Part of what we do at Signature Pools, along with building fantastic in ground fiberglass swimming pools, is teaching our clients about the importance of maintaining their pool water chemistry. Many people have the impression that fiberglass pools are COMPLETELY maintenance free, and because of a salt water chlorine generating system, they don’t need to test or balance other pool chemicals. Although it is true that fiberglass pools are much easier to maintain than concrete or vinyl in ground pools, there are still a few things to keep an eye on throughout the week.
pH LEVELS ARE CRITICAL TO THE CLAIRTY OF YOUR POOL WATER AND LONGEVITY OF YOUR POOL EQUIPMENT.
By far the most important factor in keeping the overall health of your pool is the pH, or degree of acid or base in the water. pH is measured on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral.
Pool water pH is best kept in the 7.2 to 7.8 range. When pH remains below 7.2, the water is considered to be corrosive and can damage metals in the equipment such as heat exchangers or lights. It is also more difficult to keep chlorine in the pool because it becomes much less stable and is consumed faster than would be used at normal pH levels.
Keeping the pH higher than 7.8 will increase the tendency to form scale or cloudy water. Calcium is an unstable mineral and when pH is high, the calcium has a hard time dissolving in the water. High pH will also reduce chlorine effectiveness resulting in the need to maintain higher chlorine levels to achieve proper sanitation. Be aware that using a salt water chlorine generator will naturally increase the pH of your pool water and will need to be adjusted more frequently than when using stablized chlorine.
If pH levels are low, sodium carbonate (pH Up) is added to raise the pH. If the pH is high, ph Down is used. pH Down comes in two forms: liquid acid (muriatic acid) or dry acid (sodium bisulfate).
By keeing a close watch on your swimming pool pH levels, you will have a more enjoyable, safer, and easier to maintain environment in your backyard! If you have further questions about the pH of your pool water, or would like any other information about maintaining your pool, please feel free to contact us or call Signature Pools and Spas at 630.845.1145