Can you swim in improperly treated pools?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
S

Soximus

Active member
Sep 28, 2020
42
Connecticut
Pool Size
18425
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
It’s going to be 90 degrees today! Need to figure out if we can get away with taking a short swim, or not…

Another way of asking this question: what do the “recommended” and “ideal” ranges for FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA tell us about how safe it is to be in the pool? For example, if pH is outside of “recommended,” does that mean it’s not safe to get in the water at all… or does it mean that you can go in, but you’ll be uncomfortable after X minutes? And of course there are pH values that would be quite harmful to people that I guess you’d never see in real life (pH<2 or >12).

I’m new to pool chemistry, so I apologize if this is a dumb question! Is one of the chemicals we test for easily the most crucial, in terms of safety and comfort? I’m curious if the expert / veteran pool chemists out there have personal opinions for levels of each of these chemicals that make them say, “no way— pool is closed,” vs “eh, it’s ok… but don’t stay in too long.”

Maybe some of the levels don’t impact the swimmer directly (CH), and don’t really figure into the “safe to swim” calculation…?

My most recent test results, if anyone is curious:

FC (waiting for more reagent; likely 4ppm)
CC 0.5
pH 7.2
TA 100
CH 150
CYA 30
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cledee
Soximus said:
Another way of asking this question: what do the “recommended” and “ideal” ranges for FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA tell us about how safe it is to be in the pool? For example, if pH is outside of “recommended,” does that mean it’s not safe to get in the water at all… or does it mean that you can go in, but you’ll be uncomfortable after X minutes? And of course there are pH values that would be quite harmful to people that I guess you’d never see in real life (pH<2 or >12).
Click to expand...
If you’re levels are in the recommended range, go swimming! The key however is these levels MAY cause you to have extra work or expense, but they’re good enough to swim in. Take for example your CYA level of 30. It’s acceptable for sure, it’s protecting the chlorine and so forth just fine. That said, if you bump it up to 40 you’re likely going to see a noticeable reduction in chlorine loss in most pools. Most users will save some cash bumping their CYA up from 30 to 40.

So in short, if it’s in the recommended range, go swimming. If it’s in the ideal range, go swimming while knowing your pool is all but perfect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88
Leebo said:
So in short, if it’s in the recommended range, go swimming. If it’s in the ideal range, go swimming while knowing your pool is all but perfect.
Click to expand...
That makes sense! What about if the levels are outside recommended ranges? For which chemicals would this be a “close the pool” situation, and for which would it still be ok to swim… even tho it might cause skin/eye irritation (or some other adverse effect)?
 
  • Like
Reactions: djmccabe26
Soximus said:
For which chemicals would this be a “close the pool” situation, and for which would it still be ok to swim… even tho it might cause skin/eye irritation (or some other adverse effect)?
Click to expand...
As long as the FC is between minimum and slam level of the FC/CYA Levels, you are safe to swim. With out of range PH it may make itchy eyes after a while for the kids, But that’s about it.

never go below, or close to minimum. If you loose 2-4PPM FC a day to normal usage, you can be 2-4 PPM below the minimum in 1 day. It is not an acceptable level even though it seems that way. It is a defcon 5.... all hands on deck, level. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88
Never swim below the recommended FC, but it is quick and easy to add liquid chlorine to get there so probably only an issue if you are out of chlorine. Swimming with FC a few ppm above slam level might bleach your hair and swimwear a bit. More than 5ppm above slam level you may see dried out hair and nails along with bleached out swimwear. People with sensitive skin and eyes will be bothered when pH is over 8.0 or below 7.0 Too much CYA will cause you to use more chlorine but it won't directly harm a swimmer. Calcium and TA levels general won't cause problems for the swimmer when out of range.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Snoobug and Mdragger88
proper fc level in relation to cya is PARAMOUNT to safe, sanitary water.
anywhere between min & slam level for your cya is safe to swim as long as you can see the bottom of deep end of the pool. FC/CYA Levels
Next up is ph (in the 7’s is generally safe) - low/high ph can cause some discomfort
I don’t suggest swimming in ph below 7
The rest have to do with proper maintenance not really swimmer safety or comfort.
being out of any of the ideal ranges for extended times can be bad for equipment.
Recommended Levels
 
Rashes are very common too. I forget the name but the common one looks like you got acupuncture. Just 200 little red dots that itch. My kids get it from the water park pretty much every time they go. You need antibiotic cream to clear it usually.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mdragger88

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply