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AFO (Aquatics Facilitator Operator) Glossary
questions with answers
Acid - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A commonly use chemical compound dosed into swimming pools that releases hydrogen ions in water thereby lowering pH Algae - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔a simple nuisance plant life that colonizes in water under favorable conditions Alkalinity - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A measure of the pH-buffering capacity of water Aluminum Sulfate - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Alum; a flocculating agent frequently used as a supplement in rapid sand filters only! Ammonia (NH3) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A chemical compound of hydrogen and nitrogen that combines with free chlorine in pools to form chloramines, or combined chlorine. Automation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Electronic equipment that senses water variables (primarliy chlorine, ORP, temperature, and pH) and controls chemical feeder or heater systems to maintain desired levels.
Backwash - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The process of cleaning a swimming pool filter by reversing the flow of water through it. Balance - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔In pools, use to refer to a condition of the water that is neither scaling nore aggressive/corrosive. Basic - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Opposite of acidic, a pH condition above 7. Bleach (NaCIO) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Sodium hypochlorite, usually 12% strength, "liquid chlorine" for pool use. Body Coat (Body Feed) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Biatomaceous earth contimuously added to filter elements during the course of a filter run to help maintain filter efficacy and extend filter runs. Breakpoint (Chlorination) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The point in a rising chlorine residual at which the concentration of available chlorine becomes great enough to oxidize most organiz matter, chloramines, and ammonia compounds in a pool. Chlorine added thereafter will be in the uncombined, or free, state. Bromine (Br2) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔a heavy, dark-reddish-brown liquid in the same chemical family as chlorine gas. It is sometimes used as a bactericide in pools, usually in a solid-compound or salt form.
Chloramine (Combined Chlorine) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Compounds formed when chlorine combines with ammonia from urine, perspiration, and other organics. Causes eye and skin irritation, as well as unpleasant odors. Chlorination - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The act of adding chlorine. Chlorinator - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A chemical-fee device for automatic addition of chlorine to pool water. Chlorine (CI2) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A chemical element in the Halide family used for disinfection in swimming pools. A heavy, green, highly poisonous gas compressed into liquid form and stored in pressurized steel tanks. Amouont of chlorine necessary to oxidize all organic matter present in pool water at any given moment, or over a period of time. Chlorine Dioxide (CIO2) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A synthetic, green- yellowish gas that has strong oxidation and disinfection potential. Chlorine Residual - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Amount of available chlorine remaining in pool water after the chlorine demand has been satisfied. Circulation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A term representing the reoccurring flow of water through a filter or pumping system
Clarity - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The degree of transparency of pool water, sometimes expressed as National Turbidity Units (NTU) Coagulation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The neutralization of the charges of suspended colloidal mater resulting in clumping; sometimes also call flocculation. Combined Chlorine (See also Chloramine) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Chlorine that is combined with another substance, usually ammonia, to produce chloramines. combined chlorine is much less effective than "free" chlorine. Conductivity - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A measurement of water's ability to conduct electricity and is used to indicate the amount of dissolved solids in the water. Typically measured in micro Siemens (mS) Condensing-Type Pool Heaters - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A high- efficiency heater that makes use of the condensate created by the burning of gas that allows for latent heat to be collected from the vaporization from the water. Achieves approximately 95% efficiency. Cyanuric Acid (CYA) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6- triol; also known as stabilizer or conditioner. Slows the destruction of chlorine in pool water by sunlight. Also reduced the effectiveness of chlorine.
Eviseration - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A medical term for damage to a person's digestive track caused by suction of an uncovered or unprotected bottom drain. Feet or Head - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A basic measurement of resistance to flow in a hydraulic system -- equivalent to the height of a column of water that would cause the same resistance/pressure. Filter Cartridge - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A pleated element, usually of fibrous material, used as a filter septum in some pool filters with a recommended filter rate of 1-2 gpm/ft Filter Cycle (Filter Run) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The time of filter operation between backwash procedures. Filter Diffuser - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A shower-head-like device inside the top of a sand-filter tank attached to the influent piping -- distributes the water evenly over the top of the sand bed. Filter Element - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A filter cartridge, or that single part of a multiport diatomite filter, upon which the filter media is deposited. Filter Media - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Any fine-grain material that entraps suspended particles as water passes through.
