Sounds like a ridiculous idea, does it not? The idea of taking a plant that grows in damp, dirty areas of the planet and using it means of cleaning up bacteria and biofilm in pool water sounds… downright preposterous!

If you think about it, though, how much more ridiculous does this idea seem than tossing algae-eating catfish into pools in the yards of foreclosed homes in Florida?

A young company in Minnesota called Creative Water Solutions has developed a line of products which make use of a specific species of Sphagnum Moss which has demonstrated anti-bacterial properties as part of wound dressings in combat situations.

“In that issue there was a single page article about the use of Sphagnum moss in WWI to treat battle wounds. The Germans and the English found that if they packed their soldiers wounds in a special species of Sphagnum Moss that they survived in higher numbers than if they packed the wounds in cotton. The author postulated that the effect was due to the amazing absorbency of the moss. Being an expert in wound healing, a trauma surgeon, and knowledgeable about wounds and infection, I postulated that this moss must have an effect on bacterial growth.” ( source )

All fine and dandy for folks with gaping wounds caused by heavy artillery, shrapnel, and/or gunfire, but what the HECK does this Sphagnum Moss stuff do for the purity and clarity of water?

“I remembered our canoeing experiences in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. I remembered the clear water that I could drink from the middle of the lakes and made the connection that maybe that crystal clean water was due to the huge area of bogs that condition the water of those lakes. I decided to get some moss from the lab and see if it would work its magic in my swim spa. I bought a paint strainer bag from Home Depot, filled it with the moss plants that had been sterilized, and threw it in the pool. Within one week the water was improved and by two weeks it didn’t smell and was crystal clear.” ( source )

Sometimes a little curiosity and a willingness to try something new can take a person, or in this case a company, quite far. Nine years after first experimenting with Sphagnum Moss, Creative Water Solutions has brought their product to market in the form of a water treatment tool for pools and spas: SpaNaturally and PoolNaturally.

While the company has not yet announced any plans to enter the drinking water market with their product, the fact that Nature has used Sphagnum Moss as a water purifier successfully since the dawn of time leads us to believe someone has already begun developing a Sphagnum Moss home water filtration unit.

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Test for: bacteria in water, nitrites and nitrates in pool water, copper in pool water, iron in pool water and total hardness in pool water.

Several years ago researchers (we don’t recall from where) announced similar findings. Their research focused more on chloramine gas, a product of the reaction between free chlorine and organic contaminants such as sweat, body oils, etc. Additionally, the previous research also focused more on indoor pools where the chloramine gas could more easily build up as a result of poor ventilation.

The results of this more recent study, which broadened its focus to include children who swam in outdoor pools, indicate that children exposed to chlorinated pool water stand a much greater chance of developing allergies and asthma than children who swam in pools using alternate sanitizers such as silver/copper ionizers, which use far less chlorine.

MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) — Swimming in pools disinfected with chlorine may increase the odds that a child will develop asthma or allergies, new research suggests.

The study found that teenagers who spent more than 1,000 hours swimming in chlorinated pools, either indoors or outdoors, had more than eight times the risk of having asthma than did teens who primarily swam in pools using a copper-silver disinfecting method.

“Chlorinated pool attendance has a very significant impact on the prevalence of allergic diseases in the studied population,” said lead author Alfred Bernard, a professor of toxicology and research director at Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium. ( source )

Does this mean all pool owners with chlorinated ought to run out into their backyards, drain their pools, and/or toss in a few pounds of chlorine neutralizer? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Thus far the evidence indicates that proper usage of chlorine as a pool water disinfectant remains safe. The problems start, it seems, when chlorine levels get ‘too high’ in the water and when chlorine gases build up in the air above and around swimming pools.

“When used properly, [chlorine] is an efficient and safe disinfectant for swimming pools. However, when too much chlorine is added to water or builds up in the air of indoor pools, there is unavoidably some irritation of the organs of the bather in contact with the water and air,” he explained. “There is now increasing evidence that these irritating effects may be detrimental to the airways of regular swimmers, especially the children who are the most vulnerable and the most frequent attendees of chlorinated pools.” ( source )

So what can the average pool owner do to minimize the risks presented by their chlorinated pool? Simple: Test chlorine levels, and other vital water parameters, often and make sure not to use more chlorine than necessary to keep the water properly disinfected.

