Is Your Swimming Pool Chemistry Where It Should Be?

With spring time temperatures around the corner, Clark County Pool & Lawn wants to make sure your swimming pool is ready for swim season. We understand that when you spend a lot of your hard earned money on a swimming pool, it’s extremely important to keep it clear and most importantly clean. Ultimately, hiring a reputable swimming pool service and repair company should be on the forefront of your mind but we know that some people want to do it on their own. Pools come in various shapes and sizes and some have fancy decorative tile, negative edges, water features and raised hot tubs with spillways so it’s vital to be aware of ways to keeping it look like brand new. First and foremost, chemistry is important and we recommend the Taylor Test Kits to check for adequate amounts of chlorine, pH, cyanuric acid (CYA), and phosphates. Now with spring around the corner, checking chlorine, pH, CYA and total alkalinity should be done weekly along with brushing the tile line, sides of the pool and steps and benches. Netting out debris as soon as possible when bushes and trees bloom is vital to preventing rapid chlorine loss in the pool. You will also want to make sure to empty out the skimmer and pump baskets to allow for proper filtration. Depending on the time of the year, the following are appropriate values to remember when it comes to chemistry:

Chlorine – 1-3ppm (winter) and 3-5ppm (summer)

pH – 7.2 – 7.8

CYA – 30 – 80 ppm

When levels of chlorine fall below recommendations or filtration is compromised algae can begin to grow. If the pH climbs above 7.8 the water can become cloudy and scale on the tile can occur. To prevent possible algae growth now is the time to increase your chlorine levels along with filtration times. Algae can grow quickly as the water gets warmer and as vegetation blooms and falls in the swimming pool.

Finally, CYA which is also known as stabilizer and conditioner for your swimming pool is something that is necessary to help retain chlorine in your swimming pool but the key is knowing what happens when the levels go over what is recommended?  CYA protects the free chlorine from being destroyed by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. It helps reduce the chlorine loss by protecting the free chlorine in the pool from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which in turn reduces the amount of chlorine needed to maintain proper sanitizer levels.  Because of this, cyanuric acid can help reduce the cost of maintaining a safe and clean swimming pool. Depending on whether or not you have a salt system, the normal ranges for CYA in your swimming pool is 30 to 80 parts per million (ppm). But, what happens when those levels are higher than 80ppm? The biggest issue would be the effectiveness of the chlorine to act as a disinfectant.  When you have higher levels of CYA it will bind with the chlorine, making it slower acting to kill bacteria and microorganisms, and prevent algae from growing.  Higher levels will also increase cloudiness in the pool water; making it very susceptible to algae growth and challenges with taking care of your swimming pool. It could also increase the amount of chlorine you will need to use to keep it clear and free of algae growth.

With that said, now is the time to get your water tested and to make sure you start making changes to the way you take care of your swimming pool. Taking care of a swimming pool is much easier when the water is cold compared to when it is warm. Contact us today if you need help with preparing your pool for a great swim season!