If your eyes burn, your skin feels dry, and you notice your water is less-than-crystal when swimming in your pool, it may be that you haven’t been maintaining your pool properly. It’s not just a matter of scooping the leaves out of your pool every morning—a swimming pool has a delicate chemical balance that must be kept up. If the pH, chlorine levels, and chemical health of your pool is maintained properly, this can lengthen the lifespan of your heat pump, pool filters, gas heaters, and other pool equipment. If not, you’ll see cloudy water, scum buildup along the sides, staining, and uncomfortable swimming conditions in your pool. Following are a few tips for keeping your pool—and your water—healthy this summer.
Maintain your chlorine levels. Chlorine must be continually added to pool water, because once it combines with organic contaminants in your pool—which it has to do to kill them off—it is rendered inactive. Chlorine has to be added gradually; it should never be dumped into the water, and sticks or tablets should never be simply placed in the skimmer—or it will pass through your plumbing highly concentrated before being diluted in the pool, and corrode your pipes and equipment. Floating or automatic chlorine feeders are the best choice for making sure your chlorine is added gradually and safely.
Check the pH. The pH is the relative acidity or baseness of your pool water. Your pool’s pH levels should be between 7.2 and 7.6. If the level is too low, the water gets corrosive—and you could see damage to your pool equipment. If it’s too high, you’ll see scale buildup on your tiles. Water with an off-balance pH will also damage your sanitizer—so it will take more and more chlorine to keep your pool clean.
Check the alkalinity. Alkaline substances dissolved in your pool water help balance the pH—and make your pH levels more resistant to change. Your alkalinity levels should be between 80 and 150 ppm (which stands for “parts per million”). If your alkalinity levels are too low, you’ll see that your pool water reels from low to high pH levels—which can wreak havoc on your equipment. If the alkalinity level is too high, you’ll have a very hard time adjusting pH levels when they need to be changed.
Use an algae inhibitor. Do it before you have an algae problem—and this will keep an algae bloom from starting in your pool. These usually come in a liquid form, and can be poured in near the skimmer and distributed to all the areas of the pool.
Monitor calcium hardness once a year. Calcium can also cause corrosion, cloudiness, and unsightly buildup in your pool. Your calcium levels should be between 175 and 225 ppm. It’s usually not difficult to change your calcium levels if they are off; check the levels once a year or bring a sample of your water to a professional.
Your pool should be a haven from the heat of summer and the stress of the outside world. With careful monitoring of the chemical balance of your pool water, you’ll be able to keep your pool clean and clear, preserve the life of your equipment, and maintain that oasis of coolness and relaxation in your backyard.
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