Do You Need Automatic Dosing & Control Equipment?

Manual Dosing of chemicals directly into a commercial pool presents a number of risks. A commercial pool is a leisure pool or spa used by paying customers.

Most chemicals for water treatment are hazardous to health, and therefore come under the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations. COSHH regulations require an assessment of risks to be done so that risks may be controlled, exposure to the substance minimised, and that operations do not pose a hazard to the health of the operator or to anyone in the vicinity.

Manual additions of pool chemical probably means exposure to the operator carrying out the dosing, and to anyone else in the vicinity.     It is best to confine the chemical to the pool chemical store or area and dose the product/s into the circulation system in the plant room.

Safer, more efficient, use of chemical is achieved where the dosing of chemicals is continuous and satisfactory water quality is more easily maintained. It is usually more economic too, as with manual dosing over and under dosing is common with the resulting waste of chemical.

Over and under dosing can cause unsatisfactory water conditions in that overdosing gives uncomfortable conditions for bathing with possibly bleached costumes, skin/eye irritation etc., whereas under dosing can allow organic pollutants to survive.

As the pool is being used, any chlorine in the pool is dissipated by the bathers and the pH will change. In order to maintain satisfactory hygienic conditions it is necessary to replace that lost chlorine and control the pH as quickly as possible. This cannot be achieved by manual additions.

It is not possible to manually dose chemical while the pool is in use. It follows, therefore, that the loss of disinfectant (chlorine) cannot be replaced nor can the pH be controlled within the acceptable range during the bathing period. Unsatisfactory conditions could prevail with the risk of transmission of waterborne disease.

The industry standards booklet, “Swimming Pool Water Treatment and Quality Standards For Pools and Spas” by the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group, advises that manual dosing is rarely justified in non-domestic pools, that automatic dosing is best for all pools, and essential for public pools. It goes on to state that dosing systems, like circulation, should continue 24 hours a day in order to maintain stable conditions for bathers..

There is a requirement in Health & Safety regulations, that pool operating staff should be properly trained and that sufficient numbers are trained so that the pool and plant are never operated by untrained staff.

Pollet Pool Group are the sole UK distributor for swimming pool water treatment products manufactured by market leader BAYROL, formally known in the UK as BioLab U.K.

Pollet Pool Group are also able to offer advice in addition to chemical dosing and control equipment in conjunction with a U.K. network of Pollet Approved Service Specialist companies trained specifically on the installation, maintenance & service of the equipment offered. If you would like further information please contact us.