The key to a healthy life is harmony and balance. Your pool water is no different. If you want to avoid any issues with the fibreglass pool, you must keep everything balanced or else you might end up with algae and cloudy water. There are a lot of reasons why water balance is important, including sanitization of chemicals, reduced chances of water problems, and prolonged life of pool equipment. In this article, we will get into what exactly is pool water balance and why it is important.
What is pool water balance?
In order to maintain your Joondalup fibreglass pools, you have to balance the water. To ensure that your swimming pool remains a comfortable and inviting place, you have to get the levels of pH, calcium hardness, and alkalinity just right. With good balance, your pool equipment and other components will be protected and function correctly. By adding chemicals to balance the water, you will be unlocking a wide array of benefits.
The different components of water balance
Total alkalinity
Total alkalinity refers to the alkaline level in the water. However, it is impossible to reference it without referring to pH as both of them influence each other. If you have high alkaline water, you will have a high pH and if you have low alkaline water, you will have a low pH. The ideal total alkalinity level for your pool is 100 ppm.
pH levels
By keeping the pH at the right level, you can ensure the comfort of everyone using the pool and the protection of the fibreglass pool equipment. pH is the level of baseness or acidity in your pool water. The right level of pH for a properly balanced pool is 7.2 to 7.8. The level ranges from 0 to 14. If the pH level of your pool water is between 0 to 7, it means that it has acidic pH. The pH level ranging from 8 to 14 means that your pool water has a basic pH. In the case of acidic pH levels, the chlorine will start to quickly dissipate and high pH levels can render the chlorine inactive. So, regardless of how much money you spend on chlorine, it will all be for nothing.
Calcium hardness
It is crucial to have the right levels of calcium in the pool. If you add too much, your water will become murky, resulting in scale formations and staining. Too little calcium can make your pool’s surface start chalking and lead to erosion. The ideal range of calcium hardness is between 200 to 400 ppm.
Stabilizer
A stabilizer is what helps your pool water retain chlorine for a longer time. By adding it to chlorine, you can protect it from UV rays that cause it to break down. If your pool water has a low stabilizer level, you will have to use more chlorine than normal. In the case of a high stabilizer level, you might have to dilute the water in order to get it down to the normal stabilizer range, between 40 and 100 ppm.
Total Dissolved Solids
All types of water contain dissolved minerals, except for distilled water. As the water evaporates, these minerals are left behind, making the remaining water concentrated. The evaporation occurs every day, making the water retain more concentrated minerals. Because of this, it will be difficult for the pool chemicals to function properly, resulting in stains and other issues. If the level of total dissolved solids increases to more than 3000 ppm, drain the water and add new water.
Why is it important to maintain pool water balance?
Now, let’s get into the details of the benefits of maintaining pool water balance:
Sanitize chemicals to ensure that they work effectively
By maintaining your pool water’s pH levels, you can ensure that your sanitizing chemicals are working to the best of their abilities. Consider this, if your pool water has low pH, you will have acidic water that consumes the sanitiser quicker. Because of this, there isn’t enough time for the sanitiser to properly do its job.
Protect against algae growth and cloudy water
When you have acidic water, sanitizing chemicals like bromine and chlorine won’t work as well. This can result in several water issues. By maintaining the pool water balance, you can ensure that the sanitiser is able to do its job of keeping these problems at bay and killing the debris and bacteria that cause these issues.
Reduce eye problems and skin irritation
Having unbalanced chemicals in your pool can cause eye problems and skin irritation. The fact is that every time you take a dip in the fibreglass pool with these chemicals, there is a possibility of skin irritation. However, if you have properly balanced pool water, this won’t be a problem. The goal of adding chemicals to your pool is to ensure it remains clean and to protect the water from getting taken over by contaminants. By maintaining the right balance of chemicals, you can ensure that you avoid getting rashes or eye problems.
Prevent corrosion
If you don’t want to see your expensive fibreglass pool equipment corrode, such as ladders, slides, etc., make sure that the pool water is properly balanced. Pool chemicals are strong so that they can keep bacteria and other contaminants in check. Without proper maintenance, these components can also cause havoc to your pool water. For instance, if you have low pH, you will have acidic water. So, in order to balance it, you will have to increase it by adding whatever your pool needs. This added chemical can corrode and deteriorate your equipment. There are a lot of manufacturers who don’t cover damage caused by low pH.
In the case of high pH, you have to deal with scaling. To deal with that, the water gets rid of components that make it alkaline, leaving a film around the liners, concrete, PVC pipes, heating elements, and more. Also, because of the extra scaling, your heating system will have to work overtime to heat the pool. All of this can be avoided with proper pool water maintenance.
Makes the water appealing
Pool water with chemical imbalance isn’t right for swimming. It also doesn’t look appealing. As a pool owner, you would want clear water that looks inviting. High pH levels can make your water look cloudy.
In Conclusion
So, now that you understand the benefits of maintaining pool water balance, you can get started on it right away. If you think that you need help, you can talk to a professional who can guide you through the process.
