The goals in keeping water balanced is to avoid unnecessary damage to the pool, spa and all associated equipment, and to ensure favorable conditions for sanitation. The main areas requiring attention for water balance are pH, Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and water temperature.
Chemistry
The key ingredient in providing a healthy, maintenance free swimming pool or
spa is water chemistry. If neglected you will experience irritations to the eyes and
skin, corrosion of the pool and equipment and staining of the pool surface.
Following is a summary of the five main chemicals that should be addressed
when balancing the water.
Sanitizer
Sanitizers serve many purposes in swimming pools and spa's. They actively
reduce the amount of microorganisms in the water, kill algae spores and assist in
water clarification, and generally maintain a healthy environment for bathing.
Common sanitizers include chlorine, bromine, ozone and non chlorine shock.
Optimizing sanitizer efficiency depends upon many factors. Please consult a
trained professional for a full overview of the sanitizers.
pH
pH (potens hydrogen) is the measure of acidity of the water. The pH scale is
based on a logarithmic scale of 0 - 14 with 7.0 being neutral. Ideally swimming
pool water is kept at 7.4 - 7.8 to accommodate the natural pH of the human eye
(thus reducing irritation).
Regardless of the type of swimming pool or spa you have you must maintain the
pH of the water. Following is a diagram of the problems encountered with varying
pH.
Alkalinity
Total Alkalinity is loosely defined as the amount of sodium bi carbonate dissolved
in the water. Its main purpose is to resist changes in the pH of the water. (I.e.
minimize wild fluctuations in the waters pH, known as pH bounce). It is often
marketed as pH Buffer.
Calcium
Calcium Hardness is the amount of calcium and magnesium salts dissolved in
the water. Low calcium hardness is known as soft water while high calcium levels
correlates to hard water. Without due care, low calcium levels can lead to pool
and spa problems such as etching of the plaster or staining and scaling.
Stabilizer and Conditioner
Stabilizer and Conditioner's main purpose is to protect chlorine from UV
degradation. Without addition of this chemical, chlorine is rapidly consumed
leaving the water unsanitary and unsafe for bathing.