Quick AnswerStandart: Reference glossary
Where can I find plain-language definitions of pool engineering terms?
This glossary defines 24 terms across water treatment, structure/hydraulics, and automation/equipment — from turnover rate and ORP to surge tank and salt chlorination — each in one or two sentences, linked to the calculator or guide where it's applied.
Terms
24
Categories
3
Format
1-2 sentence definitions
Water Treatment & Dosing
- Turnover Rate
- The time required for the pool's entire water volume to pass once through the filtration system. TS 13661 targets roughly 4 hours for competition pools and 6-8 hours for private pools. See in Standards Guide →
- Filtration Rate
- The speed at which water passes through the filter bed, expressed in meters per hour (m/h) — roughly 20-30 m/h for high-grade filtration, up to 50 m/h for private pools.
- Free Chlorine
- The chlorine available in water for disinfection, not yet reacted with contaminants or nitrogen compounds — targeted at 1-3 ppm for private pools, 1-5 ppm for commercial pools.
- ORP (Redox Potential)
- A millivolt (mV) reading of water's disinfection strength; automatic dosing systems trigger chlorine addition based on the ORP reading. See in Automation Guide →
- pH Balance
- The acid-base balance of water; the 7.2-7.4 range is ideal both for bather comfort and for chlorine's disinfection effectiveness.
- Chloramine
- The irritating, strong-smelling compound formed when free chlorine reacts with nitrogen-based contaminants such as sweat, urine, or cosmetics.
- Flocculation
- The process of clumping microscopic particles in water together with a flocculant chemical so they become large enough for the filter to capture.
- Shock Chlorination
- A one-time, well-above-normal dose of chlorine applied to rapidly clear chloramine buildup or algae growth.
Structure & Hydraulics
- Surge (Balance) Tank
- The underground reservoir that temporarily stores bather displacement, wave overflow, and backwash water in overflow/infinity pools. Read the Full Guide →
- Skimmer
- A wall-mounted intake that draws surface leaves and debris into the water stream, feeding it to the filtration system. See Infinity vs Skimmer →
- Circulation Flow Rate (Q)
- How much water the pump circulates per hour; calculated as Q (m³/h) = Pool Volume (m³) ÷ Turnover Time (hours).
- Backwash
- Temporarily reversing water flow to clear accumulated debris from the filter bed; the water consumed during this process factors into surge tank sizing.
- Hydrostatic Valve
- A safety fitting that equalizes ground pressure and prevents the pool floor from lifting when the pool is empty or groundwater rises.
- Waterproofing
- The single- or two-layer flexible membrane system applied to a reinforced-concrete shell to ensure watertightness. Read the Waterproofing Guide →
- Overflow Pool
- A pool type where the water level is held flush with the deck, with overflow collected through a perimeter channel into the surge tank.
- Infinity Edge
- An architectural detail where one or more pool edges are designed to create a visual horizon effect, with overflow collected in a hidden channel.
Automation & Equipment
- Dosing Pump
- A peristaltic pump that automatically adjusts pH and chlorine levels based on sensor readings, metering chemical into the water.
- Salt Chlorination
- On-site production of chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) by passing dissolved salt (NaCl) through an electrolytic cell; target salinity is 3,000-4,000 ppm. Open the Salt Chlorinator Calculator →
- Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)
- An electronic control unit that adjusts circulation pump speed to actual demand, reducing energy consumption.
- UV-C Disinfection
- A physical method that exposes water to a specific ultraviolet wavelength, reducing chloramine formation and supporting chemical disinfection. Read the UV Disinfection Guide →
- Heat Pump
- Heating equipment that transfers heat from the air into pool water, at a lower operating cost than electric resistance heating.
- Sand Filter
- The most common mechanical filtration system, passing water through a sand bed to trap suspended solid particles.
- BMS Integration
- Centralized monitoring of a pool's pump, dosing, and heating data through the facility's overall building management system.
- Timing Touchpad
- World Aquatics-approved timing equipment that records a swimmer's finish time to millisecond precision on touch. See the Touchpad Guide →
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