Simply stated, water balance is a term used to describe the ideal condition of pool water. “Balanced” water has just the right amount of pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and dissolved solids in relationship to its temperature.
There is a fancy calculation for determining if your water is completely balanced. It’s called the Langelier Saturation Index; use the calculator below to see if your water is balanced. click here for instructions.
There is a fancy calculation for determining if your water is completely balanced. It’s called the Langelier Saturation Index; use the calculator below to see if your water is balanced. click here for instructions.
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For regular maintenance it’s a good idea to test your water at least weekly and make sure these necessary water elements are within the following ranges (use jpg of guidelines chart.
The Difference Between pH and Alkalinity
pH is the abbreviation for “potential hydrogen” and the reading indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Basically, it is the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is. Total alkalinity is the measure of how stable the pH is. It measures the pool water’s buffering capacity to resist pH changes. Without control of the total alkalinity, the pH will rise and fall abruptly, or totally lock in place.
Everything that enters your pool has a pH that can raise or lower the total pH of the pool. The following is a list of possible culprits that could be giving you a difficult time in maintaining pH between the desired range of 7.2 and 7.8.
• Tap water, depending on the area of the country, can either have a low or high pH
• Overestimating the amount of pH Decreaser or pH Increaser needed is often the problem
• Using chlorine tablets (Trichlor), or bromine tend to lower pH over time, while using shocks like Calcium Hypochlorite or Lithium Hypochlorite may raise the pH over time.
• High bather loads will tend to lower pH.
• Swimmer wastes, such as perspiration, urine, saliva and other body oils will also lower pH.
• A high alkalinity reading will raise the pH.
• Dirt, debris or leaves that blow into the pool as well as rain that is often acidic will lower pH.
Calcium Hardness
Calcium Hardness (or Total Hardness), as the name implies, refers to the hardness of the water, measuring the amount of mainly calcium. Swimming pools require hard water – defined as water with more than 100 ppm of hardness ions. Like pH and alkalinity, calcium hardness affects the tendency of pool water to be corrosive when it is low and scale forming when it is high.
Quick Guide To Water Balancing
a. Test for pH – if higher than 7.8 add muratic acid or a pH Decreaser. If lower than 7.2 add soda ash or a pH Increaser.
b. Test for Total Alkalinity – if higher than 120 add muratic acid or pH Decreaser. If lower than 60, add sodium bicarbonate or a TA Increaser.
c. Test for Calcium Hardness – if higher than 400, partially drain some pool water and refill. If lower than 150, add a Hardness Increaser.
d. Periodically take a sample of your pool water to a professional test station to confirm the water maintains its balance.
