The most significant aspect of ensuring a safe and healthy swimming environment is to keep your pool chemicals balanced. A fluctuation in various chemicals essential for healthy water may lead to an unwated growth of bacteria. Here’s how to properly balance your pool chemicals to keep the risk at bay.
If you need any help getting your pool chemicals at the right levels, reach out to the experts at NorCal Pool Service.
Check and Adjust Alkalinity
The number of alkaline substances in the pool water form its total alkalinity, and the ideal values for the same range between 80-120 ppm. A healthy amount of alkaline matter in the pool plays a key role in stabilizing the pH levels. To increase the same, add some baking soda into the pool, while going for some sodium bisulphate and muruatic acid if you want to decrease the alkalinity.
Adjust pH Levels of Water
Balancing the pH levels is essential to prevent pool damage, and the ideal values for the same lie between 7.4 – 7.6. A fluctuation in the pH levels may be a sign of low alkalinity. Adding some baking soda can help in increasing alkalinity, while decreasing the pH, calls for some sodium bisulphate or muriatic acid.
Adjust the Calcium Hardness
There are times when a scaling or white line develops around the water line of the pool – this is calcium buildup that needs to be adjusted as it can harm the pool and other equipment. The optimum levels of calcium hardness range between 200 – 400 ppm. To increase the same, use calcium chloride, while to remove excess calcium, you can go for a pool vacuum and flocculants.
Pour Some Sanitizer into the Pool
Adding a sanitizer to the pool water keeps it healthy and safe for human interaction. It not only keeps it clean, but also totally free of bacteria. While chlorine is the most popular sanitizer poured in pools, some others include bromine, minerals, and biguanide. The ideal levels of chlorine in a pool is 3 ppm.
Access the Total Dissolved Solids in the Water
All the substances dissolved in the pool water, including chemicals, algaecides, shock, salts, dirt, and other contaminants together refer to Total Dissolved Solids, TDS. The acceptable TDS levels for pools are up to around 1,000, but sometimes it seems to get too high. If the TDS level of the pool is below 2,000, you really don’t need to make any adjustments. On the other hand, if the TDS level crosses 2,000, make sure you drain small amounts of water, further adding fresh water until the level turns optimum.
Check and Adjust the Levels of Cyanuric Acid
Cyanuric acid protects the chlorine content in the water from easily burning up due to strong UV rays of the sun. While pool shocks constitute certain amount of cyanuric acid, there’s still a need to add some more of the chemical to the pool to achieve the right levels. The optimum level of cyanuric acid ranges from 30 to 50 ppm.
Shock The Swimming Pool
To shock your pool, mix one pound of pool shock in 5 gallons of warm water and add the same into the pool. Makes sure you pour most of the mixture from the deep end to allow it to reach the main drain faster.