The acceptable range for pool water pH is 7.2-7.8, and the ideal pool pH is between 7.4 and 7.6. Water below a pH of 7.2 is too acidic, stinging your eyes, damaging pool liners and corroding equipment. Water above 7.8 is too alkaline and can cause skin irritation, cloudy water, and scale buildup.
Aim for a pH level of between 7 and 7.6. If the water pH is higher than 8, anyone who swims in the pool is at risk of skin rashes, while a pH of lower than 7 can sting swimmers' eyes. Some of the many factors that can affect your pool's pH level include heavy rain, the number of swimmers in the pool and chemicals.
The most immediate effect is felt by swimmers as the water will sting their eyes, nasal passages and will dry out skin and hair, causing itching. Acidic, low pH water corrodes metal surfaces and pool accessories such as ladders, railings, light fixtures, and any metals in your pumps, filters or heaters.
A rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs. of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water will raise alkalinity by about 10 ppm. If your pool's pH tested below 7.2, add 3-4 pounds of baking soda. If you're new to adding pool chemicals, start by adding only one-half or three-fourths of the recommended amount.
Too low a pH has a significant influence on the effect of the chlorine. If the pH level is too low, you will have to add a large amount of chlorine to ensure proper disinfection of the water. A good pH level will therefore also benefit your wallet.
When chlorine levels are too high, the water's pH will start to decrease, which can eventually lead to corrosion. However, liquid chlorine has a pH of 13 and can cause the water's pH to increase.
Most Algae Grows in High-pH Environments
Most types of algae typically enjoy higher pH levels, ranging from 8.2 to 8.7. Once algae starts growing, it can further raise the pH level in your pool and cause more algae growth.
pH Down comes in two forms: liquid acid or dry acid. Changes in the pH of pool water can be caused by many factors but one of the most significant causes is the sanitizer used. Since the sanitizer is the most frequently added chemical in pools, it can have a powerful impact on pH and overall water quality.
A: pH enhancers and increasers often start working within 20 minutes. Add a tiny quantity of the increaser into your pool, leave the cover off, activate the pumps, and let the water circulate. Test the pH level after 20 minutes.
Shocking the pool will lower the pH, whether you use chlorine-based shock (calcium hypochlorite), or the non-chlorine kind (potassium peroxymonosulfate). Rain picks up impurities in the air, raising the rainwater acidity and lowers the pH.
Add Baking Soda or Soda Ash
Baking soda and soda ash are two solutions you can add to water to raise a pool's pH. You can add either one directly to the pool. For the best results, walk around the edge while you dump the chemicals to distribute them evenly. Add 1.5 pounds of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water.
While it's important to shock your pool on a regular basis, chlorine-based pool shocks are highly alkaline and will raise pH and therefore alkalinity. So you may notice higher pH and total alkalinity after shocking your water.
Shock Your Pool:
Shocking your pool is a cleaning ritual that needs to be undertaken every 3-4 weeks. You may use calcium hypochlorite or any other chemical formula available on the market. Shocking your pool is done to sanitize the water, which ultimately helps to keep pH levels balanced.
Mixing in 1 tsp (4 g) of baking soda with 250 ml of water will raise its pH, making it more alkaline. Milk of Magnesia Milk of magnesia is an alkaline suspension, which means it causes neutralization when it encounters anything acidic. This makes this substance great for water on the more acidic side.
The best chemical to raise pH while minimally raising alkalinity is borax. Because borax is not a carbonate, the effect on alkalinity will be negligible.
Baking Soda is Sodium Bicarbonate
If your pool water alkalinity is lower than it should be, one way to increase it is to go to your local pool supply store and pick up a bottle of "alkalinity increaser." But did you know alkalinity increaser is just sodium bicarbonate?
The pH level is one of the most important factors in pool water balance and it should be tested and corrected at least once a week.
The fluctuation of the pH of the pool water can have many causes, including: Sunlight accelerates the dissolution of chlorine, increasing the pH. Wind favours the evaporation of the water, which also increases the pH.
pH will also have an effect. If the pH is high, your chlorine is slow to react, and algae can begin to form, making the pool appear green or cloudy. If the pH is low, the chlorine will be “hyperactive”, reacting quickly, and dissipating out of the pool too rapidly, causing a low chlorine residual.
As algae thrive in slightly acidic water, algae growth is often the first sign your fish tank has a low pH level. With more nutrients available and accessible light, algae can spread like wildfire when pH levels drop.
If your levels are off, you'll need to do a more extensive maintenance routine to balance the chemistry of the water and kill the bacteria and algae. If you're treating your pool for algae, you'll want the pH to be a little higher than you would typically want, at about 7.8. This will kill the bacteria or algae.
The higher the pH gets, the less effective the chlorine becomes. Balancing the pH first will save you a lot of money on chlorine because you won't be dumping ineffective chemicals into your swimming pool over and over. A pH level of 7.8 or above is considered alkali.
1) What is the difference between chlorine and shock? Do I need to use both? Chlorine is a sanitizer, and (unless you use Baquacil products) is necessary for maintaining a clear and healthy pool. Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly.
Just like your hair, your skin can end up dry and damaged with regular swimming. Chlorinated water removes your skin's natural oils and skin barrier, resulting in red, itchy, dry skin.
For balanced pool water, keep the pH between pH of 7.4-7.6.
And there are two different chemicals you can use to raise the pH in your pool: Baking Soda aka sodium bicarbonate (sold as Alkalinity Increaser in pool stores). Soda Ash aka sodium carbonate (sold as pH Increaser in pool stores).