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Pool Chemicals: What You Should Know

Last updated on May 5, 2022 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

living area opening out into pool area

Having your own home swimming pool provides endless opportunities for enjoyment! However, if you do not maintain your swimming pool, your enjoyment will be short-lived. Poor pool management practices can not only shorten the life of your pool, but they can also make each swim less enjoyable and potentially cause irritation or illness. As a result, any pool owner should have a basic understanding of pool chemicals and ensure that both chemical and water levels remain consistent.

5 Pool Chemical Levels to Monitor

Take a moment to read about 5 critical pool chemical levels to monitor and maintain in order to keep your pool from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria, looking murky, or causing skin and eye irritation.

The most well-known pool chemical is free chlorine, which is first on the list. Its purpose is to keep the water in your pool clean of microorganisms.

man helping dog learn to swim in pool

Secondly, cyanuric acid protects the previously mentioned chlorine from sunlight, allowing the amount of free chlorine present in the pool water to be stabilized. (Ideally, the chemical level in an outdoor pool should be between 30 and 50.)

Acidity, or the PH level, is the third chemical component. To safeguard pool equipment from erosion and irritation, the pH level should be between 7.5 and 7.8.

The fourth chemical level aids in maintaining PH equilibrium; total alkalinity should range from 60 to 120.

Finally, calcium hardness is required to avoid plaster damage; levels should be between 220 and 350, unless your pool has a vinyl liner, in which case the levels should be slightly lower.

comparing pool ph strip against chart

Test the Water Every Week

Weekly pool chemical testing is a vital step in preventing Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs), according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). But don’t worry: conducting a simple water test doesn’t require a chemical degree! Simply buy a few pool water testing kits (available at your local pool store and through many online merchants) and fill each section with a sample of pool water. Then pour in the solution from the kit and seal each vial.

young girl underwater swimming with dog

Your sample water will change colors in a matter of seconds. To assess the levels of each chemical, compare your samples to the colors provided with your testing kit. Then, if needed, adjust the chemical levels in your pool to attain the right balance. Your pool water should be clean, leave little residue, and the water should have no odor when your pool chemicals are balanced properly.

swimming pool water ph test tubes

Baking Soda as a Simple Solution

Getting the water in your pool to have the right balance of chemicals doesn’t have to be expensive or tedious. Baking soda, a common and affordable household item, can sometimes solve the problem. Baking soda is chemically identical to the much more expensive “sodium bicarbonate,” therefore it can be used as a stand-in to help control alkalinity in your pool without causing PH levels to dip too low. Because baking soda and pool chemical both typically contain the same amount of sodium bicarbonate per pound, the amount you’ll need is identical.

swimming pool cleaning maintenance

Continue Reading about Pools

How to Balance the Calcium Hardness Level in Your Pool
How to Throw the Best Outdoor Parties for Dads and Grads

Lyon Financial: America’s Leading Pool Lender

Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 500,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Swimming Pools

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