It’s a hot day and after being in that heat all day, either at work or running errands, the thing that motivates you to finish is getting home and hopping in the pool. You get home, get changed and head out to the pool. You notice the smell of chlorine. But is that really what you’re smelling?
The answer is no, you’re not not smelling chlorine. What you’re actually smelling are chloramines. But what are chloramines? Chloramines are a result of chlorine molecules bonding with nitrogen mocules. So, where does this nitrogen come from, you may ask.
Well, the answer to that is a lot of things. Sweat, urine, dirt, makeup, deodorant, perfume, cologne, hair care products, fabric soaps and softeners all contribute to producing chloramines.
When nitrogen is presented into your pool's water, the chlorine automatically goes to work, absorbing the nitrogen to remove it from your water in the form of chloramines.
All of these daily products we use contain nitrogen. When nitrogen is presented to your pool’s water, the chlorine automatically goes to work, absorbing the nitrogen to remove it from your water in the form of chloramines. This chemical reaction is what creates the “smell”. This smell is not healthy to breathe in. You may have noticed in the past that your eyes sting, you may have had shortness of breath or a headache after swimming.
This also means that the chlorine level of your pool is low and needs to be replenished. A healthy, chlorinated pool does not smell like chlorine. So the next time you see your technician adding more chlorine, have peace of mind knowing that it’s to balance your pool’s health and make the smelly fumes of chloramines go away.
