Posted on 07/01/2005 6:50:50 AM PDT by Born Conservative
A Hunlock Township woman injured mixing shock chlorine in her kitchen Wednesday remained in intensive care Thursday night, officials said.
Carol Crane was airlifted to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, after suffering burns to her face and upper body, emergency crews said Wednesday. Crane is office manager for Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas.
Accidents like Crane's are fairly common, according to data released by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. In 2004, nationwide over 2,000 people were treated at medical facilities for exposure to chlorine, the annual report said.
Twenty-one people nationwide were severely injured from exposure to chlorine and two people died, the report said. Responding emergency crews were not immediately sure what caused the reaction that injured Crane, an office manager in the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office, but pool dealers and chemical experts have their theories.
Donna Hilstolsky, an employee at Pool Place in Shavertown, believes mixing two types of chlorine caused the reaction. "There are incompatible shocks on the market," said Ann Boyd, a customer care manager for Arch Chemical Co., headquartered in Smyrna, Ga. Arch Chemical supplies chorine to area distributors, such as Master Chemical in Wilkes-Barre.
According to Master Chemical Executive Assistant Denise Bigelow, there are four basic chlorines used to sanitize swimming pools, sodium hypochloride, calcium hypochloride, dichlor and trichlor. All four types will react with one another, she said. Dichlor and trichlor usually come in tablet form, and they will react with calcium hypochloride shocks, Boyd said. Pool dealers recommend sticking to one brand of chlorine, as well as one type.
Mixing two different brands of the same type of chlorine is also ill advised, they said, because the chemicals could react with one another. "I always tell people 'use up what you have before you start something else,' " Hilstolsky said. "Always stick with the same kind."
Pool owners are also advised not mix chlorine in the same bucket they use for other household cleaning, dealers caution. Chlorine will react with many household cleaners, including ammonia, they said. Equally important is chlorine storage, said Bigelow. She recommends storing it at room temperature, away from other household chemicals.
As a final pointer, Arch Chemical employees recommend adding the chlorine to the water instead of adding water to the chlorine. Small amounts of water can trigger a chemical reaction, they said.
This is just another reason to switch to ozone disinfection. Chlorine is dangerous.
This is just another reason to switch to ozone disinfection. Chlorine is dangerous.
Sometimes I really hate computers. Sorry for the double post.
Her kitchen?
First, pool chemicals around here never see the inside of the house. Second, chemicals are never mixed. They are added to the water one-by-one.
Why was she mixing it in the first place...normally you just sprinkle the SHOCK granules all over the pool surface.
My pool has been open since May 21st and that was the only day I needed to use SHOCK. Since then I maintain it regularly with 3 fast tabs in filter basket every other day.
One oz. algeacide weekly and one oz clarifier weekly. Its crystal clear even after 10 kids are in there.
I run filter 8 hrs per day.
I know of some people who simply pour bleach in their pools and get similar results and save a bundle.
It's a very good reason to thoroughly read and understand the package labeling before opening.
In lieu of a clarifier additive, one method of flocking a sand filter is to disolve granulated Shock in a plastic pail of water and pour into the skimmer and filter the water for 48 hrs. What it does is tighten the space between sand particles so smaller particles can't escape. As that happens, the filter's efficiency increases as more smaller particles are trapped. Sort of a cumulative effect.
One better method is simply to not backwash the filter so much - maybe once per week or when the pressure is above 20-25 psi.
Either way, chlorine should NEVER be disolved in a house or an enclosed environment.
How often should sand be changed. I have heard that if filter is working properly it should be every 5 years as it works more efficient when it has dirt in it.
I have another friend who changes it yearly.
My pressure never has gone over 15 psi is that normal. I backwash maybe once or twice per month.
bookmark for later ... looking to hear from experienced pool people.
SOME "experts" claim every other year - some every five years. Since my dad has been in the business for four decades, I've never heard him advise anyone to "change" the filter medium in a sand filter. However, when a system is backwashed and when winterized, it's normal to lose some sand, which - over time - could equal a significant amount that must be replaced at some point.
I've owned a pool for thirty years and I never have "changed" the sand. The sand in a filter isn't like the sand used to sandblast in that the sharpness isn't worn off by use as rapidly. So the idea that the sand is "worn out" is a myth and since most filters are hard piped into the system, it requires a "hugh" service call ($100-200) to "change" the sand ($1.75).
You gotta wonder
if the media runs stuff
like this just to give
ideas to nuts,
criminals and terrorists.
You just never know.
Why even bother with the pool store crap? Use plain old bleach for shock and chlorination. Easier, cheaper, works just as well and you can buy it at any store. Di-chlor and Tri-chlor are convenient if you have an autochlorinator, but they will raise your CYA through the roof.
Another reason to READ the label and think about what you are doing and how it can go wrong if you screw up.
The dirtier the pool, the more crap that gets trapped and the pressure goes up/flow goes down. You'll notice that when you're trying to vacuum it becomes difficult to pick anything up. Backwashing the filter helps temporarily, but if it's really dirty the only thing to do is clean it. Personally, I never used DE in any pool I serviced because it is nasty and leaves white powder on everything. Try CF-138 (trying to recall the exact name) which is a cellulose fiber and is a heck of a lot less messy since it degrades like biomass (which will include all those skin cells from the pool).
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