Why Is Water Balance So Important For Your Pool?
If you regularly eliminate the dirt, insects, and leaves in your fiberglass pool and think you have done enough to maintain pool health, you are wrong. There’s another essential factor to consider when it comes to maintaining your pool—the water balance. Yes, you must ensure your pool water has the right chemical balance, with the right pH measure, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids, sanitizers, and calcium hardness.
Most pool owners think they need to check pool pH once or twice in a year, and that is what water balance is all about. For such people that are least aware of water chemistry and those who want to know the importance of pool water balancing, here is a detailed write-up.
Why Should You Ensure Pool Water Balance
When the chemicals are not present in the appropriate ratios, your pool water may do more harm than good. Too much chemical content might react with the skin, causing skin irritation, rashes or even more complicated issues, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Unbalanced pool water is also known to cause irritation of eyes and lips. For your and your family’s safety, you are advised to check for water balance time and again and make sure your pool water is fit to swim in.
Additionally, water balance is necessary to maintain pool health and extend pool life. You have already invested a considerable amount on installing the pool. Do not ignore pool health and damage your pool shell and other systems. Draft a water balance testing schedule and ensure to stick to it all the time. Keep your fiberglass pool in good condition and make it a safe place for you and your family. Enjoy pool time for years down the line.
What Is Involved In Pool Water Balancing: Understanding The Water Balancing Components
Determining pH
The pH of your fiberglass pool is a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of the water. The pH scale range is between 7-14, where values over 7 indicate more alkalinity and below 7 indicate more acidity. Your fiberglass pool shell demands a pH between 7-7.4, which is a neutral measure.
An acidic pool builds up corrosion and supports the growth of organic contaminants. Suppose the acidic water is left untreated for a long time. In that case, the acid will damage the water lines, pumps, plumbing fixtures besides providing a safe ground for algae and bacteria to flourish. A high pH, on the other hand, damages the liners and pipes, inhibiting water flow and reducing heating systems’ effectiveness.
A wrong pH measure can, as mentioned above, cause health problems. You are therefore recommended to test your water regularly, especially after pool water cleaning and rainfall. Water balance should also be tested for when you add chemicals.
Total Alkalinity
Total alkalinity is the measure of all the important chemicals such as bicarbonates, carbonates and hydroxides required to balance your pool water. It is read in ppm- parts per million. When present in the right quantities, these chemicals can maintain your pool health and ensure safety for your swimmers.
Balancing total alkalinity is not a big deal. You simply need to check your water regularly and make additions to it as needed to maintain the desired reading i.e. 80-120 ppm.
A low alkalinity level can damage your fiberglass pool shell surface and cause changes to the pH measure. Adding acid to the water will further bring down the total alkalinity while adding buffering agents can boost it. Regular checking of pool water is critical to attaining the right water balance.
Calcium Hardness
The level of calcium dissolved in your fiberglass pool also plays a vital role in maintaining water balance. If the dissolved calcium is very less, it creates an imbalance in the water and your pool water in turn does what it can to achieve the balance. In other words, your pool water begins to absorb calcium present in the shell and plaster, damaging them to a great extent. This, when happens in the long term can lead to huge repair costs.
On the other hand, if the calcium level is more than the ideal range, it can cause scaling on the shell’s surface and damage the filtration system.
Like the other factors, calcium hardness in your fiberglass pool needs to be regularly monitored and a balance brought about. It would be great if you can achieve 100-330 ppm calcium hardness.
If the water supply in your area contains low calcium levels, yearly testing is sufficient. However, if the natural supply contains too much calcium, you will need to monitor regularly to avoid potential pool issues later.
Several pool owners use calcium hypochlorite to sanitize their pool. If you are using too, be careful. This chemical could cause a sharp spike in calcium levels, causing layers of scaling.
You can find a number of home pool water testing kits on the market but most of them cannot determine the calcium hardness levels. You will need to take a sample to a professional/pool supplier to get your water tested. Additionally, be mindful when trying to balance the calcium hardness levels. A change in calcium level can cause changes in the alkalinity and pH, and vice versa. Work to create a total water balance, with all the acids and chemicals in the right proportions.
Chlorine
Chlorine is the most commonly used chemical for sanitizing fiberglass pools. Using this sanitizer no doubt keeps your pool hygienic but because it is bleach, excessive usage can bleach your pool color and the swimmers. The recommended chlorine range for your pool is 1-3 ppm.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Water contains many dissolved minerals. As your pool water evaporates, the various minerals get left behind and become concentrated over time. Your pool water retains more minerals as evaporation continues. These minerals do not allow the chemicals do their job, causing stains in the process. Check the TDS, if it measures 3000 ppm or over, drain the pool water and replace it with clean, fresh water.
Always Maintain Pool Water Balance
Maintaining water balance in your pool allows all the chemicals and sanitizers to perform their best. The act keeps your pool water clean and hygienic, besides securing the components, pool structure and heating systems associated with it. There are pH strips available to test your pool water pH on a regular basis. If you are unsure of testing the other components, we suggest you get a thorough pool water analysis done by experts.
As work-life balance is necessary to attain emotional balance, a balanced diet is required for a healthy body, the right water chemistry is essential for a healthy pool. As a pool owner, you need to understand what goes into achieving water balance and do the needful on time.
Testing is the key to maintaining pool water balance. At the beginning of every season, get your pool water tested by professionals to ensure all is well. The specialists will suggest remedies if your pool water is imbalanced.
A balanced pool means keeping all the basic water components within their appropriate ranges. Achieve their ideal ranges and swim in safe waters.
