Water Chemistry Info

Pool Water Chemistry Levels

Understanding The Chemicals in Your Pool

B.M. Wemple Pools is here to help you balance your Orlando pool. Whether you’re a new pool owner or need a refresher, refer to this quick guide. For more in-depth instructions and help balancing the water chemistry in your pool, contact our team. We’re proudly serving Orlando and the surrounding communities with professional pool maintenance, repairs, cleanings, and more.

Water Balancing

Water balancing is how different chemical parameters interact with each other in your pool. It’s a simple, straightforward exercise to make sure your water is safe. The water in your pool is constantly changing from outside forces. These include:

• Weather
• Oils
• Dirt
• Cosmetics
• Debris
• Chemicals

Pools are designed, so you don't have to fully change out the water for years. This means that you have to carefully balance what’s in your water. Filtration and disinfecting your pool by regularly cleaning and maintaining it helps keep the water clear and beautiful but does not balance your water’s chemistry, which is important for the contaminants you cannot see. Pool balancing includes proper levels of pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Balanced water is neither corrosive nor scaling. The water will dissolve and hold minerals until it becomes saturated and cannot hold anymore. A proper test kit will let you know if your water is over-saturated, in which it will attempt to release its mineral content. The test kits measure your chemical parameters of alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness.

pH Levels

Your pool’s pH level is the measurement of how acidic or basic the water is. pH falls on a logarithmic scale ranging from 0-14. 7 is neutral. Ph values above 7 are considered basic (alkaline), whereas pH levels below 7 are defined as acidic.

Everything that goes into your pool has a pH level. We must adjust the water in our pools in accordance with safe pH levels for swimming that also eliminates harmful contaminants like bacteria and scale formation.

Total Alkalinity

Alkalinity is the measurement of all the carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and other alkaline substances found in your pool’s water. It is the ability of your water to resist changes in pH values. This is also known as water’s buffering capacity. In short, this is what keeps your pool’s water’s pH levels from rising and decreasing at extreme values. Alkalinity is measured in ppm, or parts per million. You should maintain your water’s alkalinity in the 80-120ppm range for concrete pools and 100-140ppm for painted, fiberglass, and vinyl pools. Always test your alkalinity levels weekly.

Calcium Hardness

Have you noticed calcium scale deposits on the surfaces of your pool? This is a combination of carbonate ions, resulting from hard water. Hard water has high levels of calcium and magnesium in it. In a pool, this is particularly an issue as it results in your pool’s water becoming saturated and throwing off excess particles that then deposits on your pool’s surface. It’s important to balance your pool’s calcium hardness to avoid these deposits. You can accomplish this by draining old water and adding “softer” water with a lower calcium hardness level. If your levels are too low, you can add calcium chloride. The recommended calcium hardness in your pool is 200-400ppm. As with all levels, you should test this monthly.

Trust The Professionals

While we provide this helpful information to you, it's always best to leave your pool's levels to professionals. The team at B.M. Wemple Pools has years of experience maintaining safe, healthy levels in our clients' pools. We conduct routine maintenance, cleaning, and balancing to keep your pool looking great all year round. If you have any questions about your pool's chemical balance or would like to schedule routine cleaning and maintenance, give us a call or visit our shop! We provide a wide range of pool services throughout Orlando, FL.