As if we needed more evidence that chlorine has drawbacks as a pool disinfectant! Now, Consumer Reports is publishing that chlorine interacts with poolside equipment to increase corrosion.

In an article titled Pool Chemicals:  a Recipe for Distress for Your Deck and Grill, CR notes that pool chlorine “can corrode your grill or degrade your deck. Mix in a little dampness and a lot of foot traffic and you get a real mess.” They go on to tell us a few ways to avoid these issues – we’d add ozone to the mix to reduce the amount of chlorine in the first place, but whether you do that or not, here’s some tips on pool maintenance that might help mitigate the damage.

For the grill:

The article points out that it is almost unavoidable that the chlorine in the pool will produce chloride ions that will interact with moisture on your grill to create hydrochloric acid.  The acid will react with chromium  to corrode stainless steel.  To prevent this, CR recommends that you polish and wax the grill once a week (porcelain grills can be cleaned less often, but pay attention to their metallic trim and grill surfaces).  To reduce moisture on the grill, keep it covered unless it’s in an especially moist area (e.g., shaded) where the moisture could be trapped by the cover.

For the decking:

Foot traffic and general chemical residue can degrade decking, especially wooden decks (plastic is more resistant).  CR suggests you hose down and clean the deck with mild detergent every few days to remove chemical residues. One clue is that if water is no longer beading up on your deck, the stain or varnish has deteriorated to a susceptible level.  When re-staining decks, use a semi-opaque or opaque stain to provide the best protective barrier.

Chlorine is a corrosive chemical.  In most pools, it is still the easiest way to keep residual disinfectant power in the water, but its use can be minimized by making  ozone the primary sanitizer.