Pool Maintenance Guide

There are three areas of consideration in proper pool maintenance:

1. Water Balance

2. Disinfection, sanitation, oxidation

3. Circulation and filtration

Maintaining a routine maintenance schedule is your first line of defense against all pool-rated problems.

A maintenance program consists of the following:

1 Routinely testing your water and adding chemicals needed to balance water

2 Using your net and brush to rid the pool of debris, scale, algae etc.

3 Emptying your skimmer and pump baskets

4 Vacuuming the pool

5 Cleaning the filter

WATER BALANCE

Swimming pools need to keep up a certain “water balance” to protect the equipment and plaster. Proper pool water balance also insures swimmer comfort.

When the pH, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness are within the recommend ranges the pool is considered to be balanced.

PH

Solutions can be acidic or basic (alkaline). PH is a value that indicates how acidic or basic a solution is. The scale for pH ranges from 0-14. The ideal pH for pools is 7.5; the acceptable range is 7.2-7.6.

Low pH will cause:

-Etched plaster

-Corroded metals

-Stained plaster

-Eye & skin irritation

-Poor chlorine efficiency

High pH will cause:

-Scale formation

-Cloudy water

-Short filter runs

To lower pH levels you use muriatic acid or a granular hk pools  acid (pH minus)

To raise pH levels you use soda ash (pH plus)

TOTAL ALKALINITY

This is the measurement of the total amount of alkaline materials dissolved in the water. It is said to be the buffering capacity of the water, the water resistance to change in pH. Low or high total alkalinity can cause serious damage if left unchecked.

Low Total Alkalinity

-Etched plaster

-Corroded metals

-Stained plaster

-PH bounce

-Eye & skin irritation

High Total Alkalinity

-Stained plaster

-Cloudy water

-Chlorine in effective

To raise total alkalinity use sodium bicarbonate