A private swimming pool makes a home outstanding and highly inviting to visitors. Pools are great for kids and adults alike. It’s the perfect way to have fun, but also relax. That said, owning a pool comes with a lot of work. Keeping the water clean and clear is an important task for every pool owner, says RentSmartUSA. A well-maintained pool is essential for avoiding personal health problems.
With so many pool-maintenance chemicals, keeping track of what is important can be difficult. That’s why, in this article, we will make it easy for you to understand the most crucial chemicals for your pool. We will outline what you need to keep your pool in the best condition, and why you need it.
So, let’s begin!
Sanitizers
Several sanitizers are used to keep a pool’s water sanitary and disinfected. The two main sanitizers are chlorine and bromine.
Chlorine:
Chlorine is the main swimming pool sanitizer. It kills bacteria and algae. The recommended level of chlorine in a pool is 3-5 ppm (parts per million).
In order to determine the amount of chlorine in the water, there are two different chlorine measurements needed: free and combined chlorine. Free chlorine is the amount of chlorine that is active in the water. Combined chlorine is inactive because it has bonded with contaminants.
Bromine:
The second most common pool sanitizer that is used is bromine. This chemical is more effective than chlorine in pools with a high-water temperature. However, bromine is a lot more expensive than chlorine. Furthermore, it is easily burnt off by sunlight.
Oxidizers
Similarly to sanitizers, oxidizers also kill bacteria and algae. They are secondary sanitizers.
Oxidizers are used to shock a pool. Shocking is the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine chemicals to a pool to raise its level of free chlorine. This helps to kill-off pool contaminants and remove combined chlorine.
Chlorine Shocks:
This is different from the chlorine that is used for sanitizing a pool. A chlorine shock is unstabilized chlorine and remains in the water for only one or two days. It comes in a powdered form. When poured into a pool, it can raise its chlorine level as high as 10 ppm. After shocking a swimming pool with chlorine, it’s not suitable for swimming until 24 hours later.
Granular Potassium Monopersulfate:
This is a chlorine-free shock. It is oxygen-based, fast-acting and leaves no residue. Swimming can resume 15 minutes after using this chemical. The standard amount recommended for a pool is 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons of pool water. It is can be used more frequently than chlorine shocks and it is highly suited for pools that have been subject to heavy rain and high winds.
Water Balancers
Balancing swimming pool water concerns keeping chlorine and the pH at a desirable level. This process requires a pool’s water to be tested several times a week. The following tests need to be conducted:
- Total alkalinity
- Calcium hardness
- Cyanuric acid levels
Managing pH:
The water’s pH level indicates the balance between its acidity and alkalinity. A perfect pH level for pool water is between 7.2 to 7.8.
Low pH leads to corrosion of metal equipment, skin irritation and water etching on surfaces. High pH makes the water cloudy and causes scaling within the pool and in plumbing equipment.
To increase pH when it is below 7.2, you can use granular soda ash. To reduce pH when it rises above 7.6, you can apply granular sodium bisulfate, or dry acid.
Managing Alkalinity:
Alkalinity is the measurement of alkaline in the water. Alkalinity helps keep the water’s pH in range. The ideal level of alkalinity is 80 – 120 ppm.
When a pool water’s alkalinity is low, it can:
- Irritate the eyes and skin
- Cause the water to become greenish
- Etch the pool’s walls and floors
When a pool water’s alkalinity is high, it can:
- Impair the efficiency of chlorine
- Make the water cloudy
To raise alkalinity, you can apply granular sodium bicarbonate. To reduce alkalinity, you can add sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid.
Managing Calcium Levels:
Calcium levels should be between 175 and 275 ppm.
When calcium levels fall too low, water because soft. This is problematic because soft water is corrosive. However, when calcium levels are too high, the water becomes hard. This causes scaling on the pool surface and in plumbing equipment.
In order to increase calcium hardness, you can use Granular Calcium Chloride. In order to lower calcium level, you can start by applying a pool flocculant, such as Clorox. Then, you can clean out the pool.
Other Important Pool Chemicals
Other chemicals which come in handy are:
- Cyanuric Acid (CYA): This is also known as “conditioner.” It acts as a sunscreen to protect pool chlorine from the sun’s UV rays.
- Metal Remover: These are used for deactivating and eliminating trace metals from pool water.
- Algaecides: This chemical kills and prevents algae.
Bottom Line
If you own a pool, it’s important to understand the basic chemicals needed to keep the water clean and healthy. With this new knowledge, you will be able to avoid bigger and more serious problems.