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I am wondering if there are substances that a person can use to help keep bacteria down in a pool that are not murder on the hair? Chlorine, over time, can turn blonde hair green.
Ok. I found PHMB, which seems fine.
Last edited by goldengrain; 09-06-2012 at 02:20 PM..
Chlorine, if kept at the right dose does not turn hair green. In fact, I think it's copper that is typically in algaecide that turns hair green.
I have a pool, I use chlorine in it.... I have never had anybody's hair turn green. If this was true.... there would be no blonde Olympic Swimmer, Diver, Water Polo Players, etc. There would only be burnettes and green heads.
Chlorine, if kept at the right dose does not turn hair green. In fact, I think it's copper that is typically in algaecide that turns hair green.
I have a pool, I use chlorine in it.... I have never had anybody's hair turn green. If this was true.... there would be no blonde Olympic Swimmer, Diver, Water Polo Players, etc. There would only be burnettes and green heads.
So, if you use an Ionizer, which uses copper, you might have a problem with hair turning green.
The article that I posted a link to lists four methods of sanitizing, oxidizing, and deterring algae.
The first four still must use chlorine, but in lesser amounts, and the final does not require it at all.
BROMINE - usually used with about 25% chlorine. It has an odor. If you use it without the chlorine it leaves the water a dull green color that foams up when you swim in it, because the oxidation process is weaker.
IONIZERS - copper and silver (usually used with a bit of chlorine) which cause impurities to be carried out through the filter. This is only recommended if the air is not heavily polluted and if you have few landscaping plants around the pool and if only a few people use the pool.
OZONATORS - best used in a non humid environment. It is a machine that must be kept running (at very low cost) and is attached to the filtration system.
PHMB - needs to be used with hydrogen peroxide for oxidation and and algaecide and clean the pool filters every month to month and a half. It seems to force impurities into lumps which sink to the bottom of the pool and are then scooped up by the filtration system. It is much better on hair and skin, but reacts to chlorine, so the pool must be drained first and swimsuits thoroughly washed.
You're really over thinking the chlorine thing-
Maybe consider a salt system? So, instead of introducing chlorine you generate chlorine. Which most people don't understand with a salt system- they just think it's Morton's.
I am wondering if there are substances that a person can use to help keep bacteria down in a pool that are not murder on the hair? Chlorine, over time, can turn blonde hair green.
Ok. I found PHMB, which seems fine.
It's copper which turns blonde hair green. Here is some quick reading from a pool source I highly recommend: (1) (2).
We use a salt system. The chlorine level is lower than chemical introduction or at least lower at times. With a salt system yur chlorine level stays at a consistent level, you do not dump a bunch of chlorine in and then wait for it to decay then dump in a bunch more. It mainains a consistent level. The level is also lower that what you target with added chlorine. When our salt cell broke, and we had to use chemicals, we had to maintain a higher chlorine level. I think maybe the salt helps keep algae down, but i am not sure. I do know we keep our pool clear with much lower chlorine levels than when we have to use added chlorine.
My siser and BIL tried one of those non chlorine chemicals for a while. I am not sure which one. It was very expensive and very difficult to maintain the water chemistry needed. Something happened with it that was a big problem, but I cannot remember what. They eneded up draining their pool and switching back to chlorine.
We used both an ozonator (essentially a quartz bulb), and hydrogen peroxide (doesn't take much, and you can get it at any pharmacy dirt cheap, and the water was at 102F). No smell, no hair color changes, etc...
Chlorine is awful. (and if you mix granular chlorine with brake fluid in the garage, run away fast )
There's nothing wrong with copper or chlorine if you k ow what you're doing. I suggest taking a CPO class backed by the NSPF.
By the way salt generators turn the salt into sodium hypochlorite which is the same chlorine you'd use if you had a liquid chlorine feed system. Liquid chlorine fed systems are the most efficient for large swimmer loads. Sodium hypo has a higher pH than the 7.5 that's recommended so you'll need an acid to bring your pH down. Most CPOs use muriatic acid or hydrochloric acid to bring the pH down.
The alternative chorines are dry sticks that are mixed with a stabilizer called cynuric acid. Their pH is lower than what you're shooting for so you'll want to bring your pH up by using either sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate. The first raises you pH a little and raise your alkalinity a lot. The latter raises you pH a lot and the alkalinity a little. Alkalinity is your buffer against large swings in pH. Bicarbonate is baking soda by the way.
All system you use need to have calcium chloride added to balance the water and to keep your pool's surface intact. If you have a salt based system you'll need to keep the calcium level higher than if you use liquid or dry chlorine.
Unless you just have piles of money laying around to literally throw down the drain liquid chlorine or salt is your best bet with liquid being slightly more economical. I'd suggest looking into a pH controller with a salt or liquid system. They're $300 - $3000 depending on your needs and if you get one you'll never have to worry about adjusting your own pH unless it goes down. You'll need power and a drum to hold the acid that it feeds.
Remember, when temperatures drop the water becomes more acidic and with rises in temperatures it becomes more scale forming.
There's nothing wrong with copper or chlorine if you k ow what you're doing. I suggest taking a CPO class backed by the NSPF. . .
So, your hair or that of those you love is bleached blonde and they go into the chlorinated pool regularly and it has not dried out their hair or turned it green? This thread was started by me with concern for my hair.
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