The Right Way to Adjust the Ph Level in your Swimming Pool

You already know that keeping the proper Ph level in your swimming pool is very important. The quality of the water will suffer if it contains too much acid or it is too alkaline. However, you need to make sure you know the right steps to take in order to adjust it. Once you take your test results and find you need to make adjustments it is time to pay attention to what you are doing.

Some individuals add more acid or more alkali to the water. Then they test again and if they went too much then they add some of the other one. That is a waste of your time and of the money you have invested in those chemicals. Instead you need to get you some charts that will tell you how much to add. The charts to use will depend on the size of your swimming pool so make sure you have the right one. Then you can take the test results you got and find out how much you need to add to get things back into balance.

It is more of a safety risk to add acid to the water than the alkali but you need to be very careful with both of them. Wear eye protection as well as gloves so that your hands and your eyes are protected. Avoid getting it on your body or your clothing as well. You will find that acid comes in both a liquid and a solid form .It is recommended that you use the solid form to prevent accidental spills of the liquid.

Never add the acid directly into the swimming pool. Doing so can result in corrosion taking place on the walls of your pool. It can also damage metal pipes and fittings which in turn will result in a variety of problems for you down the road with your swimming pool. You need to mix it well first in a metal bucket. Don't use a plastic one as the acid can eat right through it and this can result in serious injuries to your body.

Fill the bucket 3/4 of the way full and then add the acid. Make sure you place it in there slowly so it doesn't splash back at you. Only do this in a well ventilated area too as the acid can be very strong. Avoid smelling or swallowing the fumes during the mixing process. Before you add the acid to the swimming pool you need to make sure the pump is operating correctly.

The process of adding alkali isn't as dangerous but you need to be careful with it just the same. Generally what you will be adding to the water is sodium carbonate. Pay attention to the charts as well about how much to add based on the reading you got. You also want to mix this with water in a bucket and then pour it into the swimming pool after it has been properly mixed.

Allow the water to pump and circulate for at least four hours before you test it again. If you are using the proper charts you should find that your new Ph level is where it should be. A good test is from 7.0 to 7.6. Take your time with the Ph level testing and what you add so that you get accurate results. You also need to make your personal safety with such processes a priority.

< Back To Swimming Pools Next Previous