Correct water chemistry is the number one thing you can do to not only make your pool and spa safe for you and your family, but to prolong the life of your equipment and prevent down time when you want to be using your amenities. Bad pool chemistry can cost you hundreds of dollars in replacement equipment. For example, low pH can eat the metal of your pool heater making it a piece of junk in a matter of weeks. And your two or three year warranty is void!
Pool and spa chemistry is easy if you start correctly in the beginning and check and adjust it on a regular basis. A few minutes of time regularly maintaining your chemistry can save you hours or days correcting it if you do not. Most new pools or spas come with a basic starter set of chemicals. Make yourself familiar with them. You should also get a good test kit or at least a set of good test strips.
There are three basics to the chemistry of a pool or spa. The first thing to start with is alkalinity. Total alkalinity (TA) tells you how much alkaline substances are in the water. In pool or spa water this should be bicarbonate alkalinity. You want to have the alkalinity in a range of 80 ppm to 120 ppm. When the alkalinity is in this range it stabilizes the pH level in the water. Usually in a well maintained pool this will vary very little over time and will require little work to maintain
The next thing to be concerned with is pH. The pH of your pool or spa should be between 7.0 and 7.6. In this range your chlorine works best while keeping the water human friendly. Since the human body, is slightly alkaline and has a pH of between 7.2 and 7.4, this would be ideal for your use. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH lower than this is acidic and higher than this is alkaline. It is important to check your pool water regularly and no less than once a week. In a spa, because of the heat, it should be checked and adjusted more often.
The last of the three prime chemical considerations for the water in a pool or spa and the one most people are familiar with is chlorine. Chlorine is the chemical that sanitizes or disinfects the water. In water chorine is in three basic forms that you can measure with a test kit or test strips.
Total chlorine is a measure of all the chlorine in your water. Free chlorine is what is available to do the sanitation that keeps the water safe for use. The difference between these is combined chlorine. Combined chlorine is the undesirable compounds of chlorine that make the water irritating and smelly. You want the available chlorine level to be between 1.0 ppm to 3.0 ppm. Since chlorine disappears over time, you will need to adjust it often, particularly in a spa.
This is the basics of pool chemistry considerations. There are a lot more details that we will go into in the future. There are chemicals that are used to adjust your three basic chemical points and chemicals that treat problems that occur in your pool or spa because of things in your environment. There are also some alternative chemicals. We will try to touch on each of these in the future.
I have been involved with repairs, equipment replacement, and the design and execution of customized systems. I am certified and trained by several large manufacturers such as Hayward, Pentair, Goldline and Sta-Rite. I am an expert in handling warranty service for pool and spa equipment including pumps, filters, heat pumps, lighting and alternative sanitation.
Pool and spa chemistry is easy if you start correctly in the beginning and check and adjust it on a regular basis. A few minutes of time regularly maintaining your chemistry can save you hours or days correcting it if you do not. Most new pools or spas come with a basic starter set of chemicals. Make yourself familiar with them. You should also get a good test kit or at least a set of good test strips.
There are three basics to the chemistry of a pool or spa. The first thing to start with is alkalinity. Total alkalinity (TA) tells you how much alkaline substances are in the water. In pool or spa water this should be bicarbonate alkalinity. You want to have the alkalinity in a range of 80 ppm to 120 ppm. When the alkalinity is in this range it stabilizes the pH level in the water. Usually in a well maintained pool this will vary very little over time and will require little work to maintain
The next thing to be concerned with is pH. The pH of your pool or spa should be between 7.0 and 7.6. In this range your chlorine works best while keeping the water human friendly. Since the human body, is slightly alkaline and has a pH of between 7.2 and 7.4, this would be ideal for your use. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. A pH lower than this is acidic and higher than this is alkaline. It is important to check your pool water regularly and no less than once a week. In a spa, because of the heat, it should be checked and adjusted more often.
The last of the three prime chemical considerations for the water in a pool or spa and the one most people are familiar with is chlorine. Chlorine is the chemical that sanitizes or disinfects the water. In water chorine is in three basic forms that you can measure with a test kit or test strips.
Total chlorine is a measure of all the chlorine in your water. Free chlorine is what is available to do the sanitation that keeps the water safe for use. The difference between these is combined chlorine. Combined chlorine is the undesirable compounds of chlorine that make the water irritating and smelly. You want the available chlorine level to be between 1.0 ppm to 3.0 ppm. Since chlorine disappears over time, you will need to adjust it often, particularly in a spa.
This is the basics of pool chemistry considerations. There are a lot more details that we will go into in the future. There are chemicals that are used to adjust your three basic chemical points and chemicals that treat problems that occur in your pool or spa because of things in your environment. There are also some alternative chemicals. We will try to touch on each of these in the future.
I have been involved with repairs, equipment replacement, and the design and execution of customized systems. I am certified and trained by several large manufacturers such as Hayward, Pentair, Goldline and Sta-Rite. I am an expert in handling warranty service for pool and spa equipment including pumps, filters, heat pumps, lighting and alternative sanitation.
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