Just because your pool water appears clean,it doesn't always mean that it's healthy andsafe for swimmingYour pool water may appear clean, but actuallycontain contaminants which are invisible tothe naked eyeAnd often, the only thing that stops thesecontaminants from turning your beautiful poolinto a swamp is your sanitiser or chlorineIn order for sanitiser to work effectively,it's important that other pool attributessuch as pH, alkalinity and calcium hardnessare correctly balanced
If you want your pool to look beautiful andbe safe for swimming, it's important to knowa little bit about the role that these poolchemicals play in your pursuit of a healthypoolJoining me today is our resident pool waterquality expert, Tess, who's going to giveus a beginner's guide to pool water chemistryShould we start with pH?Yeah, pH levels refers to the acidity of yourpool waterA lower pH reading means that your pool isacidic, which can cause etchings on the sidesof your pool, and even erode your metal fixtures
A high pH reading is basic, and that can causescaling on your pool surface and your plumbingWhat would you recommend as a pH for poolowners?The recommended pH is surprisingly the sameas the human eye, which is pH 74I would recommend keeping your pool levelsbetween pH 7
2 and pH 76Products I would use to do this pH VitalyseUp and Vitalyse pH DownWhat about alkalinity?Alkalinity works as a buffer to help regulatethe factors that can throw your pH levelsoff balance
The recommended levels are between 80 and120 parts per millionAnd depending on if your alkalinity is lowor high, I recommend using Alkalinity Up orpool acidAnd calciumWe all know calcium is important for our body,but what about calcium hardness in our pool?Calcium in our pools works to keep your poolwater clean and keeps the surface of yourpool in good shape
Low calcium hardness can make your pool waterfeel slimy and can even corrode the surfaceof your poolThe recommended levels of calcium har
While you can conduct your own water testsat home, if you have any concerns about thehealth of your pool water or feel that yourchemicals may be out of balance, it's bestto get your water professionally tested, especiallyif it's cloudy or greenAnd conveniently, pool water testing is availablefor free at your local Poolwerx storeAt the very start of this video, I mentioneda pool chemical that's very important forthe health of your pool, and that's sanitiserSanitiser is a product that keeps away bacteriaand algae that can make your pool water unhealthy
The most common type of sanitiser is, of course,pool chlorine, but there are other kinds ofsanitises such as bromineAnd an order for your sanitiser to work correctly,your pool's pH levels, alkalinity and calciumhardness must all be balanced correctlyNow, chlorine comes in three forms: liquid,granular or tabletsIt's an effective and inexpensive way to sanitiseyour pool
If you have a saltwater pool though, justadd bags of salt to your poolThe salt goes through a chlorinator whichuses the salt to produce chlorineIf you have salt water pools, instead of usinga chlorine product such as the tablets youmentioned, the sanitiser is actually continuouslyproduced by the chlorinatorAnd what about mineral pools?As the name suggests, mineral pools containextra minerals, commonly including magnesiumchloride, sodium chloride and potassium chloride
These minerals work together to not only helpkeep your pool clean, but they provide a rangeof health and skin benefitsThere you have it, a beginner's guide to poolwater chemistryI hope you've enjoyed this pool water chemistrylessonWe've covered everything from the role ofchlorine through to the ins and outs of saltwaterpools
Now, remember at Poolwerx, we offer free poolwater testingJust bring in your pool water sample, andwe'll tell you exactly what pool chemicalsyou need to maintain a healthy pool