Help With Pool Water Chemistry
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If you are having trouble managing your swimming pool water quality then at some point you will reach out for help, often through online groups and forums. It is exceedingly common to see a pool owner post a picture of green water, or cloudy water and say "how do I fix my pool water?" which is a totally reasonable question. Here is the problem...nobody can help you with your water chemistry without first knowing what is happening in the water. Other than a fairly safe guess that a green pool needs some chlorine there are actually many different things which could be causing the green water. If you do not identify what the problems are then how can you possibly fix it? The answer is simply that you can not.
When someone gives you advice for how to fix your pool water problems without first knowing what is wrong with the water they are actually doing you a huge disservice. If you make the wrong chemical corrections then now you are further complicating the problem as opposed to solving it. You should never add chemicals to your pool "blind" without knowing what is happening in the water. So to help you be able to actually get help with your pool or hot tub water simply follow these steps:
Water test values - When speaking about your water test results you must never describe them as "good" or "everything is fine". Everything is not fine or you would not be here asking about water chemistry. Specifically, when you speak about your water chemistry you must provide actual numerical values for each variable. The pH is never low, good or too high. The pH is a numerical value likely somewhere between 6.0 and 9.0 (depending on how messed up your water is) and you need to provide the actual number. You are aiming for a pH of 7.4 in your water for example.
Minimum water test variables - You can not simply provide one or two measurements of your water chemistry variables and expect help to arrive. You need to list out the full analysis of your water, in numerical form, including values for each of the following:
| Chemistry Variable | What it does in the water | Ideal range |
|---|---|---|
| Free Chlorine | The chlorine free and available to keep your water clean | 2 to 4ppm |
| Total Chlorine | Both free and spent chlorine measurement | Equal to free chlorine |
| Combined Chlorine | Not measured, calculated by the difference between free and total | Less than 1.0ppm |
| Total Alkalinity | Buffer against pH movement in the water | 80-120ppm |
| pH | The relationship between acids and bases within the water | 7.4pH |
| Calcium hardness | How hard (or soft) your water is | 200-400ppm |
| Cyanuric Acid (CYA) | Stabilizer to prevent UV from burning off your chlorine | 30-50ppm |
| Phosphates | Food for algae | Under 500ppb |
| Iron | Metal causing brown / orange stains | 0.0ppm |
| Copper | Metal causing blue / green stains | 0.0ppm |
| Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | Total impurity content within the water | Under 2000ppm |
Water testing methods - You can get all of this information from a free water test at your local pool and spa store. You can also get this information using a high quality Taylor test kit which are the gold standard for at home pool water testing. If you elect to use test strips instead of these methods then you can still determine the numerical values for each chemical you test by reading them from the label, however you definitely sacrifice some accuracy for convenience when using test strips. Consider upgrading your testing methods if you continue to have problems reading and measuring your pool water chemistry variables.
If you want help with your swimming pool or hot tub water chemistry problems then you must post the water test variables listed above. If you do not post this information along with your water chemistry question then any "help" you get is invalid since no person could possibly know how to correct water without knowing which of these variables is not in the correct range. Understanding just this one aspect of pool and spa water chemistry will enable you to seek advice, and more importantly, get valid and helpful responses to your questions.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool specialist from Ontario Canada and one of the most trusted voices in the swimming pool industry. With over 20,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the Pleatco Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print. Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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