What is UV Sanitation in Pools?
As the summer winds down, now is the perfect time to evaluate your pool maintenance habits and ensure that you’re keeping your pool clean and safe. There are many innovative solutions that can be utilized when maintaining your pool. One cleaning technology you may want to consider for next summer is UV sanitation for pools.
What is UV Sanitation?
Ultraviolet (UV) sanitation is a method of disinfection. It uses short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill microorganisms in or on multiple materials or surfaces, including water. UV light destroys the nucleic acids in microorganisms and disrupts their DNA. This leaves them unable to perform vital cellular functions that allow them to live or reproduce, stopping the infection of whatever surface or substance that was sanitized, in this case, your pool.
Can UV Sanitation Be Used For Pools?
Ultraviolet (UV) sanitation can be highly effective in maintaining the cleanliness and safety of swimming pools. This process uses germicidal UV light rays to sanitize water, air, and surfaces, eliminating up to 99.9% of microorganisms, viruses, and molds. Additionally, UV systems can eliminate chlorine-resistant microorganisms, which can be common causes of pool closures.
Benefits and Limitations of Using UV Light for Pools
One of the major benefits of using UV sanitation for pools is that it can substantially reduce the need for chemical sanitizers like chlorine. The keyword is “reduce,” not eliminate. This works to save money on chemicals since you use less over a long period of time.
This leads to the fact that while UV sanitation is a powerful tool for maintaining pool hygiene, there are more complete solutions. UV light can only kill or inactivate microorganisms in the water that passes through the UV chamber. This is why you still need to use some chlorine.
UV systems are often used in combination with other sanitization methods – such as filtration and chemical disinfectants – to ensure comprehensive water quality management.
A UV pool system can eliminate up to 90% of chlorine and nearly 100% of chlorine side effects, providing a more enjoyable and less irritating swimming experience after it’s cleaned.
How Do UV Sanitizers Work?
Water from the pool is pumped into a chamber where it is exposed to UV light, where the rays penetrate the cells of the microorganisms. Once it’s done disrupting their DNA structure and preventing them from reproducing, the water will be filtered out. This process is done repeatedly to thoroughly sanitize your water.
Can UV Sanitizers Be Used For Hot Tubs?
UV sanitizers can be used for hot tubs and swim spas, but there are a few more limitations. These limitations are due to the many more moving parts hot tubs and swim spas have in a smaller area versus pools. UV sanitation only sterilizes the water that passes through the system, meaning it does not sanitize surfaces above the water line or any part of the hot tub that is not directly exposed to the UV light.
Many parts of the hot tub will filter water that won’t always make it through the UV system.
Contact Aqua Leisure Pools and Spas for Tools and Supplies to Clean Your Pools and Hot Tubs
UV sanitizers are a popular and effective tool to consider. As more and more people are scheduling when they’re going to close up their pools for the fall and winter, they’re going to need to consider how they want to maintain their pool water under the tarp.
Are you going to leave your pool alone until you next open it up again? Are you going to apply chemicals regularly to it so it stays clean and lowers the risk of water damage? Or do you want to go a step further?
Contact the experts at your local Aqua Leisure Pools and Spas for more information. We can help.
Posted by Aqua Leisure Pools & Spas in Pools