Why weekly checks on your Pools pH Levels?

Home Repair Articles | June 25, 2009

You should check your pools pH level at least weekly if not every day. It is important that you maintain a correct pH level in all polls if people are going to be swimming in them. High pH levels as well as low pH levels can cause danger to those swimming. The swimming pools pH level can be tested with a kit that will also test the chlorine level, which also must be maintained. Whether you have an in ground pool or an above ground pool, you must keep the pools level correct to prevent harm to swimmers.

Importance of Checking the Swimming Pools pH

The pools pH level helps to keep the pool free of algae. If the acidic level is low then algae can grow, but if the pH is high, the water will have to much alkaline in the water, which can cause black areas on the waterline surface and will cause burning of the nose and eyes. The water can become cloudy and unsafe to swim in for anyone. When the swimming pools pH is high, it causes the calcium and carbonates in the water to form the black areas, which when left untouched can trap dirt and become hazardous to swimmers.

pH Unbalance

When you check the pools pH level, you should have a reading above 7.2 and under 7.6. If the pH level is out of this range, it is unsafe for swimming. If the reading is under 7.2, the pH is low and must be raised. If the pH is above 7.6, it is to high and must be lowered. You can use a test kit to check the pH level as well as the chlorine levels. This should be done weekly or if you notice that the water is cloudy or black spots are appearing around the water surface. If you have any burning in the nose or eyes, it is time to check the levels.

Correcting the Pools pH Level

You should have chemicals on hand to raise the pools pH level and to lower the levels. This chemical is part of the chemical package you should have for your swimming pool when the pool is in use. You will follow the directions on the specific chemical. Follow the directions precisely so that you can correct the problem and make the water safe for swimming. This is very important if you are going to keep the water safe.

If you notice that your pool water is cloudy or you start seeing black spots around the pools waterline, you should immediately check the pools pH levels and make sure that the level is between the desired ranges. If the swimming pools pH is too high, you should add the pH reducer or use the pH chemical for raising the pH before allowing any swimmers in the pool. Check the levels weekly or twice a week depending on use. If you do this, you should keep the pool clean and it will not cause any discomfort to anyone swimming.

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If you have a pool or just had a new pool installed, you need to have some pool cleaning instructions to make things easier. You may not know all the techniques or the equipment needed for pool cleaning. poolcleaningguide.com will help you with this often tedious task.