Balancing The Water

You must chemically-balance your pool water. When balanced pool water is being referenced, this refers specifically to the Alkalinity, pH, and Hardness (also called Calcium Hardness) levels being maintained within their respective ideal ranges.

Editor's Note - I own a pool company. Just locally in our market, too many pool owners have stated that their pool water is always balanced and they don't have to adjust the Alkalinity or the pH at all each pool season. I tell them that it is scientifically proven that they do in fact have to balance their pool water - they have to test and adjust the Alkalinity and pH likely multiple times throughout the entire pool season and they have to test the Hardness level at least a few times each pool season and adjust it accordingly - but they reply that they never do...and they go further by stating that they "can just tell" if their pool water is balanced or not just by looking at the pool. How? When I hear this, I tell them that perhaps part of the reason they have now called me is because they neglect testing and adjusting for water balance. Let it be clear that balanced pool water not only helps ensure safe water for swimming, but it also protects the pool structure, waterproofing, equipment, and plumbing pipes. Here is some free advice...acidic water - which is a condition of improper (low) water balance - often does not result in unclear pool water...but this acidic pool water, if left acidic, is certainly damaging your pool structure, waterproofing, equipment, and possibly the plumbing pipes.

You must balance your pool water...and you must maintain that water balance for the entire pool season.

If shocking the pool is the most confusing topic among pool owners - and it is - balancing the water (primarily the relationship between the pH and Alkalinity) is right up there as it too is also very confusing to most pool owners.

Within this pool manual, the following information is available about balancing pool water: