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Glossary Of Swimming Pool Terms & Definitions |
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GELCOAT A colored, polyester-resin material applied to the surface of a molded part. The gelcoat hardens to a smooth, durable form and becomes an integral part of the laminate. Fiberglass pools and spas have gelcoat finishes.
GPD An abbreviation for gallons per day.
GPH An abbreviation for gallons per hour.
GPM An abbreviation for gallons per minute.
GRAB RAIL Also called hand rail - A tubular steel or plastic device that can be gripped by swimmers or bathers for the purpose of steadying themselves. Usually located near the steps in the pool.
GREEN HAIR A condition caused by too much copper in the pool water. Green hair is not caused by chlorine. The copper may get into the water by the bad practice of placing trichlor tabs in the skimmer. This acidic product will cause low-pH water, which in turn will dis- solve metals in the equipment. The dissolved metal (usually copper) then stains hair, fingernails and, eventually, pool walls. It can also be caused by keeping the pH too low or misusing acid.
GRND-FAULT CIR.INTR Ground-fault circuit-interrupter - Also called a GFI - A device intended to protect people. It interrupts (de-energizes) the electrical circuit whenever it detects the presence of excess electrical current going to ground (usually 1/40th of a second and 5/1000th of an ampere).
GUNITE A mixture of cement and sand sprayed onto contoured and supported surfaces to build a pool. Gunite is mixed and pumped to the site dry, and water is added at the point of application. Plaster is usually applied over the gunite.
GUTTER An overflow trough at the edge of the pool through which floating debris, oil and other "lighter-than-wate" things flow. Pools with gutters usually do not have skimmers.
HALOGENS The chemical elements either individually or collectively that constitute Group VIIB of the Periodic Table of Elements: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine. Of these, only chlorine and bromine are used as disinfectants and sanitizers in pools and spas.
HAND RAIL A tubular steel or plastic device that can be gripped by swimmers or bathers for the purpose of steadying themselves. Usually located near the steps in the pool.
HAND SKIMMER A screen attached to a frame which is then attached to a telepole used to remove large floating debris, such as leaves and bugs, from the water's surface.
HARDNESS The amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water. "Water" or "total" hardness refers to the total magnesium and calcium dissolved in the water. Calcium hardness refers to just the calcium. Measured by a test kit and expressed as ppm. The proper range is 200 to 400 ppm.
HEAT EXCHANGER A device located inside the heater providing for the transfer of heat from the heat source to the water. This is usually a seriew of metallic tubes with fins located just above the flames.
HEATER A fossil-fueled, electric or solar device used to heat the water of a pool, spa or hot tub.
HERBICIDE A chemical compound used to kill or control plant growth or algae. Simazine is a common pool herbicide.
HORSEPOWER The work done per unit of time. 1 horsepower equals 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute or approximately 746 watts. Motors for pumps are rated in horsepower.
HOT TUB A spa constructed of wood with the sides and bottom formed separately and joined together by hoops, bands or rods.
HYDROCHLORIC ACID Also called muriatic acid - A very strong acid used in pools to lower the pH and total alkalinity. It can also be used for various cleaning needs. Used in "acid washing" a pool. Use extreme care in handling.
HYDROGEN The lightest chemical element. A component of water, and a frequent product of many chemical reactions. pH is a measure of hydrogen in its ionic form in water.
HYDROGEN ION The positively charged nucleus of hydrogen atom. The relative degree of acid or base of a solution (called pH) is a measure of hydrogen ions.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE An unstable, colorless, heavy liqued used as a bleach in industry and as an antiseptic in households. It is used as an oxidizing agent in pools and spas. May also be used to de- chlorinate pool or spa water.
HYDROJET A fitting in the pool or spa on the water return line from the equipment that blends or mixes air and water, creating a high- velocity, turbulent stream of air-enriched water.
HYPOBROMOUS ACID The most powerful disinfecting form of bromine in water. Sometimes called the killing form of bromine.
HYPOCHLORITE The name given to a family of chlorine- containing compounds, including calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite and lithium hypochlorite, that are used as disinfectants and sanitizers in pool and spa water.
HYPOCHLOROUS ACID The most powerful disinfecting form of chlorine in water. Sometimes called the killing form of chlorine.
IMPELLER The rotating member of a pump. The part of the pump that moves the water.
INFLUENT The water entering the pump, the filter or other equipment of space. Water going into the pump is called in influent, while water leaving the pump is called the effluent.
INLET A fitting in the pool or spa on the water return line from the equipment that water returns to the pool. Usually the last thing on the return line.
IONIZER A water-sanitation device that uses elec- tricity to generate metal ions, which are dispersed in the water. It works by passing a low-voltage DC current through a set of metallic (usually copper and silver) elec- trodes placed in line with the circulation equipment. The copper is an algaecide, while the silver is a bactericide. Does not remove swimmer waste.
IRON Iron in water causes the water to be brown- or green-collored. Can be controlled by the addition of a sequestering agent or a chelat- ing agent. Water can be tested with an iron test kit.
