Facts About Pool Chemicals

Here are some useful facts on maintaining a healthy balance in your pool:

The most common type of disinfecting agent used is chlorine.

• Chlorine is available in either tablet, powder or liquid form.
• When chlorine compounds mix with water, a reaction occurs that kills bacteria and other pathogens.
• Free Available Chlorine (FAC) is measured in test kits to see how much chlorine is free to kill remaining bacteria.
• Chloramines, a result of chlorine mixing with contaminants in the water such as sweat and urine, have the potential to create odor and cause irritation to the skin and eyes. Shocking the pool removes chloramines.

A pH between 7.2-7.8 is recommended to prolong the life of your pool.

• If the pH becomes too acidic, this results in corrosion of pool equipment and can irritate swimmers. Add soda ash or baking soda to the water in increase pH levels.
• When pH is too basic, water becomes cloudy and scale builds up on pool walls. Muriatic acid, also known as hydrochloric acid, or sodium bisulfate, will lower pH.

Total alkalinity is related to pH in terms of the capacity of the pool water to resist a change in pH

• The normal range is 80-200ppm.
• A large amount of acid will be needed to balance out water that has a high total alkalinity.
• A more basic compound will be needed to boost the buffering capacity for water with low total alkalinity.

Dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium in pools can negatively affect pool equipment, so it is important to measure calcium hardness.

• The range should be 50-500ppm.
• With low mineral levels, equipment can rust, grout and plaster can erode and water can be irritating to swimmers. Calcium increasers raise the amount of minerals in the water.
• High mineral levels cause scaling and water to become cloudy, as well as irritation to swimmers.
• Hardness reducers or draining a portion of the pool will lower hardness levels.

Tests kits for maintenance are available at any pool supply store. When the time comes for you to add chemicals to your pool, be sure to exercise extreme caution and follow directions closely. Adding chemicals incorrectly or improper storage can cause explosions.