Bernard said that if you have a backyard pool, you should use as little chlorine as you can to safely disinfect the pool. He said that many people over chlorinate their pools to get clear blue water. But, he said, “chlorine is a disinfectant, not a cleaning agent.” ( source )

Indoor pool owners need to follow the preceding advice AND make sure their pool enclosure area has proper ventilation. Water in indoor pools typically has a higher temperature and thus tends to evaporate and also give off chlorine gas at a faster rate than cooler water.

“How can I test the chlorine level in my swimming pool?”

Swiiming pool test kits come in three basic forms, for the most part: Liquid Test Kits, Test Strips, and Pool Testing Meters.

After reading this article you may find yourself thinking, “I will switch to a copper-silver ionizer and say ‘goodbye’ to chlorine forever!” Sorry, but that last part will most likely not happen.

Many copper-silver ionizer pool water systems suggest maintaining low residual levels of free chlorine in pool water. Often times the suggested free chlorine levels will fall below the detection level of most test strips, liquid test kits and even some meters.

To monitor such low levels of free chlorine in pool water we suggest the Pool Check Low Chlorine 3-in-1 Test Strip which can detect free chlorine levels as low as 0.05 ppm.

With the arrival of Fall, many pool owners have started thinking about closing their pools. Unfortunately for some, though, their Winter Cover from last year has seen its last days and they need a new one.

Why invest in a good winter cover? Simple: Keeping grass, leaves, debris, animals, wind blown trash, and dead bugs out of your pool water over the Winter means you will need fewer chemicals in the Spring and spend less time getting your pool back in shape for the swimming season.

Swimming pool covers come many different sizes, colors, thicknesses, and warranties.

Sizing: Buying too small a cover may result in water weight pulling the cover edge in — which means all leaves, bugs, and other debris will end up in your pool. A real mess!

Color: Many pool cover manufacturers color code their winter covers. Each color signifies a manufacturer’s cover grade and corresponding warranty.

Thickness: As a general rule, the thicker the cover the longer it will last and the longer the warranty it will come with. Increased winter cover thickness means increased cost.

Warranties: Pretty much all pool covers come with a warranty and the thicker the cover, the longer the warranty. Usually a longer warranty will mean a higher cost for the cover. Expect that a pool cover manufacturer will have a pro-rated warranty, not a full replacement policy.

COVERS FOR ABOVE GROUND POOLS:

COVERS FOR INGROUND POOLS:

By keeping unwanted yard debris and dead animals out of your pool over the Winter you drastically reduce the number and amount of pool chemicals and pool stain removers you will need in the Spring.

Winterizing Algaecide    |    Winterizing Antifreeze

Many people ask this question because as far as they know, their public water supplier keeps a close watch on the levels of metals in drinking water… so then why does copper show up in their pool when they don’t use copper based algaecides?

Unless filtered or otherwise purified, most water contains at the very least SOME dissolved minerals and those levels will depend on where the water came from and/or passed through on its way to your pool. As an example, most well water contains dissolved minerals so that means if you fill your pool/spa with well water, your pool/spa water will contain dissolved minerals, too.

You can test for dissolved metals in well water with Water Metals Check, an easy-to-use test for metals in water with a low detection level of 10 ppb (parts per billion).

Earlier we mentioned that some algaecides contain small amounts of copper in them which serves as an algistat, or algae growth inhibitor. Under the right conditions copper introduced by copper based algaecides will remain suspended (in solution) and you will not know they exist unless you test for them with a copper in water test kit.

Metal fixtures (such as ladders) and swimming pool heaters in and around the pool get continuous exposure to sometimes very harsh conditions such as high or low pH and/or extremely high chlorine (or other oxidizer) levels which cause corrosion of the metal surfaces and allow metal ions to enter the water. These ions can create interesting color patterns in water and difficult to remove stains when they fall out of solution and land on the bottom of the pool or other surface.

Many times, though, copper discoloration and staining comes from the heat exchanger in a pool heater. As water passes over its multi-tubed, copper finned heat exchanger at a rate faster than the exchanger can handle or in a corrosive form due to high/low pH levels and/or unusually high oxidizer levels, ions of copper come off metal surfaces and enter the water.

