All Is Water - Definitions

"All Is Water" ~ Definitions

GFCI ~ Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter

A GFCI is a device that protects you from electrical shock. It interrupts the electrical circuit when it senses a fault to ground. Every hot tub, underwater light, submersible pump or any other electrical device that comes into contact with water must be protected by a GFCI. To test your GFCI and make sure it is working, push the TEST button. The GFCI should trip, shutting off the power. Then push the RESET button. The power should come back on. A GFCI should be tested monthly at minimum. If it fails, have a qualified electrician replace it. The main danger of a shock from a hot tub is from the heating element, since it is the only electrical item that is designed to come in contact with water. But lights and blowers can fail and contact the water also. Thus, I recommend testing the hot tub GFCI every time prior to using the tub. For pools I recommend testing the GFCI every time you turn on the pool light.

pH ~ Parts Hydrogen (I think)

The curious thing about pH is everyone knows what it is, but very few seem to know what the 'p' and the 'H' actually stand for. Here's what Webster has to say... pH \pe-'ach\ n : the negative logarithm of the effective hydrogen-ion concentration or hydrogen-ion activity in gram equivalents per liter used in expressing both acidity and alkalinity on a scale whose values run from 0 to 14 with 7 representing neutrality, numbers less than 7 increasing acidity, and numbers greater than 7 increasing alkalinity. Clear? If not, here's what you need to know about pH. The pH of your pool or spa should be between 7.2 and 7.6 and if it is not, then adjust it up or down accordingly. Baking soda raises pH, while acid lowers pH. Please see Lesson 3- The Water for more information.

ppm ~ Parts Per Million

Parts per million is a unit of measurement used in water chemistry to indicate how much of a chemical such as chlorine or bromine is in the water.