Earlier this summer we had mentioned in our blog about algae that if you are still having cloudy water issues, you may have phosphates.  If your water chemistry is balanced (pH and alkalinity in range), but still suffer from rapid loss of chlorine and cloudy water, you may have a high phosphate reading.  This can cause problems. 

What the heck are phosphates, you ask? 

Phosphates are described as one of the most common elements on earth and are essential to life.  They are found “naturally in food, water, and even human bodies.”  Phosphates can be introduced into your pool water by rain runoff, dirt, soil, bird, and animal droppings, or decaying organisms.  Also, through the tap water that we use to fill our pools.  Phosphates are essential to all life, even algae life, and you cannot escape them.  But, they are considered a high-powered fertilizer for algae and can eat up your chlorine.  Therefore, it’s essential to maintain and monitor the levels of phosphates in your pool.

How do you maintain a high phosphate issue?

Keep your water balanced, maintain your sanitizer levels, shock weekly, and use an algaecide.  But, don’t be mistaken!  You can have a high level of phosphates in your water, without affecting the chlorine levels.  And, although it’s not going to cure algae issues, it will remove one contributor to the problem. 

How do you know your phosphate level?

You can bring a sample of your water down to Dolphin Pool & Spa, and we will test it, free of charge, to determine if you have levels of phosphates that will cause issues.  We also carry a variety of phosphate removers, such as BioGuard’s Pool Tonic and Sea Klear’s Commercial Phosphate Remover.

Want to learn more about phosphates?

Watch Dolphin Pool & Spa’s YouTube video on phosphates here:

Despite how it sounds shocking a pool has nothing to do with electricity or with revealing something completely unexpected.

Shocking is the process of adding chemicals (usually chlorine) to your pool to:

• break apart chloramines, also known as combined chlorine
• quickly raise your chlorine level
• kill algae, bacteria or other harmful pathogens

Water Testing.

Your pool water is continuously changing due to conditions such as the weather and the swimmers you have.  There are a lot of things that will affect your pool’s water chemistry, which is why it is a good idea to test the levels frequently.  The more often you check your water’s levels, the better chance you have of getting that crystal-clear pool water you desire.  
    
Before we begin describing the different ways to check your levels, it’s important to let you know what desired range you are looking for on the results. The most important levels to be monitored, other than the sanitizer (chlorine, bromine) levels, are pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness.  The desired range for pH is 7.2 to 7.8, total alkalinity should range from 80 ppm to 120 ppm, and your calcium hardness should range from 180 ppm to 220 ppm.  These four are the necessary levels that should be monitored to achieve the desired crystal-clear water.  It’s suggested that you check your pH and chlorine levels two or three times a week, alkalinity should be tested if the pH has fluctuated, and once a month testing for calcium hardness is sufficient.    

There are several different ways to check your water, ranging from simple test strips to the more detailed tests that you can have completed at Dolphin Pool & Spa.  Test strips are the easiest to use but don’t always give the most exact readings.  Test strips are dipped into the pool water, and the color changing material on the strip will change depending on the various chemical levels in the water.  Some people find them to be irritating because they don’t give you an exact number, others appreciate their ease of use.  Another simple way is the DPD drop test kit.  Drop test kits use reagents that give you a level depending on the number of drops it takes to turn a water sample a specific color.  These can give a more detailed reading, but not as accurate as the digital readers.  Digital readers are easy to use and give results in numbers, not colors.  Water and liquid reagents, like the ones used in drop test kits, are added to a test tube which is then placed in the digital reader.  The digital reader can use the color to read the levels.  Each digital reader works differently, but it is important to have them calibrated regularly for accurate results.

Don’t forget that Dolphin Pool & Spa offers water testing, at no cost, with the purchase of chemicals.  We can check your chlorine/bromine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid levels, along with the amounts of metals present in your water.  Having a better idea of where your pool water levels are at, will make it easier to treat any problems you may encounter.  So, stop by our store during our business hours for a free water test.  We hope to see ya soon!

There are many things that must be maintained when owning a pool and maintaining the water, and its levels, are a major item to address.  There are several levels to maintain (alkalinity, pH, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and chlorine) but one of the most important to monitor is the pH level.  The level of your pool’s pH is linked to swimmer comfort, effectiveness of chlorine, and equipment longevity and maintenance.  We hope the answers to these questions regarding pH help you in your pool adventures!

What is pH?  The pH level is essentially the concentration of hydrogen ions in your water, or potential hydrogen (pH).  Without getting all scientific, the optimal level of pH is 7, and at that level the number of hydrogen ions is equal to the hydroxide ions.  pH levels range from basic to acidic with a level of 0 to 14, 0 representing alkaline, or basic water, and 14 representing acidic water.  In relation to pool water, you want slightly alkaline water with a pH level of 7.4 to 7.6. (Did you know? The pH level of your eye is about 7.2 to 7.4!)

What happens if your pool’s pH is too low or too high?  Other than irritating the eyes of your swimmers, a low pH level can make the water aggressive and eventually damage the equipment, mechanical components, and pool liner.  If your pH is too high, it can result in low effectiveness of your chlorine, cause skin irritation and cloudiness of the water.  

What will affect your pool’s pH?  When you add chlorine, liquid or granular, it is going to affect your pH levels by raising it.  An increase in water temperature can also increase your pH levels. Being aware of what is going to affect your pool’s pH levels is helpful when trying to maintain the level of 7.4 to 7.6.

What do you do to adjust your pool’s pH?  If it’s too low, you want to raise it by adding soda ash (sodium carbonate), or BioGuard’s Balance Pak 200.  If it’s above the range of 7.4-7.6, you can lower the pH by adding liquid muriatic acid.  The general rule of muriatic acid is, about 1/10 of a gallon, or 12 ounces, of muriatic acid will lower 10,000 gallons of water by 0.2.  A dry acid alternative is a granular pH decreaser like, BioGuard’s Lo ‘n Slo.

Watch Dolphin Pool & Spa’s YouTube video on pH here: