Understanding Swimming Pool Water Chemistry
Understanding swimming pool water chemistry is an essential
part of caring for and maintaining your swimming pool. Knowing how different
factors such as pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, and Stain Producing
Metals affect your pool water and pool equipment will save you a lot of
time, money, and frustration. Knowing more will leave you better prepared
to get your swimming pool water properly balanced the first time, saving
you money by adding just what is needed at the right time, instead of
heavy doses to fix any previous oversight. Now let's talk about the 1st
and MOST IMPORTANT factor controlling your pool water balance.
 How
pH Affects Pool Water Chemistry
Simply stated, pH is the measure of the relative acid or base
of the pool water. The ideal level for swimming pool water is between 7.2 and
7.8, is recommended to be tested daily, and can be tested for with any pool
water testing kit. A pH level above 7.8, referred to as being "to high"
will lead to cloudy water, staining, scale deposits, filtration problems, and
reduced chlorine efficiency. This means you can save money on chlorine by making
sure your swimming pool's pH is in the appropriate range. If pH falls below
7.2, called being "to low", it could lead to corrosion of metallic
pipes, etched plaster, rapid loss of chlorine residual, and possible irritation
to swimmers. To maintain an ideal pH level in your swimming pool water, use
a pH Increaser when the pH drops below 7.2 and a pH Reducer when the pH rises
above 7.8. Now that your pH is perfect lets move on to the next factor in achieving
good water balance in your swimming pool.
Total Alkalinity - What It Means To Pool Water
Total Alkalinity is the measure of your pool water's ability to
resist change in pH. Alkalinity does not have to be tested for as often as pH.
It is a measure of the buffering capacity or the ability of pool water to resist
a  change
in pH, therefore good Total Alkalinity will make it much easier to maintain
good pH. The appropriate range for Total Alkalinity in pool water is between
75 and 120 ppm (parts per million). High Total Alkalinity (above 120 PPM) will
allow your pH to slowly creep up and resist efforts to change. Low Total Alkalinity
(below 75 PPM) allows your pH to "bounce" from one extreme to the
other, making it very difficult to keep your pH in the appropriate range. Ideal
Total Alkalinity (between 75 and 120 PPM) can be achieved by adding Alkalinity
Increaser if the Total Alkalinity is below 75 PPM and pH Reducer if Total Alkalinity
is above 120 PPM Now for the third factor affecting your swimming pool water
chemistry.
Calcium Hardness and How It Affects Water Balance
Calcium Hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium in your pool
water. The ideal amount of dissolved calcium is between 100 and 500 PPM Calcium
Hardness above 500 PPM (high Calcium Hardness) can cause calcium to precipitate
from the water causing cloudy conditions and scale deposits. Low Calcium Hardness
(below 100 PPM) can lead to corrosion. To maintain an Ideal Calcium Hardness
level in your pool water and prevent cloudy water add a Rust and Scale Remover
when the Calcium Hardness Level rises above 400 PPM A low calcium hardness level
can be corrected by adding Water Hardness Increaser. Now that you know about
pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness we will consider the fourth pool
water balance factor.
 Dealing
With Stain Producing Metals in your Pool Water
Iron, copper, manganese, and cobalt are metals which commonly
cause colored water or stains in pools. If you are fortunate enough to have
the "ideal" fill water, and a properly constructed and maintained
pool, these would not be a problem. Since ideal conditions rarely exist, we
recommend the regular use of a good sequestering agent to continually protect
the pool against stain producing metals.
Sanitizing Your Pool Water
Making sure all the preceding factors of pool water balance are
within their appropriate levels will allow you to sanitize your pool with fewer
headaches, and pounds of chlorine, than ever before! Disinfecting is an essential
element of any pool water treatment program. Stabilized Chlorine is designed
to disinfect your pool water by releasing "free chlorine" into the
water to control germs and other microorganisms, algae and organic matter. Because
water conditions change rapidly, it is very important to test the water every
day for chlorine residual. The free available chlorine reading should be between
1-2 PPM
Protecting Your Chlorine From Sunlight
At the start of each season it may be necessary to add Stabilizer.
Sunlight can rapidly destroy chlorine residual in outdoor pools unless the pool
water is "stabilized". Stabilizer, which is sometimes referred to
as "conditioner", will shield your chlorine from rapid destruction
by sunlight. In effect it will make the chlorine you buy last longer, saving
you money in the long run.
Conclusion
With this basic information on swimming pool water chemistry you
can fully understand the chemical implications of maintaining properly balanced
pool water. We recommend taking the time to understand these factors as they
will save you both time and money, leaving you more of both to spend on enjoying,
not maintaining, your swimming pool. Read our article on maintaining your swimming
pool to find a guide to the steps you should take, and how often you should
take them, to keep that water sparkling.
Recommended Ranges of Swimming Pool Water Chemistry:
pH -7.2 - 7.8
Total Alkalinity - 75 - 120 PPM
Calcium Hardness - 100 - 500 PPM
Free Available Chlorine - 1 - 2 PPM
|
