It’s Spring! Here’s a Quick Recap on Pool Chemicals

With pool season just around the corner, we thought it would be a good idea to do a quick refresher on how to best keep your swimming pool clean.

Balancing Pool Chemicals

The best way to keep your water sparkling clean is through the use of pool chemicals. However, balancing these chemicals is what’s most important. If you add too much, your water will be cloudy and can burn the skin and eyes. If you add too little, the water won’t be sanitary.

Testing your pool water should be done 2-3 times a week to ensure comfort, safety and sanitization. It’s a commitment, but this will help you get the most out of your investment. No one wants to swim in dirty water, after all.

Fortunately, today’s pool testing strips making testing your water relatively easy. Dip the strips into the water to check for calcium levels, sanitizer levels, pH and total alkalinity.

Sanitizing Your Pool Water

Calcium

Chlorine is the most popular way to sanitize a pool, and for good reason. Chlorine products won’t break down in the sunlight, and they sanitize and kill bacteria. Chlorine also helps keep the water clean and clear. It’s available in a variety of forms, including tablets and sticks.

Bromine

Another way to sanitize pool water is with bromine. Bromine is a reliable way to keep your pool clean, but it’s best for warm water and spas. Bromine remains active longer than chlorine, but it does have some limitations. If you plan on using bromine, you should have an automatic brominator installed. Also, it’s not available in all markets, and it’s more costly to purchase.

Shocking Your Swimming Pool

Shocking your pool is another way to keep it clean. It’s a critical step you can’t miss.

Shocking refers to the process of adding chlorine chemicals to raise the level to a point where contaminants are destroyed. These contaminants can include algae, combined chlorine and bacteria that come from people, the environment and other factors.

It’s also recommended that you add algaecide after every shock treatment so that you prevent any additional growth of algae.

There are other chemicals that you don’t want to ignore, such as those that help with metals, alkalinity, calcium hardness and pH balance.

If you need help with anything, call Paradise Pools. We are pros at keeping pool water sparkling clean, and we can recommend the right steps based on how your water is testing. You may also find that one of our maintenance plans will save you time and money, so ask about them when you call!