Frequently Asked Questions

1. Bromine produces less of a smell (odour) and is easier on the eyes and skin. This makes it especially attractive to those with sensitivities.
2. Combined bromine (Bromamines) are not irritating to the skin or eyes where as chloramines do.
3. Chlorine is a better disinfectant than bromine because it has more oxidizing potential.
4. Bromine breaks down faster and can’t be stabilized from the sun’s uv rays.
5. Bromine and spa shock make a great partnership. The sun burns off the oxygen only leaving bromine, when spa shock is added it restores the oxygen and regenerates the sanitizer power of the bromine.
6. When bromine is inactive in the water, it changes the chlorine into bromine. If you want to change your pool or spa from bromine to chlorine you must drain all the water or use an X-IT chemical.
7. Alkalinity and ph levels are lowered by chlorine and bromine tablets.
8. Bromine is effective at a wide ph range of 4.0-9.0. Where as chlorine has a shorter range of 5.0-7.5.
9. Chlorine is cheaper to make and therefore cheaper to buy then Bromine

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• A Pool shock is an unstabilized chlorinated 8 hour shock. Oxy-Out out is a non chlorine based 20 minute shock and the vinyl shock is a low unstabilized chlorinated 20 minute shock. Vinyl shock has the same properties as the o Oxy-Out shock as it is lower in chlorine availability.
• Shock needs to be pre-mixed, oxy-out does not.
• Shock kills algae and will solve cloudy water problems, oxy-out will not.
• After applying oxy-out to the water you only have to wait 15-20 minutes. After shock has been applied you must wait at least 8 hours.
• Shock slowly bleaches the liner, oxy-out doesn’t.
• Shock and oxy-out rid the water of combined chlorine.
• Shock and oxy-out can be used in both a chlorine or bromine pool.
• After using shock or oxy-out, natural enzymes should not be added.
• Shock is basic, oxy-out is acidic.
• Oxy-out is 100% soluble and has no calcium, shock does.

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• Shocking rids the water of all contaminants which can be harmful or cause a potential water problem. It is important to have your PH level between 7.4-7.6ppm and to use the right amount of shock for your water condition. Improper shocking amounts or ph levels can lead to additional water problems such as cloudy water.
• Pools should be shocked every 7-10 days and after a heavy rain or heavy bather load. **It is misconception that you only have to use either a stabilized chlorine puck or an unstabilized shock to keep the chlorine level up at all times. Unstabilized and stabilized chlorines are not the same and have different purposes.

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• Stabilized chlorine such as pucks, mini tabs or even the granular chlorine added daily is for every day disinfecting. Once the free stabilized chlorine has disinfected is stays in the water. We call this “used chlorine”.This used chlorine needs to be burnt out of the water otherwise it will start to irritate swimmers. Strong odours, red eyes and rashes occur because of high levels of “used chlorine” in the water. Eventually a high level of used chlorine in the water will stop the “free chlorine” from disinfecting all together in what’s called “chlorine lock” Shocking with unstabilized chlorine weekly burns out the used chlorine and also kills all organics and containments.
• Shocking with the right amount will also clear many water problems.

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• The solar blanket bubbles should always be facing downward.

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• Sand- Filter Range 20 to 40 microns. High-rate sand filters use a special filter sand, normally .45 to .55 mm (also known as pool grade #20 silica sand), because it has sharp edges that separate particles, allowing filtration to take place. They operate on the basis of “depth” filtration where dirt is driven through the sand bed and trapped in the spaces between the sand particles. Initially, a clean sand bed removes larger particles, and then, as the bed starts to load up with dirt, the filter removes finer particles. The sand can be cleaned by backwashing which involves reversing water flow through the filter to the “waste” line.
• Cleaning of the media, or sand bed, is accomplished through reversing the flow through the filter, to the “waste” line. This is known as backwashing.
• Cartridges- High quality Brands only – Filter Range 10 to 20 microns. Cartridge filtration has been available for a relatively long time, but has only recently begun to enjoy rapid growth and acceptance.
• When water passes through a cartridge filter, dirt is screened out at the surface of the cartridge element. When clean, the element will trap larger particles, with finer particles being filtered out as the pores of the element become clogged by the larger debris. The cartridge element can be removed and cleaned by pressure washing inside and out with a garden hose.
• D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth) – Filtration Range 1 to 3 microns. Diatomaceous earth is a porous powder with microscopic openings, that, when magnified, look like tiny sponges. Clear water can pass through these openings, but particles, as small as one to three microns, are trapped during the first pass through the media. D.E. filters have internal elements that become coated with D.E. It is this ‘filter cake’ that strains dirt, dust, algae, and some forms of bacteria from the water.
• Similar to sand filters, when D.E. filters become dirty, they are cleaned either by backwashing, or regenerating and draining the clogged D.E. to the ‘waste’ line. To restore filtration, a fresh ‘charge’ of D.E. is added to the filter. For sparkling, clean pools step up to Hayward D.E. filters.

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• Call the HRM Processing Office for information on acquiring a building permit at 902-490-5650.
  • View the By-Law that governs pools in HRM
  • View HRM’s FAQ Permit Document

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