An Informative Guide To Help You With The Alkalinity In Your Pool
A pool is a great place to make memories and spend sunny days with friends and families. You can host parties and barbecues and the pool will look great as a backdrop. No matter what the occasion, your pool will always be there and add an aesthetically pleasing vibe to your backyard.
Your pool owning experience will depend on how you take care of your pool and how good you are at maintaining it. A pool is a complex system that includes a lot of aspects that need regular upkeep. Whether it be the valves or the chemical balance, your pool will require to check them from time to time.
It is in your best interest to look after your pool on a weekly basis and if you see any signs of malfunctioning. A well-kept pool will have clear water without any debris and coloration and also not cause any kind of irritation.
Alkalinity and why is it important?
Alkalinity can be said to be the volume of water that is engaged in fighting against acidification. It is the measurement of the ability of your pool water to neutralize acids and bases that may be in the system while maintaining the pH. Your pool should have an 80-120ppm alkalinity level and anything that deviates from this can cause problems.
Balancing the chemicals in your pool should be your number one priority as it can cause a lot of problems. A pool’s chemical balance is delicate and can be disrupted even by the most minor causes -whether it be the heat or wind or debris landing in the pool. Changes in alkalinity can cause structural problems and rot away the metal near the pool too.
How to alter the total alkalinity
You can use a testing kit to measure the alkalinity of your pool. These are not very expensive and widely available. Ideally, your pool’s alkalinity should be between 80-120ppm. If it is below 80, then there is no need to worry. All you have to do is add baking soda to the pool. This helps increase the pH levels which makes the pool more basic or alkaline.
If you have levels of more than 120ppm then you need to increase the acidity of the pool. This can be easily achieved using sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid. High alkalinity can cause problems in the pool’s circulation and filter system. The salts deposit on the walls of the pipe which can corrode them later on. The same is the case for lower pH levels. Lower pH levels indicate acidity in the pool which can easily corrode the metal in and around the pool.
PH levels
When you identify the pH level of your pool you are measuring the acidity or the basicity of the pool water. It can be easily determined by a litmus test. If you have acidity levels less than 7, then your pool is acidic. But if it is above 7 that means that the pool is basic. Both are bad news but worry not, there are easy remedies to your problem here.
PH levels in real life – If the pH is 1 then that means that the thing you tested is very acidic in nature. For example, Gastric acid and sulfuric acid will have these stats. If you test tomato juice you will find that even though it is acidic it only has a rating of 4. On the pH scale 1 is stronger than 4 before the number 7 and after that 10 will be stronger than 7.
Water should have a neutral pH level so that it can be used for a variety of purposes. Some basic things are baking soda, which has a rating of 9 while bleach has a rating of 14. Bleach has a lot of chlorine that has disinfecting properties. This is the main reason why chlorine is used to keep your pool water clean and operational. Here are the top robotic pool cleaners in 2021!
How does the alkalinity of your pool increase?
Alkalinity rises when your pH level rises. This means that the water in your pool is now more basic than it was before. PH and alkalinity levels can rise due to a number of reasons. Products like oils, alcohol, and sunblock increase the pH of your thus raising the level of alkalinity.
If you over-shock your pool after heavy usage on a weekend then the chances of raising the alkalinity are high. Be careful with the shock and use it in moderation only.
How to decrease it?
Lowering your pH levels will bring down the alkalinity in your pool. To make your pool more neutral when it is basic, it is best to add something acidic. The pool’s pH levels can drop after heavy rains or even sweat.
Chlorine is a double-edged sword. If you use too much chlorine, it will disintegrate into the pool and drastically lower the pH levels. Generally, muriatic acid is used to lower the pH levels in case of high alkalinity. Being an acid, it brings the pH down and results in neutral pH water.
It is in your best interest to balance the pH levels and alkalinity in your pool. High alkalinity causes skin irritation and corrodes the parts while high acidity also has the same effects. You should check the pH of your pool twice a week and if you have doubt go to the professionals to get your sample checked. If your alkalinity is low it will also turn your pool water green and cause eye irritation too.
High alkalinity also turns your pool cloudy and there is a buildup of inorganic material on the surface of the pool and the equipment. Here is our complete guide to swimming pool cleaners!
Wind and Sun
PH and chemical balance can also be altered due to heavy wind and higher temperatures. The wind evaporates the top layer of the pool which decreases the water content in the pool. This as a product increases the concentration of the chemicals in the pool.
Higher temperatures also do the same thing and a few sunny days are enough to mess up the chemical balance. That is why we recommend that you check the pH levels of your pool at least twice a week.
The balance is delicate and it is up to you as a responsible pool owner to make sure it is maintained. Take proactive steps to ensure this and you will be a happy pool owner.
Pool chemistry can be hard to grasp if you’re new to it. You have to take a lot of precautions and there are several ways to reach the same result. Experienced pool owners will tell you how easy it is to mess up this balance and overdo the chemicals that need to be added.
If you are not sure about how to go about this, contact a professional pool service. They will be more than happy to answer your doubt and keep the chemical balance of your pool in check for you.
Your pool-owning experience will be hassle-free if you keep up to date on your pool needs. Regular maintenance and upkeep go a long way when it comes to pools. Having an optimum chemical balance in your pool is an art form that can only be bettered with practice. Be patient and practice it regularly to get a hang of it. Here is our amazing guide on how to keep on top of your swimming pool water!
