Have you ever opened your eyes underwater in a swimming pool only to have to close them again quickly because they instantly start to burn? Contrary to what a lot of people think, this burning sensation isn’t caused by too much chlorine in the pool, but by too much acid.
The measure of how acid or alkaline your swimming pool is, is called pH. It is one of the most important factors in pool water balance and should be checked at least once a week. You can buy easy-to-use pH testing kits at your local pool shop or supermarket, and the process takes less than a minute – yet it makes a huge difference to your enjoyment of your pool.
The ideal pH for a swimming pool is 7.2. This is also the exact pH of our eyes, so water that is correctly balanced between acid and alkaline won’t burn when we open our eyes under water.
Pools that are too acidic (i.e. they have low pH) may not have any visible symptoms, and can be deceptively clear, blue and sparkling, but acidic water can have many detrimental effects:
- Acidic pool water corrodes Marbelite or plaster finishes, creating rough surfaces on which algae just loves to grow. The same thing can happen to the grouting in between pool tiles.
- Acid neutralises the sanitising effect of chlorine, so you have to use more and more to keep your pool healthy. This is just wasting time and money.
- Acidic water causes your automatic pool cleaner, pump connections, hoses and other fittings to corrode and ultimately perish.
It is equally as much of a problem when the pH in the pool is too high, resulting in the water being too alkaline:
- Water can become cloudy or murky.
- Calcium in the water combines with carbonates and forms scale, just like inside our kettles. Over time, this collects at the waterline, trapping dirt and dust and turning an unsightly black colour.
- Over time, this same calcium carbonate effectively turns your pool filter sand into cement, reducing its ability to filter debris from the water.
At Pool Spa and Filtration Supplies, we stock a wide range of swimming pool pumps, filters, automatic cleaners and other equipment to replace those damaged by incorrect pH levels. We can also advise you on how to keep your pool at its optimum pH balance, so why not have a chat to us today. We’d love to help.