Another (obvious) problem presents itself when copper heat exchangers start to erode away: Their walls get thinner and thinner and eventually holes develop. Replacing heat exchangers can cost a LOT of money.

So therefore, if copper stains and high pool/spa heater repair bills don’t strike your fancy, keep a close watch on the pH, sanitizer levels and from time-to-time copper levels to make sure nothing has started to eat away at your heat exchanger.

And finally, some sanitizer systems, such as the Pool Frog Mineral Purifier System, actually USE ionized copper as part of their chemical system as well as ionized copper. Copper ions serve as an algistat and silver ions serve as a bactericide.

Manufacturers of mineral-based sanitizer systems strongly suggest testing pool water regularly for critical water parameters such as pH, alkalinity, sanitizer level, etc. so that the minerals do not ‘drop out of solution’ and cause staining.

Test strips such as Pool Check Copper 3 in 1 make routine pool testing quick, simple and safe.

We recently received a number of request from Water Testing Blog readers to post a list of popular water quality topics so that they could keep tabs on ‘hot topics’ more easily. Not wanting to disappoint, we have decided to do this on a semi-regular basis.

Below you will find the most popular Water Testing Blog entries for the month of July 2009:

• Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine: In this chlorine-related water quality blog posting we discussed why some chlorine testing products such as Pool Check Test Strips work exceptionally well for swimming pools and spas, but do not offer the correct chlorine detection levels required for drinking water.

• Free, Total & Combined Chlorine: In this chlorine-related water quality testing blog entry we dicussed the differences between free chlorine, total chlorine, and combine chlorine as well as methods to test for each one.

• Dirty Pool Water Can Make You Sick: The title pretty mucha says it all. Just as with drinking water, failing to test pool water can allow dangerous forms of bacteria to grow, flourish, and possibly make a person sick. Remember: 1 in 5 American Adults Admits to Peeing in the Pool. Yuck!

• www.pool-water-test-kits.com: In this posting we brought this pool water test kits to your attention. It’s a fast, easy way to find the pool/spa testing supplies you need to keep your water crystal clear, safe, and enjoyable.

• Free Water Hardness Test Strips: Here we pointed people to Morton Salt Company and Diamond Salt Company web sites where they could order free water hardness test strips.

• DPD Tablets for Chlorine Testing: We always stress the importance of accurate chlorine testing and in this post we provided links to a web site where readers could find replacement DPD tablets and replacement DPD powder for their chlorine/bromine test kits.

• Water Filters for Hikers & Campers: For all those who enjoy going for long walks in the woods, camping in the mountains, mountain biking, or just having clean, safe drinking water to drink when away from home, we provided links to personal water filtration devices and systems from the Katadyne Company.

• Hardness Grains per Gallon vs. Parts per Million: Once again, the name says it all. What more can we say about this posting dealing with water hardness measurement scales.

• Chlorine Filters for Garden Hoses: One would think people already know that the same chlorinated water they filter in their homes goes in their gardens, too, but apparently not… so we provided links to water filters for garden hoses.

• www.pool-water-testing.com: Here we simply brought a site dedicated to testing pool water to the spotlight. Not much more to say really… other than go test your pool often!

With temperatures soaring to record and near record highs all across the United States, it comes as no surprise to us that we have received numerous questions pertaining to the proper treatment of green swimming pool water, smelly swimming pool water… and some water that would make the average sewer worker vomit.

Therefore we have located yet another online source for Pool Water Testing and Pool Chemical Supplies. Below you will find quick links to various pool testing supplies, pool chemicals, pool shock treatments and other items such as automatic chemical feeders for swimming pools.

Just as with your drinking water, though, nothing beats a professional water test if you have reason to suspect that harmful bacteria or harmful levels of contaminants have entered your pool water.

To celebrate the arrival of decent swimming weather for many folks this Summer, we formally invite you to check out a new website dedicated to Pool Water Test Kits. Warmer weather means more people in the pool and a greater need for accurate pool water testing!

As new pool water test kits and information regarding pool water test kits becomes available, Pool-Water-Test-Kits.Com will pass the information along to the public. Expect to find cut-and-dry answers to relevant pool water testing questions and links to credible, reliable web sites where you can pick up Traditional ‘wet’ test kits, Pool Water Test Kit Reagents, Pool Water Testing Meters, and Pool Water Test Strips.

pool test kits + pool test strips + pool test kit reagents + pool test meters

* Safety: Improperly balanced pool & spa water serves as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness, especially in children and people with suppressed immune systems.

