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Does your pool ever go from the greatest place to enjoy warm days and create lasting memories to a green science experiment? Or turn so cloudy it could have been on the daily weather alert?
Want to know the biggest secret to consistently clean, clear water?
It’s balanced water.
That’s right! Balanced water is the key to consistently clean, clear water. These tips on how to balance pool water and keep it balanced will help you keep your pool ready for a splash whenever you are!
In simple terms, balanced water means that the chemical levels in your pool are in harmony; it means the water’s chemical levels are in the ideal ranges to keep it clear, clean, safe and pleasant to swim in.
To maintain balanced water, focus on keeping the top three chemistry levels within their ideal ranges.
Total Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm
pH: 7.2 – 7.8
Total Hardness: 150 – 250 ppm
1. Total Alkalinity (TA) is the measurement of alkaline substances in your pool water. It’s the counterpart to pH. TA acts as a buffer to stabilize pH levels. When TA is out of range, pH levels often aren’t stable. And when pH isn’t stable, it can lead to metal corrosion, pool surface stains, cloudy water, decreased chlorine efficiency and a generally uncomfortable swimming experience because the water is either too acidic or alkaline.
2. pH: This is the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) your pool water is. Low pH levels are acidic. High levels are alkaline. One of the reasons keeping pH balanced is that the sanitizer – typically chlorine – is much less effective at higher pH levels; in fact, at a pH of 8.2, chlorine is only 15% effective.
3. Total Hardness (also known as Calcium Hardness): This is the measure of how hard or soft pool water is. Total Hardness measures the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in your pool water. It’s important to keep the Total Hardness balanced to prevent your pool water from becoming corrosive or scaling. In fact, testing your water for Total Hardness is your first step before balancing your water – check out the FROG Water Balance Guide for more information.
Sanitizer levels are essential to keeping pool water clean and clear. You must have enough chlorine in the water to kill bacteria and viruses; the industry standard for an all chlorine pool is 1.0 ppm – 4.0 ppm.
Too much chlorine is irritating to skin, eyes, hair, bleaches swimsuits and can damage surfaces. Too little chlorine won’t adequately kill bacteria and viruses, making water not safe to swim in.
When it comes to maintaining your pool, balancing your pool’s water chemistry tops the list. Balanced water means to the pool is ready for action, plus, it extends the life of the water, equipment and surfaces and enhances your pool’s appearance.
Why? Balancing TA first makes it much easier to balance pH.
We recommend that you get your TA balance correct first, because pH and TA adjustments affect one another. Within the ideal ranges, TA acts as a buffer for pH, helping prevent fluctuations in pH levels.
One of the biggest factors that influences your pool sanitizer’s (chlorine) ability to effectively clean the water is your swimming pool’s pH level. If the pH level is below 7.2 chlorine disperses much more quickly, that means you’ll use a lot more chlorine than needed.
On the other hand, if a pool’s pH level is higher than 7.8, chlorine loses its ability to sanitize the water, forcing you to use more chlorine to get the same chlorine concentration as a pool with a balanced pH level. For example, at a pH of 8.2, chlorine concentration can only reach 15%. This means that if you only had to add one dose of chlorine at a pH of 7.2, at a pH of 8.2 you would need to add 5x that amount to get the same chlorine concentration.
Constantly balancing and sanitizing your pool water can seem like a lot of work, especially if you don’t use your pool a lot. However, if you keep your pool’s water chemistry balanced and the sanitizer level in check, your pool will probably last longer and save you the hassle and expense repairs.
Now that you have a good understanding of pool water balance, let’s talk about the things that can impact it, and how to manage them.
Some things like heavy pool use, leaves, twigs, rainwater and temperature changes are harder to control, and definitely alter your pool water chemistry.
For example, when you spot debris like leaves in your pool, scoop them out as soon as possible. Keep your pool covered when not in use so that rainstorms don’t add water, and high winds don’t blow dust and dirt into it. After a pool party with a lot of people in the pool, test your pool water and make necessary adjustments.
Even so, the most significant impact of water balance is the levels of Total Alkalinity, pH and Total Hardness in your pool water’ monitoring them regularly is the key to success.
Before you begin balancing your pool water, take a sample of the water you plan to use for filling or topping off your pool to your local dealer and have them check its Total Hardness.
If it’s over 400 ppm, it’s best to avoid using that fill water for your pool. Don’t worry – a simple hose filter from your local dealer can help resolve this issue.
Balancing your pool water doesn’t have to be complicated. Just grab your test strips or test kit of choice and go!
Test your water and adjust it to the ideal ranges as needed; always start with Total Alkalinity.
If levels are low, add a Total Alkalinity Increaser. If levels are high, use a pH Decreaser.
Use pH increasers or decreasers as needed to keep it within the ideal range.
Finally, ensure Total Hardness is in the right range to prevent corrosion or scaling. If levels are low, add a Calcium Increaser.
Follow these steps in order. Add adjustment chemicals in small increments; allow 12 hours between adjustments for optimal results. If balancing takes longer than two days, add a chlorine shock to maintain proper sanitizer levels.
Once your Total Alkalinity is within 80 – 120 ppm, pH is between 7.2 – 7.8 and Total Hardness is at 200 – 400 ppm, your water is balanced, and you’re ready to add your choice of sanitizer!
Sanitizing your pool is just as important as balancing it. As mentioned, a well-balanced pool allows sanitizers, like chlorine, to work more effectively, and keep your water clean.
Want to make balancing your water easier? And how about using less chlorine? Consider using Pool FROG® to sanitize your pool. Pool FROG helps keeps water Cleaner, Clearer, and Softer®. It kills bacteria 2 ways, with a low amount of chlorine and FROG Minerals all while using up to 50% less chlorine*.
Less chlorine means water feels softer, swimsuits don’t fade and surfaces are protected.
Plus, FROG Minerals kill bacteria, condition the water for softness, and absorb acids.
If you need help with pool water balance or have questions, reach out to our customer service team at 800-222-0169. We’re here to make pool water care easy and stress free!
When you focus on water balance, you can enjoy a sparkling, inviting pool all season long. Whether you’re a seasoned pool owner or new to pool care, keeping your water chemistry balanced ensures fun for all. Happy swimming!
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