How to Manage the Chemical Balance of a Swimming Pool

To keep your Tampa swimming pool clear and clean, you need to manage your pool’s chemicals correctly.
 
Good chemical balance along with good filtration are the foundation of a beautiful, healthy pool. To help you understand the chemical management of a swimming pool, today we have...
 

5 Tips for to Managing the Chemical Balance of a Swimming Pool

 
1) Chlorine. Chlorine does most of the work to keep a swimming pool clean. Chlorine breaks down into hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ion (OCl-). Both kill microorganisms and bacteria.  A pool's chlorine density should be kept between 1 and 3 ppm (parts per million).  Below 1 ppm and algae will start to grow.  Above 3 ppm and it may irritate swimmers eyes.  
 
Salt systems automatically monitor the chlorine density in pool water and when the level drops below the set level, it break down salt into chlorine.  Salt systems not only make managing the chlorine level effortless, but they also keep the chlorine level very steady compared to the old manual method of "shocking" a pool with liquid chlorine every week and regularly restocking chlorine tablets that dissolve into the water.
 
2) pH. pH is the measure of the acidity of the pool water. A pH of 7 is neutral, anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above 7 is considered basic.  Pool water should ideally have a pH between 7.2 and 7.6.  When the pH is too high, it prevents the chlorine from doing its job and can stain the pool surface.  To lower the pH, add muriatic acid as needed. A low pH is acidic and can damage pool equipment.
 
3) Low alkalinity affects the pH of your pool and can damage your water heater, cause discoloration and stains. Add sodium-bicarbonate to raise the alkalinity.
 
4) Low calcium hardness can damage a pool's surface and strip metals out of heaters, valves and other metallic parts. We recommend using Scale Free from Natural Chemistry once per month to prevent low calcium.
 
5) Phosphates can end up in your water by tracking lawn fertilizer into the pool. They can go undetected because they require a separate test to detect their presence. Phosphates can be a problem because they react with the chlorine and basically cancel out the chlorine’s effectiveness. Phos Free by Natural Chemistry is the best way to remove phosphates from your pool. You can keep your pool phosphate free by regularly using Phos Free as part of your pool chemical maintenance.
 
Testing your pool water regularly is the only way to determine when chemicals levels are outside the normal range, so test your pool water regularly.  Many pool supply stores will test pool water for free, and if they find anything that's out of balance, recommend the products needed and amount of each product to bring your pool back into the healthy range. 
 
If you are interested having us provide your swimming pool maintenance or if you are interested in a new pool or considering remodeling your existing pool, contact us at Grand Vista Pools for a free consultation.  We are the premier Trinity pool builder serving Tampa, Clearwater, New Port Richey and everywhere in between.

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