• Dirty pool water can make you very sick
• 1 in 5 Americans admits to peeing in swimming pools

* Saves Money: Improperly balanced pool & spa water corrodes metal fixtures, fades and weakens liners, destroys concrete/gunite, and worse yet it can bleach (ruin) your favorite swimsuit. Additionally, having to correct a water problem will require more chemicals than keeping the water balanced in the first place.

* Aesthetic Reasons: Improperly balanced pool & spa water can look bad and smell bad. No one wants to swim in nasty looking green or black pool water that smells like a swamp. Unsightly stains on pool surfaces caused by metals or algae don’t really make someone want to go for a swim, either.

Most pool water professionals will agree that pool owners and pool maintenance staff should check the sanitizer levels (chlorine, bromine, etc.), pH, calcium hardness and total alkalinity on a regular basis.

To check those basic parameters a pool owner can use pool test strips, wet chemistry pool test kits and/or pool testing meters. Each method has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages:

While the four parameters mentioned above (sanitizer levels, pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness) should get checked on a regular basis, pool owners should also keep a watchful eye on other pool water parameters such as cyanuric acid levels, mineral content (i.e. iron, copper, etc.), TDS (total dissolved solids), and acid/base demand.

Once again we go in the direction of pool water. Why? Because we love drinking clean water, bathing in clean water and swimming in clean water. The cleanliness and safety of water matters in each of those applications. Get over it.

OK, folks… So the warm weather finally got here and you have taken the cover off (if you had to put one on in the Fall), brought the water level up to its normal level (usually about halfway up the skimmer), cleaned out any solid ’stuff’ or ‘debris’ that may have fallen into the pool over the Winter, taken your pool water to your local pool water for (usually) free chemical analysis, picked up the suggested chemicals (usually chlorine shock, algaecide, pH, stabilizer, alkalinity, and calcium hardness), gone home, and added the recommended doses of everything to your pool once the pump and filter are working.

Think you have finished your work for a while? Not hardly! Maintaining a swimming pool safely throughout the duration of the swimming season requires regular pool water testing. Why? Because bacteria and other waterborne critters harmful to humans don’t miss an opportunity to jump in an improperly maintained pool — so they can wait for a swimmer to ingest them through skin, eyes, ears, nose, mouth… any opening will do.

Keep a close watch on your pool water by testing it regularly on your own, adding the correct amount of pool chemicals as suggested by pool chemical maufacturers and the companies you purchase them from.

Need help choosing a pool test kit for use between trips to the local pool store?

Several options exist, each having its own merits and disadvantages. Choose the one that best suits your needs and supplement accordingly with analysis by your local pool store — especially after a heavy bather load (lots of people in the pool!), long stretches of rainy weather, or after having to add large amounts of fill water to the pool.

Wet Chemistry or Liquid Kits for Pool Testing

• 2-way pool test kits test for pH and total chlorine.
• 4-way pool test kits test for ph, free chlorine, total chlorine and alkalinity.
• Advanced pool service test kits test for chlorine or bromine, pH, acid and base demand, total alkalinity, calcium hardness & cyanuric acid.
• Higher level kits may also test for bacteria, various metals, total dissolved solids and other pool water parameters in addition to the ones listed above.

Water Testing Meters for Pool Water

• AquaChek TruTest Digital Test Strip Reader
• AquaChek TruTest Test Strip Reader

Dip’n'Read Test Strips for Pool Water Testing

• Aquachek 4-Way for free chlorine, pH, alkalinity and cyanuric acid (50 tests)
• Aquachek 4-Way for bromine, pH, alkalinity and cyanuric acid (50 tests)
• Aquachek 7-Way for free chlorine, total chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, and total hardness (50 tests)
• Aquachek 7-Way for free chlorine, total chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, and total hardness (100 tests)
• Aquachek copper test strips (25 tests)
• Aquacheck calcium hardness test strips (25 tests)

Since we posted the links to Taylor 2-Way Test Kit Reagents we figured it wise to also include links to Taylor 4-Way Test Kit Reagents as well: