Pool owners and property managers at apartment properties or hotels with commercial pools all across Orange County must frequently feel like the maintenance of a swimming pool can be a daunting task. However, you needn't be a chemistry major to properly chlorinate your pool, or even to regularly check its pH level to ensure that you are providing the ideal situation to increase the potential for healthy pool water – you might just need a proper pool technician to serve your commercial water features.
Many pool owners/ managers make the common mistake of thinking that a cloudy pool, or complaints of itchy skin or red eyes, directly correlate to having too much chlorine in the pool. However, this is not the case at all. Generally pH levels are the culprit, being too high or even too low. There must be a perfect balance, and the contaminants that enter a swimming pool on a daily basis can very easily interrupt this balance.
And while Orange County pool and spa services will gladly handle any part of your swimming pool maintenance, anyone in charge of the day-to-day care of a pool will soon learn that, with a little practice, the aspect of personally maintaining a swimming pool is not really that frustrating as it may initially seem. In fact, producing clear water can be quite rewarding.
To ensure that your swimming pool with sparkle in the sunlight this season, and also provide water that will not irritate the skin or the eyes, a proper regimen to maintain the correct pH level can easily be achieved.
But before a pool owner can even attempt to maintain good pH levels, it is helpful to first understand exactly what a pH level is and how it influences the chemical structure of the water in a swimming pool. The pH level measures exactly how acidic or alkaline the water is in its current state. Much like the human body, swimming pool water is at its best when it is in the neutral zone. Anything from rain to leaves to suntan lotion can throw off the pH level, bringing it out of the neutral zone and into either a more acidic or alkaline level.
To begin with, always remember that your pool must have a good acid-alkalinity balance. Too much acid will cause corrosion, and if it is too alkaline, it will cause cloudiness and scaling, a high concentration of mineral deposits, across the surface of the water or the pool walls.
Whether you are in Stanton or in Westminster, the first step is to locate an Orange County pool supply store close to you, where you may purchase a kit that will allow you to test your pool water's pH level. You may even bring your kit back to have a professional look at the results if you think this is necessary, but doing this at home is fairly simple as long as you follow the detailed instructions that will accompany your kit. Most pool professionals suggest using the drop kit versus the strip kit, which can easily be misread, especially by a beginner.
When reading the test, keep in mind that professional pool experts suggest a pH level somewhere between 7.2 and 7.8.
Burning of the nose and eyes can be a sign of low pH levels. It can also cause hair to become brittle. Yet worst of all, it can also cause chlorine not to work as effectively as it would if the pH levels were higher. If the test also shows low levels, consult with your pool maintenance specialist to find the proper product to raise these levels. If your pool has a heater, remember that low pH levels can cause corrosion, which can be especially damaging to a pool's heating system. You can consult an Orange County heater repair professional should there seem to be any problems.
Cloudy water is typically the most obvious sign of a high pH level. Irritation to the eyes and the skin may also occur when the Ph levels are too high. Again, if the test also notes the high level, purchase a pool pH down from an Orange County pool supply store.
Stay with a good schedule for pool maintenance, and be sure to test the pH level at least two times per week for optimum results. Remember that it is always easier to maintain a good level, rather than to go into a panic when the pH levels are so far off that the situation may not be fixed so quickly.