If you are reading swimming pool maintenance blogs, like the outstanding one found on Pure and Simple Pool Care or are talking to your pool service in Winter Park employee, then you may encounter the term balanced water. This term may be confusing to you. You need to have balanced water in your pool to prolong the life of your pool equipment. You also need balanced water so that no one gets sick when swimming in your pool. While there are five components to water balance, three of them are essential to prolonging your pool’s life, make swimming more comfortable and keeping your pool looking great.
Your total alkalinity is the amount of bicarbonate alkalinity in the pool’s water. When it is within range, then the pH level of your pool remains stable. If the level is too low, then marble and plaster walls get etched, your ladders and other metal surfaces corrode, and the floor often develops stains. If you choose to swim in the pool, then your eyes may burn. When you look at your swimming pool water, then it usually has a green tint. If the total alkalinity level is too high, then chlorine does not work effectively. If the alkalinity level is off, then you may have changes to your pool’s pH level that are difficult to explain.
The pH level of your pool should remain between 7.4 and 7.6. If the pH level gets too high, then the water will look cloudy, and you may suffer skin irritation if you go for a dip. If it gets too high, then you may even see lime sediment floating in the water. Lime may also accumulate on pool walls, especially if they are fiberglass. You may also notice lime deposits building up around your pool’s drains. If the pH level gets too low, then the mechanical parts of your pool may stop functioning, and your pool liner will not last as long. If you take a swim, then your eyes may burn, and the inside of your nose will feel funny.
Calcium hardness is a measure of the amount of calcium in your water. It should measure between 200 and 400 parts per million. If it gets too low, then your water will start breaking down other objects, like your pool walls, that contain calcium to get what it needs. If the calcium level is too high, then you may notice cloudy water. Levels that are too high cause lots of pool equipment problems, including clogged filters and water moving slowly through pipes. If your pool has a heater, then it may work inefficiently.
You should also be regularly testing your swimming pool’s stabilizer and total dissolved solids. If you have questions about maintaining your swimming pool or do not have the time to do it regularly, then contact Pure and Simple Pool Care about pool service in Winter Park.