Tips for Keeping Your Pool Water pH Balanced

Keeping your pool water balanced is, contrary to popular belief, a very different thing than simply keeping it clean.

While cleaning involves regularly removing surface debris and vacuuming the bottom of the pool, balancing the water is all about monitoring and making necessary changes to the water’s chemical makeup.

And, while balancing water composition can be a bit more challenging than keeping a clean pool, it’s definitely possible if you know what you’re doing.

Balance pH     

One of the first components of keeping your pool water balanced is achieving the proper pH levels.

pH is a measure of how much acidity is in your water. A pH measurement under 7.2, for example, is acidic, while a measurement over 7.8 is alkaline.

With pool water, you don’t want either acidic or alkaline water. Instead, what you want is neutral water, which means that the water has a pH level that falls between 7.2 and 7.8

When you know the proper pH level for your pool, it’s easy to reach it and to know when you have a pH problem on your hands and will thus need to turn it over to professionals to get things under control.

Balance Calcium

Whether or not you need to worry about your water having adequate calcium will depend on the type of pool you have.

Concrete pools, for example, do require calcium. Adequate calcium levels, which vary depending on the size of your pool, are necessary to keep the water from leeching calcium from the plaster surfaces and causing damage.

Fiberglass pools, on the other hand, can be damaged by calcium in the water.

As a result, you must know the calcium needs of your particular pool and then work to make sure they are being met.

These are just a few examples of how you must balance your pool water. If you’re having trouble meeting these or other demands, however, remember that you can always consult pool professionals for help with care and upkeep.