Filter Septum - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔That part of a filter on which D.E. or similar filter media is deposited -- consisting of clotch, wire screen, or other fine mesh material. Float Valve - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A valve controlled by the level of a fluid. Typically associated with autofill systems that regulate freshwater fill or chemical-tank-level controls. FLOC or Flocculate - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The process of agglomerating coagulated particles into settleable flocs, usually of a gelatinous nature. Flow - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The rate of the movement of water, typically in gallons per minute (gpm) Flow Meter - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A device for measuring the rate of the movement of liquid. Gage & Bidwell Law of Dilution - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A clasic study of circulation and dilution that illustrates that less than half of all the water in a pool goes through the filter system in one turnover GPM or gpm - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Gallons per minute. Gutter - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Water-level overflow trough in the perimeter wall of the pool
Ion - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A positively or negatively charged atom or molegule, usually in water Ionization - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The process whereby a compound, in solution, separates into charged ions (atoms or radicals). Isocyanurate - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Types of chlorine compounds that contain cyanuric acid Laminar Flow - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The smooth, non-turbulent movement of water in a pipe Lateral - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A single element in a row of slotted pipes at the bottom of a sand filter tank that collects the filtered water and sends it out of the tank. Lifeline - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A rope line, often with floats, across a pool to designate a change in slope in the pool bottom or the beginning of deep water. Usually marks a water depth of 4.5 feet. Lithium Hypochlorite (LiCIO) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A lithium- based dry chlorine product with a pH of ~10 in water Low-Pressure Ultraviolet (LPUV) & Low-Pressure Amalgam Ultraviolet - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔High-intensity UV light with a spectrum of 254
nm. Used to destroy chloramines and inactivate bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts. Medium-Pressure Ultravoilet (MPUV) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔High- Intensity UV light with a spectrum of 175 nm to 315 nm. Used to destroy chloramines and inactivate bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts. Millivolt (mV) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔One thousandth of a volt; unit of electromotive force, or difference of potential. Used to indicate an ORP value. Modulating Float Valve - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A float valve located on the main drain pipe in the bottom of a surge tank. The valve automatically regulates the amount of water flowing into the surge tank via the main drain in order to maintian a high enough water level in the pool to ensure water flows int he perimeter gutter system. Muriatic Acid (HCI) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A dilute solution of hydrochloric acid (~20%) commonly used in pools to lower pH. Oxidation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Chemical reaction in which an element or compound reductant, loses electrons to an oxidizing agent resulting in a chemical change. Oxidation-Reduction-Potential (ORP) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Oxidation-reduction-potential; expressed in mV.
Potassium Monopersulfate (KHSO5) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A non- chlorine oxidizer for swimming pools. Does not sanitize. Potentiometric - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Electronic technology designed to read sanitizer quantity through voltage measurements. Pounds per square inch (PSI) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Measurement of pressure in pounds per square inch. Precipitation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The appearance of an insoluble solid compound (such as calcium carbonate), as result of chemical action in a solution. Precoat (D.E. Filters) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Layer of D.E. deposited on the filter septa at the beginning of a filter run. Pseudomonas - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Pseudomonas aeruginoza: a bacterium capable of causing infection in open sores, pores and other orifices. Commonly called "hot-tub itch" Reagent - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A chemical used in water testing Recirculation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A term used to describe the continued and repeated circulation of pool or spa water.
Regenerative D.E. Filters - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A variance in D.E. filter allows for the shaking of the filter elements to redistribute the D.E. or other fiver filter media to lengthen filter runs. Ryznar Stability Index - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A water index reflecting the ecaluation of thousants of water systems -- allows for predicting the scaling or corrosive tendencies of pool water. Sanitation - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The process of destroying pathogens in pool water Scale - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The precipitation of dissolved solids, typically calcium or sodium, on the walls of pools, in pipes, in filters, and in heaters. Schedule 40, 80 PVC - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔PVC Pipe grades, by weiht or thickness, with 80 being the thickest and strongest used in pools. Soda Ash (Na2CO3) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Sodium carbonate; a common water treating chemical powder used to raise pH. Sodium Bisulfate (NaHSO4) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A dry white powder that produces an acid solution when dissolved in water; used in pools to lower pH; safer to handle than hydrochloric acid.
Stabilizer - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Cyanuric Acid; conditioner; isocyanurate; material that protects chlorine in pool water from dissipating due to sunlight. Superchlorination - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The elevating of chlorine in pool water, usually to reach breakpoint or as a remedial action in response to a fecal accident or to control algae bloom. Surge - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Displacement of water ina pool by static (displacement) and dynamic (wave) action Surge capacity - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The storage volume in a surge pit and gutter. Surge Pit - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A tank below the level of the pool that receives surge water form a swimming pool. Water in the surge tank typically collected by a perimeter gutter system and main drain. Telemetry - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Refers to the new abilities of automatic control equipment that allows for contacting entities away from the facility via email, text messages, and land-line via wireless modems; the Internet; and building management systems Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Total dissolved solids, expressed in ppm of metals and minerals in solution. Typically calculated by measuring conductivity of the water or directly with the use of a TDS meter
Tri-Sodium-Phosphate (TSP) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A commercial cleaner, often used for D.E. filter elements Trichloro-S-Triazine-Trione - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Trichlor; a solid, stabilized chlorinating product that has a pH of ~3 in water Turbidity - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Cloudiness in pool water caused by solid particles of microscopic size or tiny air bubbles. Turbine - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Type of centrifugal pump/impeller arrangement creating high pressure. Turnover - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The time it takes for an amount of water equal to the total volume of the pool to pass through the filter system. Also see Gage and Bidwell. Ultraviolet (UV) - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Light spectrum of higher frequency than visible; a radiant sanitizer Underdrain - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The distri bution system at the bottom of a sand filter. Collects filtered water during filter run; distributes backwash water during backwash. Also see Lateral
Weir - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A spillover device used to measure or control water flow; found in skimmers and perimeter gutter systems.
