As summer approaches and you fill your pool or garden pool for the first time, there are a few steps you should take before the family dives into the water.
STEP 1 – measure and regulate the water’s PH value
When you have just filled the garden pool with water, the first step is to measure the acidity of the water. You want to know if the water is balanced and has a neutral pH value.
If the pH value is too high, the water is alkaline (hard), which can lead to skin irritation, itching and red eyes, and it also leads to limescale deposits on liners and ladders. A pH value that is too low means that the water is too acidic (soft) and can result in degradation of any metal components in the pool. Aim for a value of 7.2. An acceptable pH value is between 7.0 and 7.4.
The easy and quick way to measure the current pH value is by using Swim & Fun Test Strips.
A pH value above 7.4 is lowered with the addition of pH Minus granulate (Article 1714).
A pH value below 7.0 is raised with the addition of pH Plus granulate (Article 1712).
STEP 2 – add an extra dose of disinfectant to the water
A so-called “shock treatment” should be performed when you have just filled the pool with fresh water. Shock treatment means that a concentrated dose of sanitizer is added to the water in order to effectively disinfect the water and remove deposits and stains. Perform the shock treatment using Klor Starter (Article 1701), which is a fast-dissolving granulate. It is available as granulate and as 20-gram tablets (Article 1705). A chlorine-free shock treatment can alternatively be performed with OxyChock granulate (Article 1784). Let the circulation pump run.
Use chlorine-free disinfectant, then wait one hour before bathing. If you use Klor Starter, you should ideally wait with bathing until the next day, and under any circumstance, wait until the chlorine value has dropped to below 5.0 when measuring the water with a test strip.
Enjoy the water!