Swimming Pool Maintenance—Low pH
February 26th, 2010 | 
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One of the most fundamental keys to keeping a clear, clean pool is in the balancing of the water. Your water is constantly changing due to weather conditions, oils and lotions people have worn, cosmetics, even just the dirt and dust that flows in the air—these all affect the gentle balance of your pool water.
If you are seeing Low PH levels, this is a sign that the water has become imbalanced and usually means there is more chlorine (acid) than there should be. There are many theories as to how to balance a pool perfectly, so a little common sense and practicality must come into play. One of the first steps, of course, is testing your water. Again, common sense will tell you to purchase a testing kit that is user friendly, easy to read and understand. Keep it simple. Anything beyond simple, one should just hire a maintenance professional and be done with it. But for most pool owners, a little time, a little practice, and keeping the PH levels are quite easy to do.
When the PH levels are low, chlorine actually is the prerequisite to adjusting to the proper levels. Chlorine works more effectively in waters with low PH. Begin your first day by adding a moderate amount of Chlorine (based on your pool size) to the water. Use at least ¼ of what you would normally put in the pool. Wait a day and then proceed to balance the pH and add the alkalinity needed to do so. Now there are many options out there for what products to use. Again, common sense, if you go to a Pool Supply, be prepared to overstock and over pay. One of the best products for increasing alkalinity and killing algae at the same time is 20 Mule Team Borax, found in the laundry sections of most stores. The chemical in Borax is the same chemical you will find in PH Conditioners and PH Buffers at the pool supply stores but at far less cost. This is very powerful, so use it sparingly. About a half box for every 10,000 gallons of water is recommended. Another tip is to make sure the pump and motor are on and begin adding the Borax at the deepest end, working your way around the perimeter; this helps raise the pH with minimum effects on the alkalinity. Borax also acts as a buffer, meaning it stays in the water longer and helps to resist changes.
There is another alternative, which people sometimes confuse with household Baking Soda. This is called Soda Ash, which is sodium carbonate, whereas Baking Soda is bicarbonate. This will help raise the pH but only temporarily as the carbonate is easily removed in the water and does not maintain. Borax will maintain your pH far longer. Now it becomes an act of balances; you have allowed the chlorine to do its job, you have added alkaline (Borax); now you should wait 24 hours and test your water again. This may be a slower process (we have now used up 3 days), however, it brings the levels up slowly and steadily to a point where they balance and maintain longer, more effective on many levels. A good PH level is 7.6-7.8 which may be contradictory to some “experts” who will tell you to keep it at 7.2-7.4; that is because the standards for most public water systems is 7.2-7.4, but public water is run through a water treatment system far different than your swimming pool.
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Posted in Do-It-Yourself, Home Maintenance, Home Maintenance Costs, How-To | 
Tags: Maintenance, Pool Maintenance, Swimming Pool, Swimming Pool Maintenance
