Chlorine level too high in the pool: this is how you react correctly

A pool is no longer a prestige object for upscale residential areas, but enriches numerous residential properties with real added value in terms of leisure technology. Due to the increased number of private pools, the associated technology is now simple and easy to use, even for laypeople. Nevertheless, it can happen in individual cases that the chlorine content in the pool is too high. What is to be done then is explained in the following in an easily understandable and easy to understand way.

Too much chlorine in the pool

Before you start reducing the chlorine level in your pool, you should determine how the excess chlorine was able to get into the water in the first place. Otherwise it may be that all efforts show at most temporary success and have to be repeated again and again. Common causes of overchlorination are as follows:

• Overdosing of chlorinations carried out by hand, e.g. B. due to calculation or measurement errors
• Incorrect functioning of automatic dosing systems, e.g. B. in measurement or control technology
• Incorrect water pH value, resulting in overdosing due to poor chlorine effectiveness

Once the cause has been identified, it can be remedied and a renewed increase in the chlorine content in the pool after it has been adjusted to the target value can be avoided.

Lower the chlorine level in the pool

There are various approaches and possibilities to effectively lower the chlorine content. The smaller the overdose, the easier it is to reduce it to the desired value.

1. Stop or reduce the addition of chlorine

First of all, it should be prevented that further chlorine gets into the pool and increases the value further. In the case of manual chlorination, the addition of the chlorine preparation is simply omitted. If you use technical solutions, you should switch off the chlorination system or remove the chlorine preparation from the transmitter. If the target value is exceeded very slightly, however, it may be sufficient to reduce the dosage. This makes it easier to adjust to a reasonable level later than when starting the chlorine administration from scratch.

2. Neutralization of chlorine in the case of small to moderate overdoses

In the case of small to moderate overdoses, chemical chlorine lowering agents can usually be used. The following options are available to reduce the chlorine content:

• Wait - neutralization of the overdose through natural decomposition of the chlorine
• Covers etc. remove - promoting and accelerating the decomposition of chlorine by UV radiation from the sun
• Swimming - use of the pool contributes to the breakdown of chlorine
• Exchange pool water - proportionate replacement of pool water with a high concentration of chlorine for fresh water, proportion of the exchange water depending on the value of the overdose

Attention: You should only swim in the pool to reduce chlorine if the excess is within acceptable limits! Exact limit values ​​for this do not exist, but one can easily orientate oneself to high dosages in public baths: Here, up to 10 mg / l are used for intensive use. Values ​​beyond this should definitely be neutralized in another way.

Note: Anyone who exchanges pool water can hardly do without a new regulation of the chlorine value. One cannot assume that z. B. if the value is twice too high, it swaps 50% of the water and then finds optimal values. The background is the increased chlorine requirement for the initial Primary chlorination of fresh water.

3. Chlorine neutralization in the event of high excesses

If, on the other hand, suitable chlorine values ​​are exceeded high or even very high, neutralization with the The methods already mentioned are either very tedious or - as in the case of swimming - simply not possible. Here it is absolutely appropriate to react with the use of chemical preparations, through which the content can be reduced in a targeted and reliable manner.

The most widespread use is sodium thiosulphate. Hydrogen peroxide is also used again and again in finished preparations to remove unwanted chlorine from the pool. Both substances are offered in different compounds as powder or pellets and used as follows:

1. Determine the amount of water - is done by calculating the length, width and depth of the filled pool
2. Determine the actual value of the chlorine content in the pool by measuring
3. Determine the target value for the desired chlorine content, usually between 1 and 2 mg / l water.
4. Determine the required amount of neutralizer, usually easy to implement using the manufacturer's information on the product
5. Add the neutralizer to the pool water
6. Determine the generated chlorine content by measurement
7. If there are deviations from the target value, readjust using chlorine or a chlorine lowering agent

tip: In order to avoid unnecessary amounts of chemicals, it is worthwhile not to completely add the chlorine neutralizer to the water from the start. Instead, a proportionate addition makes sense, after which the actual actual value can be determined. If this deviates from the theoretically generated value, the remaining amount should be adjusted accordingly.

Attention: Even in processed form, the substances used for chlorine neutralization are not entirely uncritical. When using it, you should therefore take all precautions specified by the manufacturer. A look at the safety data sheet can also help to assess the hazardousness of the substances and to take the necessary protective measures.

Neutralize chlorine with hydrogen peroxide

While sodium thiosulfate is rather difficult to obtain for the layperson outside of the pool chemistry mentioned Hydrogen peroxide in various concentrations via the pharmacy or other sources is quite easy available. It stands to reason that one or the other pool owner now comes up with the idea of ​​taking the detour via finished products save and cost-effectively and without additional binders and additives to tackle the chlorine directly with hydrogen peroxide move. This is made very clear here advised against.

Hydrogen peroxide is available in a wide variety of concentrations, so errors can easily be made when determining the required amount. In addition, it is also one Hazardous substancethat is in high concentration very corrosive can be and thus represents a high risk for inexperienced people. In particular, the respiratory tract, skin and eyes can be permanently damaged if handled incorrectly.