POOL SPA USA - Helpful Info About Pool Water Chemistry

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POOL WATER CHEMISTRY

Why Is Balanced Water Important?

Balanced water is held safely between two harmful extremes. If water falls out of balance on the low side, it becomes corrosive, attacking pool surfaces and equipment. If it should rise out of balance on the high side, scale buildup can occur and leave unsightly deposits. Out of balance water can also cause skin and eye irritation, staining, cloudy water, and will interfere with the sanitizers' effectiveness.

Water Balance Factors

pH Levels
pH is the most important factor in water balance. When the pool's pH is out of range, water balance problems may occur as mentioned above. Maintain pH levels at 7.2 - 7.6 to make sure swimmers are comfortable and for maximum chlorine effectiveness.

Total Alkalinity Levels
Total Alkalinity (range 80-150 ppm) is a measure of the alkaline materials dissolved in the water. The water's ability to resist pH changes depends on the amount of this alkaline material in the water. If the Total Alkalinity is low, the result is "pH bounce," meaning that the pH will tend to "bounce" in and out of range. If Total Alkalinity is too high, it becomes very difficult to adjust the pH as needed.

Calcium Hardness Levels
Calcium Hardness (range 175-225 ppm) refers to the amount of dissolved minerals (mostly calcium carbonate or "lime") in water. A low Calcium Hardness can lead to corrosion of equipment or etching of plaster finish. A Calcium Hardness level that is too high, causes cloudy water and scaling.

Chlorine Sanitizer Levels
Chlorine is commonly used to safeguard water. Chlorine kills algae, bacteria and other disease causing organisms, and removes organic debris and swimmer wastes through the process of oxidation.

In swimming pools, chlorine sanitizer levels should be maintained at 1.5-3.0 ppm. There are several ways to add stabilized chlorine to your pool:

Manual Method: includes hand feeding quick a dissolving chlorine such as GRANULAR CHLORINE.
Semi-Automatic Method: includes skimmer feeding or use of a FLOATING DISPENSER with CHLORINE TABLETS or CHLORINE STICKS.
Automatic Method: includes use of declining rate feeders or INLINE CHLORINATORS with CHLORINE TABLETS or CHLORINE STICKS.

Stabilizer Levels

Without Stabilizer, the sun's rays would quickly destroy the chlorine in your pool. Stabilizer acts as a "sun shield" to make the chlorine last longer— up to 3-1/2 times longer! Your local pool professional will tell you how much stabilizer to add to your newly opened pool. You should start by raising it to a minimum level of 40 parts per million (ppm). Afterwards, simply used stabilized chlorine to maintain the proper stabilizer level.

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