How To Raise PH In A Pool

One of the most important activities of pool care is ensuring the chemical balance in the water is well maintained. A well balanced chemistry is vital in keeping your pool clean and also ensuring it is safe for swimming. Chemicals such as chlorine are used in controlling the growth of bacteria and algae in the pool while chemicals such as muriatic acid keep the pH levels of your pool water well balanced.

To maintain your pH levels, you need test strips and a drop kit. It’s also crucial that you keep a consistent volume of water in your pool. A low than normal level of water can make the chemicals high while a higher than normal level can dilute the chemicals and make them less effective. In addition, incorrect water levels also have dangerous effects on circulation and filtration.

The perfect range for pH in the swimming pool water is usually 7.4 to 7.8. If the pH level is kept at that range, the chances of it irritating our eyes when swimming is low. If you have tested you pH and realized that it is low, then you will need to raise it. Your pool water has become acidic and can easily corrode metal surfaces, dissolve concrete and masonry surfaces and strip vinyl pools of their ability to stretch and decrease their lifespan.

Why should you raise pH in pool?

 As earlier stated, if your pool pH is low, then you are exposing your pool equipment to damage. Here are some other problems that low pH in pool water can result to:
• Metal surfaces in your pool such as ladders, railings, screws, pool cover components and light fixtures and any other metal surfaces in the pump and filter are at a risk of corrosion. Plaster gunite, concrete and fiberglass pools can all be affected in different ways such as pitting, etching and delaminating due to low pH. Pools that are vinyl line may become brittle and finally end up cracking and tearing. In addition, stone, coping, masonry surfaces and décor tiling in the pool can dissolve due to the acidity in the pool water as a result of low pH.
• Are you wondering where all the dissolved cement and metal corrosion goes? Well, it gets right into your pool water! Still, the water cannot hold so much contamination and at some point it will show it is totally contaminated. When the water gets completely contaminated, extra metals and dissolved minerals start forming on the walls of the pool as stains and discolorations.
• Low pH in pool water decreases your ability to control total alkalinity since low pH decreases the efficiency of chemicals that are used in balancing alkalinity.
• Swimmers will start complaining about irritation on the eyes and nasal passages due to the low pH levels of the pool water. Furthermore, they will experience dry, itchy and cracked skin as acidic water tends to strip the body of its natural oils.