Caring for the water chemistry of your saltwater pool system is basically the same as with managing the popular chlorinated pool water systems. Keeping the chemical elements in their good levels is the key to achieving the best quality of water in terms of smell and feel. Balanced chemicals also assure the bathers of safe and comfortable pool water.

Saltwater system in pools may be popular in other countries but it is rather new in the US. However, its popularity rating is catching up with the other types of swimming pools regardless of its higher initial investment required for installing one. More and more pool owners are shifting to this new sanitation method as it promises a lower consumption of chemicals that will ensure safety and prevention of unwanted medical conditions due to the exposure to chemical products in pool.

Managing and operating a pool to keep the water chemistry in check can be demanding and requires effort for the constant water tests, however you can’t quantify the good result of a pool that has minimum health risks on its bathers. As we all are familiar, chemicals are the primary and common causes of sickness whether it is mild or severe as it is known to be hazardous to the human health. However, aside from the chemicals used in the pool water, imbalance water chemistry can also be risky not only to the bather but also to the pool and its facility as well.

In pool water chemistry, a pool technician or owner should focus in keeping three key elements in their required parameters to avoid running through the risks from imbalanced chemicals. The pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness are known to be essential players presently available in the water. These three are responsible for the condition of the water as they can be manipulated for the advantage or disadvantage of the pool water.

Too low levels of these three elements in the water chemistry will result to different water catastrophes that can be mild or fatal to the pool and bather alike. Some of the risks of low chemical levels are:

– Corrosion – the water becomes corrosive as the level of each chemical element drops down lower than their appropriate level. The water then becomes hungry and turns into a rampage, gradually destroying anything that it gets in contact with. Metals such as pipe fittings, pool facilities, pool pump, pool filtration system, and even furniture close to the pool are all prone to corrosion.

– Skin irritations and burning eye sensations – as the level drops, the water becomes acidic and begins to cause irritations to the skin and eyes of the bather. The use of the pool should be strictly banned by this time.

While having low chemical levels is a disaster, too high chemical levels also offers a different varieties of risks although they result to the same destructive and disadvantageous end.

– Scale formation – these build up in the surface of the pool can get in the filtration system and can be messy and stubborn in your swimming pool.

Author Bio: I write for Pool Prodigy about salt water pool maintenance and how to maintain a pool for dummies.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: pools, landscaping, environment, swimming, swimming pools, pool