Water Treatment

People are lead to believe, chemicals make for a beautiful pool. Chemicals play a very important roll in water maintenance, but filtration is number one in pool maintenance. 

95% of pool problems are related to filtration. Poor filtration, short filter runs, bad sand etc. 
Don't be mislead in to believing by running your pump for short periods is going to save you money. 
It probably will save money on electricity, then you have to spend money on chemicals to try and maintain your water....false economy. Rather run your pump that extra few hours and save on chemicals. 


Total Alkalinity
The most important part of water chemistry is the level of total alkalinity otherwise known as the buffer. The buffer is there to prevent pH bounce, much like a shock absorber on a car. If your buffer is low, the pH becomes unstable and has a tendency to be high one minute and low the next, this is known as pH bounce. In the case of a low buffer the water becomes very acidic and corrosive one minute leading to the pool and equipment being eroded away and high the next, which can cause staining. In the case of a high buffer the pH is difficult to adjust down and scaling may occur.

pH....this has been explained in great detail in the following article 
                                        Courtesy of Zodiac
              a special thank you to (Tommy Zodiac Marketing Department) 
                             Swimming pool care                         
                                   A guide to perfect pH balance 

Balance and harmony is the key to living. The same goes for your pool water. If everything is balanced, you will avoid a lot of potential issues such as cloudiness and algae.

Maintaining the pH balance in your pool water will ensure you get the most out of your sanitising chemicals.
Florence Kalitera from Zodiac Pool Care says water balance is important for a number of reasons.
She says not only does it help sanitise chemicals (i.e. chlorine and bromine) to work effectively but it also decreases the chance for water problems like cloudiness and algae growth.
She says it also prolongs the life of your pool equipment.
Florence shares tips on how to properly balance pool water…
 
Keep your pool chemicals working
Maintaining the pH balance in your pool water will ensure you get the most out of your sanitising chemicals.
For instance, in pools with a low pH, your water is more acidic and will eat up the sanitiser faster. This doesn’t give your sanitiser enough time to do its job properly.

Swimming pool water needs to be balanced, as such, it’ll start taking what it needs from PVC, vinyl, concrete and other parts of the pool, which will corrode and deteriorate your pool and equipment.
 
Fight against cloudy water and algae growth
If the pool water is acidic, and your sanitising chemical (chlorine) isn’t’ working as well as it should, then you are opening yourself up to water issues.
Your sanitiser’s job is to keep these issues at bay by constantly killing off the bacteria and debris that cause them.
 
Protect your equipment
Low pH causes acidic pool water. If this is the case, the swimming pool water will do whatever it takes to increase its pH level.
Swimming pool water needs to be balanced, as such, it’ll start taking what it needs from PVC, vinyl, concrete and other parts of the pool, which will corrode and deteriorate your pool and equipment.
In fact, most manufacturers’ equipment warranties do not cover damage due to low pH.

If your pool is properly balanced, you won't need goggles to swim under water because the water will be as balanced as your tears.
On the other side, if your pH is high, this can cause scaling. Swimming pool water will try to get rid of everything that’s making it alkaline, so it leaves a film around PVC pipes, heater elements, concrete and liners.
Extra scaling in your pool’s heater will cause it to use more energy to heat itself. It’s like clogging your pool’s arteries from ingesting too much unhealthy food.
 
How to balance pool water
The first step to achieving perfect water balance is testing. If it’s the start of the pool season, take a sample of your water to your nearest pool store to have it professionally analysed. You should do this at least once a month and you should test your water at home with a test kit or test strips at least once a week.

pH
This is a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Your pool water should be between 7.4 and 7.6 on the pH scale, which would properly balance the water out.
If your pool is properly balanced, when you open your eyes underwater, they will not burn. The water will be as balanced as your tears.

Total Alkalinity
This is a pH stabiliser. It helps to keep the pH from moving up and down the scale rapidly. The problem with pH is that everything can affect it including animals, humans, plants and the weather.
By keeping your alkalinity levels between 100 and 150 ppm (parts per million), you will help to maintain your pool’s pH balance.
But remember, these numbers can change quickly, especially after rain. So, make sure you keep an eye on your water balance.
By maintaining balance and harmony in your pool water, you will increase its life and avoid major water issues.