Although the best part of having a swimming pool is being able to cool off, swim laps and generally frolic in the water, none of this would be able to take place if it weren’t for regular additions of pool chemicals. Even if you filled your pool with clean, freshwater and vacuumed and skimmed it every day you would not be able to keep the water safe without adding chemicals. So, to get more familiar with swimming pool additives, we’ve come up with an article entitled, “Pool Chemicals: What Do They Do?”
Chlorine
Chlorine is the most common swimming pool chemical. Chlorine is used to sanitize the water. It does this by killing contaminants such as algae, bacteria, and viruses by the process of oxidation. The ideal level of chlorine in pool water is 3 parts per million (ppm.)
Cyanuric Acid
Cyanuric acid is a chlorine stabilizer. Chlorine is quickly burnt off by the sun and high temperatures, so using cyanuric acid you can make your chlorine last much longer – especially when it’s sunny out. This will save you from having to add as much chlorine to the water. You don’t want the cyanuric acid levels going over 100 ppm.
Bromine
Bromine is another sanitizer that works by ionizing contaminants rather than oxidizing them. Bromine is more resistant to breaking down than chlorine, so lasts longer on sunny days. Although bromine is known as an alternative to chlorine, using bromine will not completely remove your dependence on chlorine. Bromine levels should be between 3 and 5 ppm.
pH Increaser and Decreaser
You need to keep an eye on your pH levels to ensure the other pool chemicals can do their jobs properly. There are many things that can affect pH including rain, skin oils, dirt, etc. Ideally, you want your pool water pH to be between 7.4 and 7.6. pH increaser and decreaser can be added to the water to get the pH levels correct.
Alkalinity Increaser
Total alkalinity acts as a buffer to prevent your pH levels from rising and falling erratically. When your total alkalinity levels are correct, it will absorb any changes in the water chemistry before it begins to affect the pH levels. If the total alkalinity levels get too low, you can simply add alkalinity increaser. The total alkalinity level should be between 100 and 150 ppm.
Muriatic Acid
Muriatic acid can be added to the pool water if the total alkalinity levels are so high that pH decreaser doesn’t affect them. Muriatic acid will lower both total alkalinity and pH levels. Muriatic acid should be diluted before added to the deep end of the pool. You’ll also want to ensure the water pump is off during this process. After a half-hour of adding the muriatic acid, you can turn the pump back on to prevent any damage to the pool floor.