When you get into your swimming pool, you may find that your eyes are burning excessively, or that the water in the pool is not as clear as it is supposed to be, or that your skin is getting dry rather quickly. All of this indicates that you need to start maintaining your custom pool properly. Here are a few simple steps for you to follow to ensure that you do not have any such troubles regarding your custom pool.
Step 1: Maintain optimal level of chlorine in the water
Ensure that chlorine level stays somewhere between one and three ppm. Chlorine has to be added gradually and continually into the water. Dumping large amounts of chlorine into the water at one go can severely destabilize the chemical levels in your pool. This could even lead to your skin getting affected and pipes and various pool apparatus being corroded.
Step 2: Maintain optimal pH levels
Assess the pH level of the pool on a regular basis. Generally, the pH level should stay at around 7.7. If the pH level of the pool falls lower than 7.6, you should probably start thinking about changing the water. Although 7.6 to 7.4 is what is commonly said, these values are suitable for normal water systems for public use, and not for pools. Low pH levels indicate that the water in the swimming pool is becoming acidic and corrosive.
Step 3: Check alkalinity regularly
The alkaline substances that get dissolved in the water of your swimming pool cancel out the effects of the low pH values. The alkalinity level of the pool should be somewhere around 80 to 120 ppm. Check the levels every once in a while to make sure that they do not drop below this value. If they do, it means that the water in your pool has become acidic.
Step 4: Do an annual check on calcium hardness of water
Even high level of calcium can cause your pool water to become corrosive. To avoid such a situation, monitor the calcium level every year to make sure that it stays between 150 and 250 ppm. Fortunately, changing calcium level in the water is not that big a deal. If you have any issue regarding the hardness of water, call up the local water supplier and ask him to come in and check it for you.
