How do i go about adjusting the chlorine and ph levels in my swimming pool?
Answers:
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There is no short or simple answer to this question. Every pool environment is different. Here are some guidelines.Purchase a good test kit and chemicals.
(Many of the "Marts" carry inferior products, and most customers end up spending more time, money and frustration for trying to save a few bucks!)
If you have a pool store in your area, bring in a water sample for them to test for you.
Many have free water lab testing, and can test for levels your smaller test kits can't.
Adjust the pH first.
(Test twice a week or after adding water)
If pH is high - over 7.8 - it can cause scaling and cloudy water. Lower by adding muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate.
If pH is too low - under 7.2 - it is too acidic and becomes corrosive. Raise by adding soda ash (sodium carbonate).
Note: If TA (Total Alkalinity) is not in the correct range, you will have trouble keeping your pH in range!
Adjusting Chlorine
(Test at least twice a week or daily under heavy use, warm weather, or after it rains)
Free Chlorine Residual is the amount of chlorine in the pool which has not reacted with substances other than water. It is the chlorine which is available to disinfect pool water and oxidize organic substances. Free chlorine residual should be maintained between 1 and 3 ppm.
Combined Chlorine is chlorine in the pool which has reacted with substance other than water and is no longer available in its free state. Some combined chlorines are bactericides but they contribute little to the disinfection process. Chlorine combined with ammonia produces chloramines which cause eye irritation and an objectionable chlorine odor. For this reason combined chlorine residual should be 0.0ppm or kept to a minimum preferably below 0.2 ppm.
If your Combined Chlorine is above
0.2 ppm, you need to "Shock" or Superchlorinate your pool.
If your pool is outdoors, chlorine can be broken down by ultra violet light from the sun. If "Cyanuric Acid", (commonly called stabilizer or conditioner), is not present, the chlorine level will dissipate very rapidly over the course of the day. This is the reason you should always "Shock" your pool in the evening.
It is recommended that you add stabilizer to the pool to prevent this chlorine break down. The stabilizer level should be between 30-50 ppm to properly stabilize the pool. The use of a stabilizer will reduce your overall chlorine consumption and save you money.
You should also consider using
Trichlor tablets: (sticks or tablets containing 90% available chlorine with stabilizer built in them) this will help maintain your stabilizer levels when adding water for splash out.
If you have an indoor pool, you do not need stabilizer.
Suggested Chemical Guidelines for Swimming Pools
Free chlorine, ppm
1.0 - 3.0
Combined chlorine, ppm
None
pH
7.2 - 7.8
(ideal range of 7.4 - 7.6)
Total alkalinity, ppm
(for concrete pools)
80 - 100
Total alkalinity, ppm
(for vinyl lined or fiberglass pools)
120 - 180
Total dissolved solids, ppm
Not to exceed 1500 greater than at pool start-up
Calcium hardness, ppm
200 - 400
Cyanuric acid, ppm
30 - 50
Get a Pool Test kit ( Walmart ) It will explain how to test pool water, and how to adjust. Really simple. Have a good day.
adjust the PH level first using Muratic acid that can be purchased at any hardware box store. This will take several days as you should only add the acid a little at a time. Then you can adjust the chlorine level. I have a saltwater pool but I always use a little "Supershock" (also avaialbe at the box stores) in the summer months.
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