If you’ve gone out to your pool to take a nice dip and escape the summer weather, you might have noticed a funky odor or a pool chlorine smell.
Of course, this causes a lot of people to ask, “Why does my pool smell like chlorine?”
So in this article, we’ll talk about what it means when a pool smells like chlorine and what to do about it.
What Causes the Pool Chlorine Smell?
To understand this, you have to understand chlorine’s role in cleaning your pool. There are actually two types of chemical compounds that come from chlorine in your pool. One is called chlorine and the other is called chloramine.
Chloramines are compounds that form when chlorine combines with other particles like skin cells, oils, urine, or sweat. When you add chlorine to your pool, there are two chemicals contained within that kill the bacteria.
When these two chemicals combine, they become something that’s called free available chlorine or FAC. In other words, that means that they’re ready to go out and attack bad stuff in the water to keep the water sanitized.
Proper Chemical Balance Eliminates Pool Smells
If you have the right levels of FAC, then the chlorine is doing its job well and you won’t notice a chlorine smell.
But when there are a lot of contaminants in the pool water, the FAC levels drop. When these FAC levels drop, The hypochlorous acid has a reaction with ammonia, which is present in pee and sweat, and this forms chloramines.
So chloramines are not as effective as a cleaner as free available chlorine. And these are the principal reasons that you might have eye or skin irritation in addition to a strong unpleasant odor in your pool.
In fact, too much exposure to chloramines could even cause you to have asthma or other respiratory problems. So you want to get rid of them as fast as possible.
In a nutshell, chloramine tries to eliminate bacteria from urine and other unpleasant elements and that’s where your pool begins to smell.
To Summarize So Far: Your Pool Smells Like Chlorine Because It Needs To Be Serviced
Now what are some ways to get rid of the smell of chlorine in pools?
How to Get Rid of a Bad Pool Smell
To get rid of this unpleasant smell in your pool water:
Add more chlorine
Give the pool extra chlorine each week and you can defeat contaminants and get a better level of FAC. This also reduces the chloramine level, which again is the main culprit of the odor you want to eliminate.
Try shocking the pool without chlorine
You can oxidize the pool without chlorine. Some people may need to use these chemicals to sanitize their pool water because of sensitivity to chlorine.
Keep your pool chemistry on point
The right pH levels, chlorine levels, and other chemicals are super important for making sure that your pool stays clean, looks great, and doesn’t smell.
Never Ask “Why Does My Pool Water Smell?” Again
Nobody wants to smell like chlorine or have their eyes burning because of chemicals in the pool. So in order to make sure your pool is enjoyable for you, your loved ones, and anybody else who’s going to swim in it, make sure that you get your pool taken care of regularly.
Contact a pool service company in Atlanta today and ensure your pool chemical levels are balanced, safe, and pleasant to swim in.