ISOCYANURATES Also called stabilized chlorine - A family of chlorine pool sanitizers that contain conditioner (cyanuric acid or isocyanuris acid) to protect the chlorine from the de- grading UV rays in sunlight. The most com- mon types are sodium dichlor and trichlor. The granular form is dichlor, which is fast- dissolving and can be used for regular chlorination or superchlorination by broad- casing into the pool or spa. Tablet or stick form is trichlot (which is usually used in a chlorine feeder - either the floating type or the in-line erosion type) used for regular chlorination only.
JACUZZIŽ A brand name and registered trademark for a specific line of spas and whirlpools.
LADDER A structure for climbing up or down; consists of two parallel sides joined by a series of crosspieces that serve as footrests. It is used for getting in and out of the pool. A double-access ladder straddles the pool wall of an above-ground pool. An in-pool ladder is located in the pool only.
LEAF BAGGER A device that attaches to a telepole and a garden hose. Pressure from the garden hose creates a suction by which leaves and large debris are sucked into a large mesh bag.
LIGHT NICHE The area in a pool or spa that house the underwater light.
LINER Also called vinyl line - The vinyl membrane that acts as the container to hold or contain the water.
LIQUID ACID (31.45% hydrochloric acid) - also called muriatic acid - It is used for lowering pH, total alkalinity and for various cleaning needs. It is also used for acid washing.
LIQUID CHLORINE A sodium hypochlorite solution. Usually provides 10 to 12% available chlorine; has a pH of 13 and requires that small amounts of acid be added to the pool to neutralize the high pH. Good for regular chlorination and superchlorination.
LITH. HYPOCHLORITE Lithium Hypochlorite - A dry, granular chlor- inating compound with an available chlorine content of 35%. It is rapid-dissolving and can be used to superchlorinate vinyl-liner pools, painted pools or fiberglass pools as well as spas and hot tubs.
MAGNESIUM HARDNESS A measure of the amount of magnesium dissolved in the water. It is part of total or water hardness. It also causes scale if levels are too high.
MAIN DRAIN This term usually refers to a plumbing fit- ting installed on the suction side of the pump in pools, spas and hot tubs. Sometimes called the drain and is located in the deep- est part of the pool, spa or hot tub. It is not a drain, such as a drain on a kitchen sink. Main drains do not allow the water to drain to waste but rather connect to the pump for circulation and filtration.
MAKE-UP WATER This is sometimes called "tap" or "refill" water. It is the water used to replace water lost to evaporation, splash-out, leaks or swimmer drag-out in the pool.
MANIFOLD The branch pipe arrangement that connects several input pipes into one chamber or one chamber into several output pipes. A filter manifold connects several input pipes from the filter septa back into one common pipe.
MARCITE Originally a brand name for a white plaster finish coat from 1/8th to 1/2 inch thick applied over the gunite or shotcrete.
MICRON A unit of length equal to 1 millionth of a meter - it is .000394 of an inch. Microns are used to describe the pore size of filter media. Sand filters have openings of 25 to 30 microns; cartridge filters have openings of 8 to 10 microns; and D.E. (diatomaceous earth) filters have openings of 1 to 5 microns. Humans, without magnification, can see objects 35 microns or larger. A granule of table salt is between 90 to 110 microns.
MINERAL Any substance that is neither animal or vegetable. It is any class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising of inorganic substances, such as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and definite crystal structure. It sometimes includes rocks formed by these substances. Ground water dissolves these rock substances, and the dissolved minerals are present in tap water. Depending on the kinds of rocks the water comes in contact with, the minerals dissolved in the water may be just a few or they may be many. Water hardness is mostly comprised of these minerals.
MULTIPORT VALVE Also called a rotary-type backwash valve - This valve replaces as many as 6 regular gate valves. Water from the pump can be diverted for various functions by merely turning the valve handle. The water may be sent to waste, used for backwashing, bypassing the filter for maximum circulation, for normal filtration, filtering to waste (rinse), or the valve may be closed to not pass water. The pump must be off before changing a valve setting.
MURIATIC ACID (31.45% hydrochloric acid) - Also called liquid acid - An acid used to reduce the pH and alkalinity levels in pool water. It is also used in acid washing, a process that removes stains and scale from pool plaster.
NEUTRALIZER A chemical used to make chlorine or bromine harmless. Used in test kits to counteract the bleaching effect of the chlorine or bromine in order to increase the accuracy of pool water tests. Sold as chlorine and bromine neutralizer, it is used to destroy excessive amounts of chlorine or bromine, so the high levels will not affect swimmers.
NITROGEN A gas that causes algae to bloom and disables chlorine. It is brought into the water each time it rains. Maintaining proper chlorine levels will prevent nitrogen from becoming a problem. Superchlorination will remove nitrogen and its related compounds.
NON-CHLORINE SHOCK A term given to a class of chemical compounds that are used to oxidize or shock the water (destroy ammonia, nitrogen and swimmer waste). They contain no chlorine or bromine and do not kill living organisms. Swimmers may re-enter the water in only 15 minutes after adding a non-chlorine shock.
NORYL The brand name for a thermoplastic resin used in the manufacture of certain pump components and various other pool equipment fittings.
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