Maintenance of the ideal level of pH in your pool is significant to ensure a safe and fun swimming experience. Considering how much everything from water clarity and swimmer comfort to the lifespan of your pool equipment relies on pH levels, too much deviation up or down only means that many problems are indeed unavoidable with the right maintenance.
In this article, we shall explore the importance of maintenance of perfect pH balance, testing your pool water, and some actionable steps in getting it right.
Why pH Levels Matter:
pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of your pool water. It ranges on a scale from 0 to 14. Anything close to 7 is neutral, but if below 7 it's acidic, and when above 7 it's basic, or alkaline. The ideal pH level for a swimming pool is from 7.2 up to 7.6, which is a little more alkaline, allowing it to provide comfort and safety to the swimmers, along with the protection of your pool's surfaces and equipment.
Here’s why it matters:
- Swim space comfort: water which has a pH range of <7.2 can irritate the eyes and cause irritation of the skin besides this damage swimsuits, a water pH that exceeds 7.6 causes dryness of the skin and foggy surroundings.
- Chemical Efficiency: It affects chlorine or any other sanitizer used in your pool directly. When the pH level becomes too high, chlorine is less effective, enabling bacteria and algae to multiply.
- Pool Equipment and Surfaces of the Pool: an out-of-balance pH will quickly eat away at metal components in your pool, for example, ladders, pumps, and filters. Acidic water will etch plaster while any good liner will be attacked, whereas scaling is a characteristic of basic water where calcium is deposited on the sides of a pool and the surface of other equipment.
Testing Your Pool's pH:
Testing your pool water is the first step towards achieving the ideal pH balance. Testing should be done as part of your routine pool maintenance, ideally two to three times a week when swimming season is at its peak.
How to Test pH Levels:
- Test Strips: These are very quick and easy to use. Just dip them in the water for a few seconds, wait for a minute or so for the colours to change, then match them to a chart provided.
- Liquid Test Kits: More sensitive than strips, liquid test kits take a water sample and add several drops of reagent. You will compare this colour change to one on a chart.
- Digital Testers: Use a digital pH metre for the most accurate readings. These are also more expensive, but they provide exact results and minimize human error.
When testing, be sure to get your water from elbow depth without sampling water from around returns or skimmers to get an exact reading.
Adjusting pH Levels:
1. When pH is Too Low (Below 7.2):
If your pH measures below 7.2, then the pool water is too acidic. Here's how to raise it:
- Use Pool Maxx pH Up: Pool Maxx pH Up is a pool acid increaser which guards equipment & surfaces for maximum chlorine activity. This product helps reduce the usage of chlorine, flocculants, and other pool maintenance solutions because it keeps the perfect amount of pH in water. It quickly rectifies the pH and stabilizes it within minutes.
- Add Soda Ash: The most common method is to add Sodium Carbonate, also known as Soda Ash. Dosing at the following increments ensures achieving the desired pH level. Note: Use only according to the manufacturer's recommendations on dosage.
- Alkalinity: Monitor it while adjusting pH. TA balances the pH because alkalinity is a buffer. The ideal range should be 80-120 ppm. If your alkalinity is low, then adjust that first using sodium bicarbonate before doing anything to the pH.
2. The pH is Too High (Above 7.6):
If the pH of your pool is higher than 7.6, its water is too alkaline and may impair chlorine's effectiveness or causes scaling.
To lower pH :
- Use Pool Maxx pH Down: Pool Maxx pH Down is a Swimming Pools pH reducer. It reduces the consumption of chlorine and other maintenance solutions by maintaining the optimal pH level in water. Pool Maxx pH Down brings the pH level down and stabilizes the pH.
- Muriatic Acid or Dry Acid: Use both to lower pH and TA. Just like in using soda ash, add these chemicals in small increments and wait for circulation before retesting.
- Dilution: In case your pH is high once again, you may have to partially drain and refill with fresh water to have it lowered, especially if your source water is already high in pH.
Balancing the Ph: Best Practices for Achieving a Ph Balance
Testing Often: Your pool water needs to be tested very often. In fact, you probably need to test it daily. Also, test immediately when heavy rain falls, many swimmers enter the pool, or after adding water. Alkaline levels can really change fast under these circumstances.
Balance Alkalinity: Before working on the pH level, always check your total alkalinity. In fact, if your alkalinity level is out of balance, your pH correction may actually not stick.
Use Cyanuric Acid Wisely: Cyanuric acid, or CYA, guards chlorine against UV breakdown. It, however, also increases pH. The level of CYA has to be maintained in the 30-50 ppm range.
Think About Your Sources of Water: Swimming pool water can have naturally occurring imbalances in pH. If your tap or well water is too alkaline or acidic, you are going to have to adjust that in the pool.
Invest in Quality Pool Chemicals: Poor chemicals contain fillers that can destabilize your pH, meaning you'll be constantly forcing it back into balance. Invest in high-quality, good chemicals to stabilize your water.
Troubleshooting Common pH Issues:
1. pH Drops Too Quickly
Possible Cause: Total Alkalinity is low or a lot of rain.
Solution: Dosage of Pool Maxx pH UP will help set pH.
2. pH Rises Too Quickly
Probable Cause: Pool total alkalinity is too high or contains too many chlorine tablets, trichlor, with low pH
Solution: Dose gradually with Pool Maxx pH Down to lower the total alkalinity.
3. Cloudy Water
Probable Cause: High pH and high calcium hardness
Solution: Balance the pH with Pool Maxx then retest for calcium hardness
Conclusion:
Maintaining the ideal balance of pH in a pool is not such a task after all. Routine testing, proper chemicals, and basic chemistry will suffice to ensure a balanced level of pH between 7.2 and 7.6. There's nothing more refreshing than swimming in an environment that is not only safe and comfortable but crystal clear. For all these needs in pool maintenance, Pool Maxx offers various high-quality products to help you achieve and maintain that perfect balance of pH with your pool.
Now, go ahead and enjoy your swimming season with confidence, knowing that your pool is well-balanced!