Chlorine Allergies: First, read this page: Click HERE! Now understand that it is BOTH the LOW pH AND the Chloramines that people respond negatively to, that makes "most people" "think" they have Chlorine allergies, not normal pool chlorine levels. It is the low pH AND the Chlorine tied up with waste products forming ammonias, or Chloramines, that are most responsible for a belief in Chlorine allergies. There is a narrow comfort range for pH. That range is 7.4 to 7.8. Anything higher or lower will cause burning, road map eyes, itchy dry skin, ... with no chlorine or chloramines at all. Use muriatic acid (Pool acid) to lower the pH, and baking soda (If the pH is slightly low, or Soda Ash, to raise the pH. I have found that the best overall pH for pools to prevent algae growth, and have comfort, is 7.8. If you are at a pH of 6.8 or below, start with 10 lbs. of soda ash, distribute it over the pool surface, brush the entire pool, retest, and add another 10 lbs. if you aren't at, at least, a 7.6. Retest in 24 hours. for a 7.4 or 7.6, you can add 10 lbs of Baking soda (I get 5 lbs. at Costco for about $3.00) While there are always "some" low levels of chloramines in a "healthy" pool, those levels do not result in harmful effects except in 1/2 of 1% of ALL people. (This 1/2 of 1% people are truly said to have a chlorine allergy.) Note: EVERYONE is allergic to having straight chlorine bleach poured on them. There is a difference between this, and what I known as a chlorine allergy. Note2: Those regularly exposing themselves to "Chloramines" will have an increased sensitivity to them. The more frequent the exposure, and the more severe the levels, the grater the long term effects, including all of the symptoms listed HERE IF YOU CAN SMELL THE CHLORINE, DO NOT SWIM, AND DO NOT STAY IN THE BUILDING THE POOL IS IN. (If it is an indoor pool.) Read the instructions in the links already included on this page for an easy method for bringing chloramines back to safe levels. TRUE STORIES: Over the last 30 years, I have had the opportunity to hear dozens of people tell me that they, their sons or daughters, their wives, girlfriends, husbands, ... had chlorine allergies. In most cases, they have said that they must have salt water sanitation instead. For those thinking that salt water pools do not use chlorine, listen up. The chlorine levels in a healthy salt water pool are EXACTLY the same as those in a pool without a salt "CHLORINE" generator. If we add the same level of salt to a non salt system pool, and chlorinated it with chlorine tabs, or shock, or bleach, and mixed it all in, there is not a chemist alive who can tell you which pool was which. THE CHEMICALS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME. In one case, I was servicing a pool that was a rental property. When the client, whose entire family had chlorine allergies, supposedly confirmed by their allergist, arrived, the salt "chlorine" generator was working. The family, husband, wife, kids, ... were constantly in the pool, and there was no adverse reaction to the "chlorine" generated by the salt system. However, the family was adamant that NO CHLORINE to super chlorinate, or shock, the pool ever be used. I complied. A month or two later, the family had a big pool party. You know, the kind where there are 15 kids in the pool, they go through 25 gallons of Kool-Aid and soft drinks, and only one kid in 4 hours asked to use the restroom. The next day I got a phone call stating that I had added a ton of chlorine to the pool, and that the owner had been called, and that I was going to be fired for violating my promise. I explained to the owner that the renters didn't know anything at all, and all about chloramines. I explained that the only possible reason that the renters were smelling chlorine was that the pool was filled with waste products, and I suggested that he confirm this by asking if the client had a pool party. He explained that that was the exact reason for the phone call. 5 hours into the party, the kids were complaining of itchy burning eyes, itchy skin, ... I told him that the only solution was for me to shock the pool, and burn off the eye and skin irritants. He gave his permission, dumped in 4 lbs. of 65% calcium hypochlorite (Slowly) into the skimmer, with the irate pool renter standing over my shoulder. When asked, I said that this was a water purifier I was adding, and that it would immediately remove the chlorine irritant and smell from his pool. (No, I didn't tell him the "exact" truth.) Within minutes the chlorine smell went away, the free available chlorine went from 0 to 5.0, and I gave him the ok to let his family start swimming 4 hours later, with the promise that he would call again if the symptoms returned, and I would add another treatment. There were no more problems, but the client called anyway, to thank me. 1 month later, I called the owner to inform him that the salt cell that generated the chlorine for the pool was dead, and that I was adding chlorine tabs to the skimmer directly. The owner was all "freaked out" saying that the renters were going to leave, stiff him for rent money, ... And I asked, have they called and said anything lately, about the pool, how I was caring for it, ... he said that they called at least once a week to state how wonderful the pool was, that they had, had no further issues since the party, ... and that they had the highest respect for me as their pool man. I then explained that a secondary reason for the pool problem issue was that his salt chlorine generator "cell" had died just prior to that day, ad that I had been using chlorine tabs in the skimmer, (which is never recommended as you are adding a corrosive directly into your equipment, you only get chlorination when the equipment is on, ...) for a little over a month, and that I had "shocked" the pool adding 2 more pounds of that "water purifier" as well. I again told him that EVEN A CHEMIST CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE, and obviously that this entire family of people with "chlorine allergies" can't tell the difference either. The owner explained that the renters lease was up in 6 months, and asked if he had to replace the salt generator cell, as he was then planning on selling the home. I explained that no, he did not need to replace it at all, and that with a cost of $700 for the cell, it would be cheaper to just cut out, and remove, the old salt system completely. I assured him that since the customer and I had had a conversation about touching and adjusting the pool equipment, neither he, nor anyone in the household were ever going to touch anything in the pool, and that I could continue adding tabs without their notice. After the 6 months was up, the renters came to me on the last day of service, gave me a card with a check for $100 and offered me high praises for keeping there pool so "swimmable" without putting any chlorine at all in it. Is this the only time that this has occurred? Nope. In thirty years, this same situation, people claiming chlorine allergies, salt "Chlorine" generators, and me adding chlorine products to keep everything perfect has occurred 3 more times. I have done what was necessary, including a few occasional tabs, super chlorinating with "Chlorine" shock, ... and I have continued to get rave reviews from these people with chlorine allergies. Why? Because I controlled the level of Chloramines in their pools by regular shock treatments, and adjusting the chlorine levels in their pools to constant, but higher levels. Are there people with real chlorine allergies, where levels that 99.5% of all people will not react to the levels they react to? Yep. Unfortunately, there are no "cost effective" sanitizers other than chlorine, that can sanitize swimming pools effectively in the United States. For more detail, Click HERE. |
How Do I Figure Out What is Wrong With My Pool? My Pool is a Mess. What Can I Do? ... > I am Concerned With Swimming Pool Health - My Pool Causes Burning Eyes - I Can Smell the Chlorine - Can I Get Pink Eye From a Pool? >