The Complete Guide to Pool Chemical Usage
Why does a pool require chemicals?
Owning a pool is like managing your own private tiny ecosystem, but with the added complexity that you want it to be clean, clear, safe, and most importantly, pleasant to swim in for humans, not frogs. A pump or filtration system which removes large debris and particles from the water is critical, but not enough to keep your pool in perfect harmony. Weather, debris, sunscreen, and how often you swim, are constantly changing the chemical balance of the water. The only way to keep these levels in check is by manually testing it regularly, and balancing any irregularities by adding specific chemicals.
How do I know which chemicals are required in my pool?
The easiest way to find out which chemicals your pool may need is through conducting regular testing of the water. We would recommend the following testing regime to make sure that your water is always in perfect balance:
Chlorine level: Weekly
pH level: Weekly
Acid demand test: Weekly, unless pH levels is above or close to 7.6
Total alkalinity: Weekly, unless pH levels is below or under 7.2.
Calcium hardness: Monthly
Cyanuric acid levels: Monthly
Total dissolved solids (TDS): Monthly
Chemical mistakes to avoid in your pool
Pool maintenance can be quite confusing at times, especially with all of the chemicals involved, it’s not uncommon for mistakes (or in serious cases) accidents to happen. We’ll often get frantic calls from people who aren’t clients asking us to come fix the acid disaster they created or the green swamp they gave up on 6 months ago. That’s why we work almost exclusively with weekly maintenance clients who trust us to handle all the water testing and chemical treatments. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see when pool chemicals are used improperly...
Adding Shock Directly Into The Pool Water:
Adding shock directly to the pool water if you have a vinyl liner can be a disaster. The shock granules will sink the bottom and bleach out your liner. The bleached area becomes brittle and frail, causing leaks. We always recommend mixing the shock in a bucket of water to make sure that it is completely dissolved before adding it to your pool. An important note, always remember to add shock to water and not the other way around to avoid potential harmful splashback.
Ignoring Your pH and Alkalinity Levels:
Even if the water looks clear and sparkling, it doesn’t mean that the chemistry is in perfect balance. Pools with a low or high pH can damage equipment like pool covers, filters, chlorinators and in extreme cases the pool itself. Imbalances also cause skin and eye irritation.
Adding Pool Shock Through Your Skimmer:
This is extremely dangerous, please avoid it at all costs. Make sure to add your shock as far as possible away from your skimmer, especially if you have a chlorinator. When calcium hypochlorite or dichlor (the active ingredient in shock) combine with chlorine, a rapidly expanding gas is formed which can cause an explosion in a confined space, like in your skimmer. Please be careful.
Not Leveraging the Calcium Hardness In Your Pool Water
As with balancing your pool's pH balance, making sure that the calcium hardness is at the correct level is just as important. Calcium hardness is an essential part of having a clear, clean, and safe swimming pool. Pools with low calcium levels become corrosive over time. This results in damage to the pool surfaces and equipment especially exposed plaster surfaces. Once these surfaces become rough from damage, they’re the perfect breeding ground for black algae and will cause you endless frustration.
How does pool chemical usage differ from summer to winter
In the hotter months, weather and frequent dips in the pool use up more chlorine than in the colder months, thus you need to pay more attention to the chemical balances of your pool. In winter when your pool is mostly covered, your pool has a far less demand for chemicals, but you should still run your pump for the minimum required time. Another common problem in winter is that your pool water becomes saturated with chlorine. A high level of chlorine in the water can damage your pool cover and other equipment. We recommend removing your pool cover during the winter months for at least one day a week to prevent this from happening.
How to avoid high pool chemical costs
The simplest way to avoid high pool maintenance costs is to make sure that your water is in perfect balance, you can quickly find out what your pool is lacking through a comprehensive water quality test. For instance, if the pH of your water is above 7.6, it’s going to be very hard to keep your pool at the optimal chlorine level of 1 - 3 parts per million, without constantly having to buy and add more chlorine. Having just one chemical out of balance will have a knock-on effect which could become quite costly if not remedied.
Why you should trust an expert (like Clean My Pool) with your pool chemical treatment
Owning and maintaining a pool can be a daunting experience. If done incorrectly, it will involve more chemistry experiments, cleaning and costly repairs than actual swimming. Clean My Pool offers an easy weekly maintenance service that removes the stress from owning a pool. As part of our plan, we handle all of the water testing, chemicals, cleaning and equipment. One of the many benefits being that you don’t store any potentially harmful chemicals on your property. Our number one priority is the safety of your family, closely followed by you spending more time having fun in your pool than working on your pool.
A comprehensive breakdown of the most commonly used pool chemicals
*These are standard chemicals that we currently make use of. Please note that each pool and treatment scenario is different and this article is not intended to be used as advice for how to handle your specific pool. As the pool care industry evolves, so do we and the products that we use and recommend. If you have any questions about your pool or would like us to provide an assessment please contact us.