Pool Water Chemistry
The key to maintaining water quality in your swimming pool includes monitoring and adjusting pH levels, total alkalinity (TA), calcium hardness and chlorination. You also need to ensure your pool has adequate filtration and is circulated regularly. Let’s start with the water chemistry of your pool or spa, and what we mean by ‘balanced’.
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If your water is not balanced it will either become corrosive (too few chemicals) or form scale (too many chemicals). Both are bad for you, your pool equipment and the surface of your pool. Chemically balancing your pool water ensures it is neutral to bathers, doesn’t damage your pool surface or your pool equipment. Rainfall, heavy use of your pool and the temperature of your pool water can all affect the water balance, but the chemicals you add are more important.
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Reasons Pool Water Turns Cloudy
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Not enough Chlorine
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Algae – live or dead
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Undersized pool filter
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Dirty pool or pool filter, and strainer baskets are full
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Insufficient pump usage
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Water is out of balance
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Excessive rain
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Over or under treating chemical treatment of pool water
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Heavy pollen, use of pesticides or fertilizers around the pool
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Important aspects of pool water chemistry are:
Ph Levels
The measure of how acidic or basic your pool water is. Low pH levels are acidic, while high levels are basic. The ideal range for your pool is 7.4 to 7.6.
Alkalinity:
Works as a pH buffer and helps avoid huge spikes in basicity or acidity. The ideal range is 100 to 150 parts per million (ppm).
Calcium Hardness
This is a measure of the amount of calcium in your pool water. Too much and your pool water will become unstable, and lead to cloudy water and calcification. Too little and your pool water will ‘eat’ the calcium in the surface of your pool, damage metal fittings and cause staining.
Sanitizer levels
The amount of chlorine, bromine, etc. in your pool water. Proper levels vary depending on which type of sanitizer you choose.
It might seem like a no-brainer but the water in your pool is key to lasting pool happiness. Keeping it balanced protects you and your family from contaminants and pollutants. It also helps you avoid costly hardware repairs due to corrosion or mineral build-up, and helps your whole
pool last longer.
Your water chemistry is constantly changing due to environmental factors, usage, and even the toys you
put in the pool. Swim Pros Pool and Spa can assess and adjust your pool water chemistry for optimum
operation and use.
A Crystal Clear Pool Is Only A Phone Call Away | (239) 321-9492
Located in Cape Coral, Florida serving the greater Lee County areas.
