Pool Alkalinity: Why and How to Correct It
Pool alkalinity is crucial for any pool owner. If you have an unstable pH, for example, this can be due to high alkalinity. He is a brief guide to mastering this important parameter.
Pool Alkalinity: Definition
Complete alkalimetric strength(TAC) refers to the volume of acidity necessary to neutralize the bicarbonate ions in addition to the carbonate ions CO32– contained in 100 ml d 'water."
Wikipedia
In other words, the TAC is an indicator of the alkalinity of your water (the alkalinity of the water designating its concentration of carbonate and bicarbonate ions).
Pool alkalinity is an essential because it has a direct impact on the pH. Balance is indeed important to enjoy swimming and maintain the effectiveness of cleaning products.
Improperly regulated alkalinity causes excessive variations in pH (known as the “yoyo effect”). As a result, you could end up with cloudy water, hard water, or green algae.
Achieving Balance
In order to maintain a balanced alkalinity, it will be necessary to measure its rate using a test strip. As a reminder, this rate must be between 80 and 120 ppm.
Low alkalinity? Add an alkalinity booster to bring the concentration back within the recommended range.
If it is too high, start by aerating your pool as much as possible, this can bring the level back down. If this is not enough, you can add pH-. You may need to "insist" heavily and it happens that large quantities of pH- are necessary to get to an acceptable level.
Details
We advise to carry out a progressive treatment: finish a treatment before starting another. Also, be sure to consider the indicators: alkalinity can be expressed in ppm either in mg/l or ºf. The conversion rule is 1ºf = 10ppm = 10 mg/l.
Still Have Questions?
If you need more info over alkalinity, here is another article. Our blog includes dozens of pool-related articles! Don't forget to check them out!
Who Are We?
Iopool is a Belgian company active in pool chemicals. We also launch a pool monitor that analyses your pool parameters every 15 minutes! Here is our website for more information.
