Sanitizing and Pool Balancing Are Equally Important to Achieve a Healthy Pool
Most people who do not own a swimming pool will still have a general awareness that a casual reference to ‘adding chlorine’ or ‘water test kit’ probably has something to do with pool maintenance.
They may even be relatively familiar with the unmistakable pungency of chlorine that has been recently added to pool water.Actual pool owners, however, are more acutely aware of the role that chlorine plays in maintaining a clean pool and a healthy swimming environment.
In the context of a pool, chlorine is essentially a water sanitizer, a very efficient sanitizer, charged with the task of removing impurities such as dirt, bacteria, body oil, cosmetics, and many other items.However, chlorine on its own will not necessary achieve optimal pool health – it needs to work in tandem/synergistically with five basic pool water components in order to sanitize pool water to its maximum efficiency.
Furthermore, these five basic components must be kept within their respective recommended ranges – known as pool balancing – for the pool sanitizer to be as highly effective as possible.Therefore, sanitizing and pool balancing are equally important to achieve a healthy pool.
Examined more closely, the five basic pool water components consist of the following:
- pH – measures the level of acidity/corrosiveness in the water (for swimmer comfort)
- Total Alkalinity – reflects the capacity of the water to neutralize/buffer this acidity
- Calcium Hardness – prevents murky water and pool wall corrosion/erosion, staining
- Stabilizer – helps chlorine last longer; protects it against breakdown from UV rays
- Total Dissolved Solids – the concentrations of minerals left from water evaporation
As mentioned previously, proper balancing of these five components is founded on their individually recommended levels – these quantities or ranges are as follows:
- pH – between 7.2 and 7.8 (measured on a scale of 0 to 14)
- Total Alkalinity – typically 80 to 120 ppm or parts per million
- Calcium Hardness – recommended range is 200 to 400 ppm
- Stabilizer –40 to 100 ppm is considered to be the ideal range
- Total Dissolved Solids – level established as 3000 ppm or less
To determine whether proper pool balancing has been achieved, pool owners need to take a number of measurements then perform a calculation using a scale referred to as the Langelier Saturation Index, or SI.
The data, or measurements, are obtained through the use of a water test kit, and they include: pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness.These values are incorporated into the SI calculation, along with the temperature of the water at the time of the tests, to arrive at an actual index – if the index is zero (or close to zero) the pool is balanced and no chemical or water level adjustments are required.
Some pool owners will likely feel quite comfortable to perform the tests and calculations on their own.
Others may be less inclined or may simply prefer to trust the maintenance expertise of professional swimming pool contractors, such as Aveco Pools, to keep their pool sanitized and properly balanced.Swimming Pool Contractors Offer Expertise in Pool Balancing and Much More
Maintaining proper water chemistry, or pool balancing, is a critically important aspect of pool ownership in general and pool enjoyment in particular.
But this is only one element of the full pool maintenance packages offered by swimming pool contractors such as Aveco Pools.The Aveco Pools maintenance team provides a full range of pool services from the start to the end of the swimming season, and beyond if necessary.
These services include:- Weekly maintenance and cleaning
- Water chemistry tests/adjustments
- Pool openings (spring) and closings (fall)
- Leak detection and repair
- Equipment repair and replacements
- Installation of saltwater generators
- and more
If you have concerns about your pool water chemistry or are facing issues in achieving proper pool balancing this spring, call the swimming pool maintenance professionals at Aveco Pools today at 905-640-2666 to arrange an assessment by one of our service technicians.