Water pH - The Chemical Balance Of Your Pool

Everyone has heard about water pH, but what is it really? And why does it affect the quality of your swimming?

What is water pH?

The Hydrogen Potential is an indicator that can be used to check whether a solution is acidic, neutral, or basic. Its scale goes from 0 to 14, and it is neutral when it is 7. A pH is said to be acidic when it is below 7, and basic when it is above 7. It is also referred to as alkaline as a synonym for basic.

Too High pH = Basic Water

Basic water can cause a lot of problems:

• Cloudy or milky water;
• The development of algae;
• Slippery walls;
• It will greatly reduce the effectiveness of chlorine, bromine, active oxygen, and flocculants.

Too Low pH = Acidic Water

Acidic water can also cause a lot of discomfort:

• Water may be aggressive to the skin and eyes;
• Discoloration to pool toys, floats, and swimsuits;
• Early degradation of the pool equipment, which can cause premature failure to pumps or filters.

Did you know?

The pH of Cola is 2.5, just like vinegar. Conversely, soap and bleach are very basic products with a pH of 10 and 12. This is one of the many reasons you should not use bleach in your pool!

Why Maintain It At The Ideal Level?

It is suggested that the pH of a swimming pool should be between 7.2 and 7.6, the ideal being a level of 7.4, which corresponds to the pH of tears. Water with a pH of 7.4 will, therefore, be harmless not only to the eyes but also to the skin.

Chlorine is impacted directly by the importance of maintaining a good pH. Chlorine, which helps to disinfect water, works best when the pH of the water is between 7.2 and 7.4.

Ways To Control and Regulate It

There are several ways to measure the pH of your pool. Traditional test strips, pH testers, and electronic analyzers. For more information, see the article How to measure the pH of your pool.

In order to change the pH of water, products called acidity booster (pH-) and basicity booster (pH+), also commonly known as pH Down and pH Up are used. These products are to be used with precision and only when the Alkalinity and Hardness of the water have been checked.