Alkalinity is an important aspect when it comes to pools. It helps in preventing sudden pH changes. Thus by stabilizing the pH balance in your pool and keeping it in the normal range, you are saved from a lot of problems which can cause you headaches. This can keep your pool water healthy and free from contaminants. By measuring the current pH, we can have an idea about whether the water in the pool is acidic or alkaline. Now, the pool water shouldn’t be too acidic or alkaline. When pH drops and water becomes acidic, this is not so healthy. In such cases, we may need to increase the alkalinity levels f the pool water. In this article, we are going to see how we can achieve the process.
Alkalinity
For maintaining a swimming pool properly, you need to know what alkalinity is and how it works for the pond water. So let us see what alkalinity is. Alkalinity of the pool water is the measure of all the dissolved alkaline substances in the pool water. Alkaline substances act as a buffer and can inhibit changes in Ph. So alkalinity can be seen as the buffering activity of the pool water.
Normal Alkalinity Levels
For maintaining the right balance of your pool water, you need to keep alkalinity levels between 80-120 parts per million. You can make use of a good pool testing kit to have an idea about your pool’s alkalinity levels. Keeping a check on the same is important. When the amount of alkalinity in your pool water drops low, this may infer the possibility of the presence of many contaminants in the pool water. On the other hand, when the amount of alkalinity in your pool water shoots up high, this may indicate that your pool water is not as clean as it ought to be.
Causes of low pool alkalinity
Causes of low alkalinity may include any of the following:
- Rain: It might have rained and the rainwater might have been low in alkaline concentration. And when the rain gets harder, there is chance that the pool may become flooded diluting the water and affecting the average levels of alkalinity of the pool water.
- Acid rain: Acid rains can cause pH levels to drop making the pool water more acidic in nature and less alkaline.
- Human factors: Lower alkalinity levels can also be caused by sweat and even urine mixing up with the pool water.
- Treating pool water using dry acid or muriatic acid: Chemicals like muriatic acid are found to be helpful in treating the pool water. However, these are found to lower the pH concentration of the pool water. So you need not use these in overuse these chemicals and use only the prescribe quantity. Also have a check on the pool’s alkalinity levels by making use of a pool kit.
- Draining or backwashing the pool: Suppose you have drained the pool and added freshwater having low alkalinity levels. This can deplete the overall pH levels of your pool. Filter cleaning methods like backwashing can also have the same effects on the pool water.
What happens when the alkalinity levels go low?
Low alkalinity levels are not a good indicator. As said earlier, acidic pool water is not so healthy. It can be unsafe for the swimmers using the pool. The acidic water can cause them eye, nasal and skin irritations. Also, an acidic swimming pool becomes corrosive damaging the walls and surfaces of the pool and thereby reducing the lifespan of your swimming pool. Another impact of low alkalinity is that even if you add standard amount of chlorine to your pool water, this goes useless and won’t be sufficient to disinfect the pool. So you end up adding more than usual amounts of chlorine to get the standard results. As a result, you need to buy more chlorine and invest more time and effort in order to achieve the adequate balance in the concentration levels with the substance.
How to raise the alkalinity levels?
You can raise the alkalinity levels of the pool by using sodium bicarbonate or soda ash. There is a substantial level of pH difference between soda ash and sodium bicarbonate with soda ash being more basic compared to sodium bicarbonate. So a small amount of soda ash can bring in more impact on the pH and alkalinity of the pool water when compared to high amount of sodium bicarbonate.
Adding Soda Ash/ Sodium Bicarbonate to the pool water
Step 1: Test Your Pool Water Alkalinity
Measure the alkalinity levels of your pool water using a reliable pool water testing kit. Note the readings. If the measurement comes back at less than 80 PPM then you need to increase the alkalinity levels by adding soda ash or sodium bicarbonate.
Step 2: Mixing the components
You need to buy the required amount of soda ash/ sodium bicarbonate preferably from a pool supplier. Keep in mind that you may need large quantities if pool alkalinity is very low. Use the safety equipment. Bring in the soda ash/ sodium bicarbonate package. Have a thorough understanding of the instructions in the package. Keep in mind that you need not have to make the water too alkaline. Take pool water in the bucket and mix the powder in the quantity as instructed. Use the stirring rod to stir the components till they completely dissolve. Pouring undissolved solution can cloud the pool.
Step 3: Pour the solution into pool water
Pour the solution slowly into the pool water. If something is left over in the bucket, then let some fresh pool water into the bucket, stir again and pour the solution into the pool water slowly.
Step 4: Retest and Repeat
Wait for around 6 hours before you retest the alkalinity levels of the pool water. Repeat the above procedure if the alkalinity levels are low. If the alkalinity levels are correct you can use the swimming pool.
So we have seen how maintaining proper alkalinity levels are important. It can keep your swimming pool and anybody who uses the swimming pool healthy.