Chemistry
Swim Rite Pools carry a full line of chemicals and the knowledge to work with any problems that you may be facing!
WATER BALANCE
Water balance prevents corrosion/scale, protects investment, and provides sparkling water. Balanced pool water whose chemical properties are adjusted to help provide the most favorable conditions for pleasant swimming. The following properties must be considered and kept at specific levels.
They are:
- Chlorine/Bromine Level or Baquacil
- Ph
- Total Alkalinity
- Calcium Hardness
- Stabilizer (Chlorine Pool)
- Copper
- Iron
- Total Dissolved Solids
CHLORINE & BROMINE:
They destroy harmful bacteria as well as algae, keeping your pool clean & clear. It is recommended that you use tablets and shock whether you use chlorine or bromine, for the best sanitation results. Tablets are meant to be kept in the pool 24/7 unless told otherwise. Shock is meant to be used once a week, after heavy rain or heavy use. This is the best way to maintain your pool.
BAQUACIL:
Baquacil is a highly effective polymeric swimming pool sanitizer and algistat that contains no chlorine and is highly stable in use. Baquacil is derived from the same basic chemistry found in several pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. In fact, the active ingredient is used in some contact lens cleaning solutions. Unlike halogen sanitizers (chlorine, bromine) Baquacil is not affected by sunlight, temperature, or pH fluctuations. Baquacil provides better and more consistent bacteria control. Finally, Baquacil eliminates some of the problems associated with chlorine, such as bleaching of hair, fabrics, or vinyl liners. And you’ll be far less likely to experience skin or eye irritation.
PH:
The PH of water is a measure of its acidity or basicity. Factors such as rain, dust, swimmer’s wastes, and algae affect a pool’s ph. The PH range runs from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral (that is, not acidic or basic.) PH must be maintained within recommended range to ensure bather comfort and prevent corrosion and scaling.
TOTAL ALKALINITY:
Total Alkalinity refers to the ability of the pool water to resist change in PH. The key purpose is to help manage or control the PH in the pool. It does this by acting as a buffer so that when materials are added to a pool that would otherwise cause the PH to go up or down, these changes are controlled and do not result in severe changes to pool water balance.
CALCIUM HARDNESS:
The sum of all the calcium dissolved in water is referred to as calcium hardness. Calcium is important since high levels are unstable, if the pH or the total alkalinity rise above the normal levels. These imbalances can result in cloudy water and or scale. With the difficulty’s calcium can cause it would seem logical to use soft water to fill a pool. However , this is NOT the case! High calcium levels are harmful but so are low calcium levels, the water can become aggressive and will remove calcium from plaster. It is best to keep calcium in range of 200-400.
STABILIZER / CYA
Stabilizer/Cyanuric Acid/CYA is a chemical added to swimming pool water to slow the loss of Chlorine due to sunlight. CYA is also known as stabilizer, Cyanuric Acid, Isocyanic Acid, or CYA. Chlorine is a highly active chemical and is easily dissipated by the ultra-violet energy in sunlight. But when CYA is used as a stabilizer in pool water, the useful life of Chlorine is extended significantly. The generally accepted range for cyanuric acid is from 20 to 50ppm. High CYA can drop out and cause a purple dust in the pool. To remove high CYA requires that a portion of the pool water be drained.
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS
Total dissolved solids (TDS) are normally the least worrisome factor. TDS is the sum of all materials dissolved in the water and normally runs in the range of 250ppm or higher. TDS is comprised of many different chemical compounds, which means that the issue of how much is too much actually depends more on what they consist of, than how much there is. At elevated levels, TDS can lead to cloudy or hazy water, difficulty in maintaining water balance, reduction in sanitizer activity and foaming. Unfortunately, the only way to reduce TDS is to drain a portion of the water replace it with fresh water. Sequestering agents do not help when high TDS levels are causing cloudy water.
Want more information? Take a look at our Pool and Hot Tub Care 101. Full of knowledge about owning a Pool or Spa and how to take care of it!
