Most people associate a strong 'pool smell' with too much chlorine...but actually, the opposite can be true!

If you've ever wondered what that 'pool smell' is, it's actually from chloramines. We often assume that what we're smelling is too much chlorine and that maybe someone overdosed the pool. But, when we can smell chloramines, the pool may actually need more chlorine!

What are chloramines?

Chloramines are produced when the chlorine in your pool combines with organic material.

Every time you enter the pool, you introduce organic material. This includes oils from your skin, perspiration, skin cells, and – worst of all – urine. All of these contribute to the organic load in the water that must be treated.

Chlorine is a powerful and effective disinfectant, and is essential to ensure your pool is safe to swim in. Without disinfection you are at risk of developing all manner of infections from tinea, to swimmer's ear or even diarrhoea and other gastroenterological diseases.

When we smell chloramines, we are smelling the chlorine doing its job: disinfecting the pool by reacting with all that organic matter.

Chlorine is present in two forms in your pool. The first is hypochlorite ion, which is added to the water as calcium hypochlorite. This in turn reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid. The amount of these two forms of chlorine are what we measure when we test our pool water for chlorine.

Chlorine has an affinity for ammonia, so that 'pool smell' is the hypochlorous acid binding to the ammonia and forming chloramines.

How can I reduce the chlorine smell?

If chloramines are allowed to build up they can destroy your pool blanket, pool liners and some plastics!

If you want to use less chlorine overall and smell less chloramines, there are some simple solutions:

• Have a quick shower before going in the pool. This reduces the organic burden that each of us brings into our pools by washing off any accumulated perspiration and oils on our skin and hair
• Always remove yourself from the pool to go to the toilet. Ask children to have regular breaks when they swim to avoid any 'accidents'.
• Never allow anyone in the pool if they have diarrhoea or other gastic conditions, as the material is slow to break down and can infect others for some time!

Follow these simple rules and you'll be enjoying a fresh-smelling and hygienic pool all summer long!