POOL OPERATOR CORE EXAM TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔steps for dealing with a solid fecal,vomit, and blood accident? - ✔✔-close pool
-remove as much matter as possible
-raise free CL to 2 ppm and ph to 7.5 or less, 77 degree pool temp or more.
-maintain above levels and close for at least 25 min
-reopen
✔✔steps for dealing with a loose fecal accident - ✔✔-close
-remove matter
disinfect equipment used.
-raise free CL to 20 ppm; pH 7.5 or less
-close for approx. 12 hours
-backwash
✔✔what happens if main drain isn't secure? - ✔✔-immediate closure
-shut down pumps
-repair or replace
✔✔most natural and municipally treated water tends to be - ✔✔either corrosive or
scale-producing
✔✔langelier saturation index? - ✔✔the most common index used to determine if
pool/spa water is balanced
✔✔pH? - ✔✔the measure of how acidic or basic the water is.
✔✔pH legal range - ✔✔legal- 7.2-7.8
✔✔pH ideal range - ✔✔ideal- 7.4-7.6
✔✔method to increase pH - ✔✔increase- add a base
Sodium carbonate
(soda ash)
✔✔method to decrease pH - ✔✔decrease- add acid (muriatic acid, sodium bisulfate,
carbon dioxide)
✔✔Total alkalinity (TA)? - ✔✔the measure of the water's ability to resist a change of it's
pH.
✔✔TA legal range - ✔✔60-180 ppm
, ✔✔TA ideal range - ✔✔80-120 ppm
✔✔TA chemical to increase - ✔✔sodium bicarbonate
✔✔TA method/chemical to decrease - ✔✔add acid:
-muriatic acid
-sodium bisulfate
✔✔Calcium hardness (CH)? - ✔✔the measure of calcium ions in the water.
✔✔CH legal range- - ✔✔150-400 ppm
✔✔CH ideal range (pool and spa) - ✔✔pool and spa- 200-400 ppm
✔✔CH method/chemical to increase - ✔✔flake calcium chloride (into water)
✔✔CH method/chemical to decrease - ✔✔dilute the water by adding water that contains
less calcium
✔✔total dissolved solids (TDS)? - ✔✔measurement of all chemicals and minerals
dissolved in the water.
✔✔TDS legal range - ✔✔max- 1,500 ppm
✔✔TDS ideal range - ✔✔1,500 ppm
✔✔TDS method to decrease - ✔✔drain TDS
✔✔max pool temp for spa - ✔✔104
✔✔Langelier saturation index formula - ✔✔pH+TA+CH+T-12.1=saturation index
✔✔main source of disease causing organisms? - ✔✔bathers
✔✔oxidation - ✔✔the process of destroying inorganic compounds that can cause eye
irritation and odor in spa and pool water.
✔✔superchlorination
shock - ✔✔the practice of adding a sufficient amount of a chlorinating compound to
reduce cloudy water, slime, musty odor, algae, and pathogens.
✔✔breakpoint chlorination - ✔✔a procedure used to reduce the inorganic combined
chlorine concentrations
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔steps for dealing with a solid fecal,vomit, and blood accident? - ✔✔-close pool
-remove as much matter as possible
-raise free CL to 2 ppm and ph to 7.5 or less, 77 degree pool temp or more.
-maintain above levels and close for at least 25 min
-reopen
✔✔steps for dealing with a loose fecal accident - ✔✔-close
-remove matter
disinfect equipment used.
-raise free CL to 20 ppm; pH 7.5 or less
-close for approx. 12 hours
-backwash
✔✔what happens if main drain isn't secure? - ✔✔-immediate closure
-shut down pumps
-repair or replace
✔✔most natural and municipally treated water tends to be - ✔✔either corrosive or
scale-producing
✔✔langelier saturation index? - ✔✔the most common index used to determine if
pool/spa water is balanced
✔✔pH? - ✔✔the measure of how acidic or basic the water is.
✔✔pH legal range - ✔✔legal- 7.2-7.8
✔✔pH ideal range - ✔✔ideal- 7.4-7.6
✔✔method to increase pH - ✔✔increase- add a base
Sodium carbonate
(soda ash)
✔✔method to decrease pH - ✔✔decrease- add acid (muriatic acid, sodium bisulfate,
carbon dioxide)
✔✔Total alkalinity (TA)? - ✔✔the measure of the water's ability to resist a change of it's
pH.
✔✔TA legal range - ✔✔60-180 ppm
, ✔✔TA ideal range - ✔✔80-120 ppm
✔✔TA chemical to increase - ✔✔sodium bicarbonate
✔✔TA method/chemical to decrease - ✔✔add acid:
-muriatic acid
-sodium bisulfate
✔✔Calcium hardness (CH)? - ✔✔the measure of calcium ions in the water.
✔✔CH legal range- - ✔✔150-400 ppm
✔✔CH ideal range (pool and spa) - ✔✔pool and spa- 200-400 ppm
✔✔CH method/chemical to increase - ✔✔flake calcium chloride (into water)
✔✔CH method/chemical to decrease - ✔✔dilute the water by adding water that contains
less calcium
✔✔total dissolved solids (TDS)? - ✔✔measurement of all chemicals and minerals
dissolved in the water.
✔✔TDS legal range - ✔✔max- 1,500 ppm
✔✔TDS ideal range - ✔✔1,500 ppm
✔✔TDS method to decrease - ✔✔drain TDS
✔✔max pool temp for spa - ✔✔104
✔✔Langelier saturation index formula - ✔✔pH+TA+CH+T-12.1=saturation index
✔✔main source of disease causing organisms? - ✔✔bathers
✔✔oxidation - ✔✔the process of destroying inorganic compounds that can cause eye
irritation and odor in spa and pool water.
✔✔superchlorination
shock - ✔✔the practice of adding a sufficient amount of a chlorinating compound to
reduce cloudy water, slime, musty odor, algae, and pathogens.
✔✔breakpoint chlorination - ✔✔a procedure used to reduce the inorganic combined
chlorine concentrations
