How to Adjust the pH Level in Your Swimming Pool

Maintaining a properly balanced pH level to your swimming pool is crucial not only for the health and freshness of the water but also for the pool structure itself. Having a low, acidic level of pH usually means the water becomes unpleasant and unhealthy to swim in, and the metal fittings, equipment, and the overall pool surface get damaged gradually. It’s important to know at what levels pH can become harmful and even create hazardous environments (click here to learn more) so that you can then put measures in place to correct them and restore safety. The advisable pH level for your pool water should be somewhere between 7.4 and 7.8 – anything beyond these limits won’t bring you much good. read more…

Here are some essential tips on how to adjust the pH level in your swimming pool:

Test Your Swimming Pool pH

Use a pool water testing kit to learn your pH level. If the test reads low, you should pay attention to your reagents and see if they are still good. They need to be replaced once a year. Otherwise, they lose their properties.

Add the Right pH Balancing Chemicals

There are several options you can choose for balancing the water pH. You can go for adding liquid hydrochloric (or muriatic acid) in case the pH needs to be decreased. Soda ash or sodium carbonate are great options, as well.

When it comes to adding swimming pool chemicals, the process is not a difficult one, but yet it requires a great deal of attention – otherwise, you might end up with some serious burns. Make sure no one is bathing in the pool at that moment and keep everyone away from it for at least four hours after. Also, water should never be added to acid – acid is the one supposed to be added to water and never too fast or you will damage the pipes and structure of the pool.

For the soda ash, you should limit the amount to be used to a maximum of 2 lbs per 10,000 gallons of water. It requires you to distribute it evenly throughout the entire pool surface while making sure the pump is on. If after one hour the pH still reads low, you can add more soda ash. Do not worry if the water gets cloudy at first; it’s normal, and it goes away in less than 24 hours.

Check Your Total Alkalinity

If the pH continues to drop, it means the total alkalinity is low, and you need to increase it. If tests read alkalinity under the 80 to 150 ppm, then you have to add 1.4 lbs of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water to balance it out. Do not go overboard with the baking soda since it will be hard to lower the alkalinity – wait for one hour after adding it, test the alkalinity again and only then add more if needed.

Aerate

Water features and point jets sound fun, but they serve a greater purpose: they can raise your pH without affecting the total alkalinity, all by driving carbon dioxide out of the water. The process is not that fast but is very effective.

Maintaining the optimum levels of pH in your pool is paramount for your pool’s health. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POOL OR IN NEED OF SERVICE GIVE US A CALL AT 623-939-1346. YOU CAN ALSO COME VISIT US AT OUR RETAIL STORE AND ONE OF OUR POOL CARE PROFESSIONALS WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP! We offer a wide range of pool services, from installation to repair and maintenance.

ENJOY YOUR POOL, AND LET US HELP YOU ALWAYS KEEP IT CLEAR AND SWIM READY!

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