Chlorine does not exist as seperate atoms as it often tends be stable by obtaining an electron from another atom. However, the element chlorine exists in free state as gaseous chlorine molecules.
Free Chlorine is the Chlorine which is free to do its work in the pool, as opposed to Combined Chlorine which is chlorine that has combined with contaminants and is tied up and ineffective as a sanitizer in the pool. Sometimes you will see it abbreviated as FAC, which stands for Free Available Chlorine.
Chloramines can be calculated by the formula: Chloramines = Total Chlorine - Free Chlorine. Total chlorine is the sum of free chlorine and combined chlorine (chloramines). By subtracting the free chlorine level from the total chlorine level, you can determine the amount of chloramines present in the water.
Combined chlorine is when the chlorine molecule has attached itself to other molecules in water. In other words it has "combined" with something else in the water. Those could be iron, manganese, ammonia or other things depending on the source water. Free chlorine is the molecules that are "free" in the water to do the disinfection.
To change combined chlorine to free available chlorine, you can perform a shock treatment by adding a chlorine shock product to the pool water. This will help break down the combined chlorine compounds and convert them back into free available chlorine. Make sure to follow the product instructions carefully and retest the water after treatment to ensure proper chlorine levels.
Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical compound that contains chlorine, but it is not the same as free chlorine. Free chlorine refers to the chlorine in water that is available for disinfection, whereas sodium hypochlorite is a chemical compound commonly used as a disinfectant and bleaching agent.
There is 3 measurements of chlorine in a pool or spa. Total chlorine, combined chlorine, and free available chlorine. Free available chlorine is the good chlorine that is active in the pool killings germs and algae. Combined chlorine is chlorine is basically chlorine that was once active but has killed germs or bacteria and is now inactive in the pool. Total chlorine is free available and combined chlorine added together. If your combined chlorine is higher than free available chlorine then the water needs to be shocked to eliminate the combined chlorine. But be careful here. If you don't reach what's called break point you will only add to the combined chlorine. There are products on the market which will only remove combined chlorine without effecting your free available chlorine if you are unsure about reaching breakpoint. Hope this helps.
You can add chlorine-based chemicals such as chlorine granules or liquid chlorine to increase free chlorine levels in the pool. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and allow time for the chemical to circulate before testing the water again.
If your total chlorine is high and your free chlorine is low, it means that the chlorine in the water is mostly bound to contaminants and is not available to sanitize the pool effectively. This situation could result from the chlorine being overused or ineffective due to high levels of organic matter. To correct it, you may need to shock the pool to break down the combined chlorine and restore the free chlorine levels.
No, metal-free does not have the ability to remove chlorine from water. Metal-free is typically a product used to sequester or bind metal ions in the water to prevent staining or other issues. To remove chlorine from water, you would need to use a chlorine neutralizer or a water filtration system that is designed to remove chlorine.
Total Chlorine = Free Chlorine + Combined Chlorineor, put another wayTotal Chlorine - Free Chlorine = Combined ChlorineFree Chlorine is the chlorine that is doing its job.Combined Chlorine is the chlorine that has combined with contaminants such as nitrogen. It is ineffective as a sanitizer and it is noxious.Total Chlorine is the total of these two levels.To eliminate the Combined Chlorine (making all the chlorine in the pool Free Chlorine) you must shock the pool to remove the contaminants. You must reach "Breakpoint Chlorination", which is the addition of chlorine to your pool equivalent to the Combined Chlorine level times 10.example:Total Chlorine = 1.5ppmFree Chlorine = 1.0ppmSo, the Combined Chlorine (the difference between the two tests) is .5ppmBreakpoint chlorination, in this example would be .5ppm X 10 = 5ppm. So, in this example, you would add enough chlorine to your pool to raise the chlorine level up by 5 parts per million.
One refrigerant that is chlorine free is cfc-22. This refrigerant has gained popularity in the past few years in many homes.
Get a new test kit or new test reagents. Total Chlorine is the measure of free and combined chlorine, therefore the free chlorine cannot be higher than the Total Chlorine. You can't put 10 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket.