A pool owner’s responsibilities may be very diverse. If you are one, it is your responsibility to keep your pool in tip top shape. This is possible by maintaining and exercising proper pool chemistry. Pool chemistry is characterized by a number of factors — each factor is vital and needs to be individually successful to achieve the proper standard.
The following statements discuss everything that is to know about successful pool chemistry.

TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS (TDS)
Total dissolved solids or TDS is the measurement of dissolved dirt and salt particles in your pool. This may include the following:

– Leaves, flowers and pollen
– Fruit seeds, acorns, nuts and etc.
– Algaecide
– Chlorines and stabilizers
– Left over snacks and crumbs
– Sun tan lotions
– Rocks and sand
– Animal debris

The Solution
As a pool owner you should clean your pool on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. If you failed to do so, you may recourse to draining your pool water and acid washing your pool. This may take about 5 days to complete but it is a sure fire way to get rid of that TDS.

Keep your TDS on 5000 ppm.

pH
Primarily, pH is the measure of the acidity in the pool water. The water is said to be basic or alkaline if the pH level is above 7 and acidic when it is below 7. 7 is considered as the middle point (it being neutral) of a pH measurement.

What happens when the pH is high? (Surpassed the neutral point)
– Possible eye irritation and infection
– Pool water appears to be murky or cloudy

What happens when the pH is low?
– Possible eye irritation and infection
– Loss of alkalinity in the pool water
– Water is considered acidic and harmful

The Solution:
Adjust the water by making use of either a pH increaser or decreaser. Keep your pH at a 7.2 – 7.8 level.

CALCIUM HARDNESS
Calcium hardness is the measurement of the dissolved salts in the pool water.

What happens when the calcium hardness is too high?
– Murky and cloudy pool water
– Stain and scale formation

What happens when the calcium hardness is too low?
– Formation of holes, cracks and crevices on your pool floors, walls and surfaces

The Solution
Add a calcium hardness increaser or decreaser to adjust the levels. Keep it at 180-220 ppm or 200-400 ppm.

TOTAL ALKALINITY
Total alkalinity can be categorized as the measure of the ability of the pool water to neutralize acids. These acids can either be carbonate or bicarbonate.

What happens when the total alkalinity is high?
– pH stubbornness. You may have difficulty in adjusting your pH.

What happens when the total alkalinity is low?
– Uncontrolled pH level raise and drop.

The Solution:
You can adjust the total alkalinity measurement of your pool water by using an alkalinity increaser. Keep it at 80 – 120 ppm.

WATER DISINFECTION
Yes, there is the constant need to disinfect your pool to get rid of debris, contaminants and bacteria that might be circulating in your pool. You may use the following to disinfect your pool:
– Chlorine
– Sodium Hypochlorite
– Bromine
– Calcium Hypochlorite
– Trichloroisocyanuric Acid

ALGAE CONTROL
You can identify if your pool is being attacked by algae by touching your pool walls. If it is oily to the touch then it is positive, you have algae.

The Solution
– Apply algaecide to your water once every 3 days.
– Use an ultrasonic wave speaker to breakdown algae walls and reproduction.

Author Bio: This writer for Pool Prodigy is a leader in pool salt systems and salt water chlorine generator pool supplies.

Category: Recreation
Keywords: pool salt systems, salt water chlorine generator, pool supplies