How do you balance pool chemicals?

Keeping pool chemical balancing is critical to ensure a safe and healthy swimming environment. Balancing pool chemicals isn’t difficult, it will eventually become routine and with proper pool water chemicals it will extend the lifespan and save cost. To keep the pool safe, clean and protected all the time. Balanced pool water is safe, clean, healthy and comfortable to swim in and prevent damage to pool structure and equipment. Too much chlorine will cause eye irritation, skin and potential illness, while too little of chlorine will not be effective at killing bacteria and other contaminants. If pH levels are high then water will become cloudy and create scale deposits and if pH levels are low, the pool surfaces and equipment will become etched and corroded. Unbalanced water can lead to plenty of unwanted issues with pools so keep pool water balanced. So, here are the 7 steps to Balanced pool chemicals:

Test and adjust total alkalinity: Total alkalinity is the first thing to balance pool chemicals. Pool total alkalinity represents the number of alkaline substances present in the water. Every swimming pool should have a healthy amount of alkaline because it is a pH stabilizer. To increase total alkalinity use sodium bicarbonate, baking soda. Also, use up to 25 pounds of sodium bicarbonate per 10,000 gallons of pool water. To decrease total alkalinity use sodium bisulfate and muriatic acid.

Test and adjust pH: pH water testing measures how much of acid or base a substance is and falls within a range of 1.0 to 14.0 with 0.0 to 7.0being acidic and 7.0 to 14.0 being basic. To increase, add a pH increase like sodium carbonate which can raise and stabilize pH level. If you notice pH level fluctuating then alkalinity might be too low, so add baking soda to water to increase alkalinity and stabilize pH. To decrease, use a pH decrease like sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid to lower pool water pH.

Measure and adjust calcium hardness: If calcium builds up in pool water, then you might start to notice a white line forming near the water line. The ideal calcium hardness level is 200-400 ppm. To increase calcium hardness, use calcium chloride and follow the instructions on the level. To decrease calcium hardness, use a flocculant to collect and vacuum excess calcium & partially drain your pool and refill it with fresh water.

• Add Chlorine (sanitizer) to water: Chlorine keeps the pool free of germs and bacteria, so water remains safe and healthy to swim. It is the most common type of sanitizer used in pools and comes in the form of: Liquid chlorine, granular chlorine, chlorine tablets and salt chlorine generators. When it comes to measure chlorine, there are a few number to keep track of:
• Free chlorine: It is used to measure the amount of unused,or available chlorine in the water.
  Total chlorine: It is used to measure the total amount of chlorine present in water. Subtract the total chlorine from the free chlorine to find the pool’s water used chlorine. The ideal chlorine level is 3 ppm.

The other types of sanitizer includes:

• Bromine: It is similar to chlorine but without the strong odor. It is gentler on the skin but more often used in smaller pools and spas since it is higher priced. It is not stabilized so it will quickly burn away in sunlight. The ideal bromine level in a pool is 3 to 5 ppm.
• Biguanide: It must be used as a part of a chemical sanitization trio so it is more expensive than chlorine. Biguanide cannot be used with traditional pool chemicals, algaecides and shocks. The ideal level of biguanide is 30 to 50 ppm.
• Minerals: It is less common but they are used to supplement chlorine and salt generators. It releases copper and silver ions into the pool to help regulate pH.

Check and adjust cyanuric acid: Cyanuric acid acts as a sunblock for chlorine, protecting it from easily burning up under the sun’s intense UV rays. It is often found in pool shock, to add more to ensure it is fully protecting the pool’s chlorine. The ideal cyanuric acid level is 30 to 50 ppm.

Measure water total dissolved solids: Total dissolved solid refers to the number of substances which have dissolved in pool water like; chemicals, algaecides, shock, salts, dirt and other contaminants. The acceptable level of TDS for the pool is around 1000, there is a point when the level is too high and TDS level is below 2000 then you don’t need to adjust the water.

Shock swimming pool: It helps to refresh the water so it is sanitized, safe and clean to use. To shock pool:

• Fill a 5 gallon bucket with warm water.
• Slowly mix in a 1 pound bag of pool shock
• Stir with a stick until the shock dissolve
• Pour the mixed bucket of shock water into pool

Then test the pool water at least six hours after shocking the pool and make any necessary adjustment as outlined in the steps above.

Pool Water 101: Chemicals, Testing and Balancing

There are different ways for a pool chemical calculator, using a pool testing kit, using pool test strips or using electronic devices.

Using testing strips: It can quickly measure pH, alkaline, and chlorine levels. To use them; hold the strip underwater for 2-3 seconds, remove the testing strip from the water, be careful to keep the padded side facing up,wait for 15 seconds and don;t shake any excess water from the strips. Lastly, compare strips against the label on the package until you find the closest match.

Using pool test kits: It requires users to collect small samples of pool water, which change color depending on their pH, alkalinity and chlorine levels when mixed with a reagent. The instructions are:

• Collect a water sample from at least 18’’ beneath the surface of pool
• Measuring as precisely as possible, fill the test vials according to the kit instruction.
• Add the correct amount of reagent to each tube, following the kit direction carefully.
• Compare the sample colors against the label on the testing kit.

Using electronic devices: Electronic device testes can be connected to smartphones or other devices, which offer convenience and detail. It is more costly, less accurate and than alternatives like kits and strips. They are also widely in their quality and design and be sure to follow device instructions.

To balance the pool, at first you should balance it depending on what needs adjusting. By balancing pools correctly, prevent pool corrosion, avoid skin and eye irritation and protect valuable pool equipment from damage. To balance pool water follow the above mentioned steps.