|
L I M I N I O I P I Q I R I S I Sta I T I U I V I Vol I W I Z
ACID: Liquid
(muriatic acid) or dry granular (sodium
bisulfate) substance used to lower the
pool's pH (toward a more acidic condition)
or to lower total alkalinity levels.
ACID
DEMAND: A titration test used
to determine proper amounts of acid (or
pH decreaser) to reach correct levels. For
example, to lower pH from 8.0 to 7.6, your
pool may "demand" 2qts. of acid.
AIR BLEEDER ASSEMBLY: Located
on the top of
the filter and
sometimes accompanied
by a pressure
gauge, the bleeder
is opened to
release air trapped
in the filter.
ALGAE: Over
20,000 species known to exist. Algae may form on your pool
surfaces or it may bloom in suspension. We typically know algae
to be green but it may also be yellow (mustard algae), black, blue-green,
or any shade in between. It may form separate spots or seem to grow
in sheets. Pink algae is not algae at all but a form of bacteria. Algae
are living breathing organisms that need warmth, sunlight, and CO²
to thrive.
Click here to
learn more about algae and how it affects
your pool.
ALGAECIDE: Meaning,
to kill algae. Algaecides perform best
as a backup to a routine sanitation program.
They also help to kill airborne spores
as they blow into the pool. A variety
of algae treatment
products are available including
copper and silver compounds, poly-quat
compounds, chlorine enhancers , and herbicides.
ALGAESTAT: An
algaecide kills algae, while an algaestat
retards and prevents its genesis and
growth.
ALKALINE: Alkalis
are best known for being bases (compounds
with pH greater than 7) that dissolve
in water. Alkaline is commonly used as
a synonym for base, especially for soluble
bases.
ALKALINITY: Alkaline
refers to the condition where the water's
pH is above 7.0 (neutral) on the pH scale. It
is the opposite of acidic. Alkalinity
is the amount of carbonates and bicarbonates
in the water, measured in "parts
per million" (ppm) of Total Alkalinity.
ALUMINUM: A
silvery white and ductile member of the
poor metal group of chemical elements
ALUMINUM
SULFATE: Also known as
"alum;" this product
is used as a flocculent which
attracts suspended particles
in the water together (green
or cloudy pools).
"Alum" sinks everything
to the bottom which
is then vacuumed to waste. A
small amount of
"alum" can also
be used as a sand filter
additive.
ANION: A
negatively charged ion, which has more
electrons in its electron shells than it
has protons in its nuclei, is known as
an anion due to its attraction to anodes.
AUTOMATIC POOL CLEANER: A
device which agitates or vacuums debris
from the walls and floor of the pool.
BACKFILL: The
repositioning of the soil after construction
of a pool.
BACKWASH: The process
of thoroughly cleaning the filter medium
and/or elements by reversing the flow
of water through the filter to waste.
BACTERIA: From a health perspective, the most dangerous
micro-organisms which may be living in the pool water. Some
are pathogens, which can cause infectious diseases.
BACTERICIDE: Kills
bacteria. Chlorine is a bactericide
and germicide. Silver algaecides
are actually more bactericide, and are
useful on pink "algae."
BALANCED
WATER: Balanced water is the
result when all of your chemical parameters
are where they should be and thus balance
each other. The key components
of water balance are pH, Total Alkalinity,
Calcium Hardness, and Temperature; as
measured using the Langelier Index of water
balance.
BALL VALVE: A device
with a hollowed out ball inside which can be turned with an external
handle to decrease or increase flow.
BASE: Those
chemicals of alkaline nature which will
counteract the pH of an acid eventually
neutralizing at 7.0. Common bases used
around the pool would include Soda Ash,
Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate,
and Sodium Sesquicarbonate.
BASE
DEMAND: A titration test used
to determine proper amounts of base (pH
increaser) to reach correct levels. For
example, to raise pH from 7.2 - 7.6,
your water may need 2 cups of soda ash.
BIGUANIDES: The
name for a certain class of sanitizers
using the polymer PHMB, the only non-halogen
sanitizer available for pool and spa use. "Soft
Swim"
and "Baquacil" are manufacturers
of this technology.
BICARBONATE: An
intermediate form in the deprotonation
of carbonic acid.
BLOWER: Plumbed into the
spa return line, air is injected to
produce fun bubbles and a hydrotherapy
effect in the spa.
BOOSTER PUMP: Secondary to the filter pump, a booster
pump is used to power an automatic pool cleaner such as Polaris or
Letro. | 
