from the pool heat pump previously. (See the section "Water Deviation", p.11.)
NOTE: The use of a floatting distributor is recommended as an alternative to pourring chlorine directly into the skimmer. Maintaining the chlorine level using this method can however be more difficult because the water flow dissolving the chlorine is less important on the top of the pool than in the water pump system.
Shock Treatment
Before performing any shock treatment, deviate water from the pool heat pump to prevent chemical products from damaging it
1) Trichloro-s-triazinetrione (TCCA or trichlor or pucks)
Trichlor is a very common and practical sanitizer because it dissolves into hypochlorous acid, a powerful sanitizer, and into cyanuric acid, a stabilizer improving the duration of its efficiency. However, it produces 2 acids that contribute to lowering pH and AT of the pool water. This can cause severe damage to the pool and to its system because of corrosion:
“…having a strongly acidic pH, TCCA tablets will reduce total alkalinity and, if not moni- tored, low total alkalinity will cause corrosive damage to the pool.” [Taylor, A Testing & Treatment Guide part #2004B, p.26]
Usage of trichlor requires the addition of sodium bicarbonate to higher the pH and TA level. Warning: many users testing only pH will be tempted to use sodium carbonate, or pH+, however this product does not increase TA level and pH will decrease back rapidly. As acidic water is also most of the time very clear because it is free of microorganisms, T.T.I. wants to remind you to test water regularly to avoid problems caused by acid water. Clear water is not a synonym of good quality water.
NOTE: With trichlor, it is possible to use what is called a chlorinator. A chlorinator is an automatic chlorine distribution system, but in no case it is controlling pH and TA of water. Thinking their system is completely automatic, users of those systems often
neglect to test their water. Moreover, make sure that your heat pump installer has modified the circuit of your chlorinator in a manner to prevent it from pouring out its concentrated solution of chlorine into the pool heat pump. (See p.7)
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