Is using Chlorine manditory?

Question

I have a 12'x3' above ground easy set pool. I use Algaecides already. My test strip says my ppm ,and ph are low. But the part that says Free Chlorine is normal (what does that mean).. I want to stay away from Chlorine because my daughter is Autistic and it seams to react on her behavior.

Is there an inexpensive way to stay away from Chlorine all together and my pool be safe?

Answer 1

I have a salt pool and there great, call a pool company and ask them the price for installing a salt system.  No burning of the eyes and its great for kids. Plus you only have to use a bag of salt a year and those pools never turn green either.

Answer 2

Free Chlorine is the part that is available for active duty.  Combined chlorine is the bad, smelly stuff that can make your eyes red.  Total chlorine is the combination of the two above components.

Chlorine in 1-3 ppm is the recommended range to sanitize the water.  I am sure that greater danger exists when using an under or no chlorinated pool than one that is slightly over chlorinated.  Spend some time getting the other values in line like pH and your water will be fine.  Does your pool have a known volume?  Knowing that you can calculate a chlorine amount to attain 1ppm in your pool.  Then administer the chlorine at the rate you want in the pool.

There are people on the Internet and products that will tell you anything you want to hear but you cannot beat chlorine for cost effectiveness when it comes to sanitation.

You can check out Bromine as an alternative but it is not for all pools.  Check your pool manufacturers literature for compatibility.

Also salt system pools are just chlorinated cousins of what you are using now but more costly and harder to maintain.  And they make chlorine for the pool that is supposed to be in the 1-3ppm range.