Last but not least is the chemistry of the water. Pool Water Chemistry IS Easy – Just 4 Simple Steps – Before you look at these 4 steps, remember that you don’t have to be a certified chemist to operate your home pool. Many of the pool water chemical programs available are easy for the pool owner and consumer to use. These pool care programs, no matter which one you choose, were designed with your safety and enjoyment in mind. As long as you can “stick to the schedule,” pool water care is easy and shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes (including cleaning) each week to accomplish. Although similar, water chemistry and water testing go hand in hand and you can’t do one without the other.
Here are the 4 steps to pool water chemistry:
- Maintain a constant level of sanitizer in the pool. Slow dissolving chlorine bars or tablets; adequate level of biguanide (Soft Swim); bromine; salt level
- Shock the pool weekly or at least every 2 weeks (shock with biguanides every 3 to 4 weeks). Shocking oxidizes non-filterable waste and breaks down chloramines leading to cloudy water, algae, smelly pools, and red eyes.
- Add algaecide weekly or at least every 2 weeks to prevent algae growth. A good quality algaecide (concentrates are sold in quart sizes) backs up the bleach or sanitizer in case it runs out due to a large number of bathers or heavy rain.
- Maintain a good water balance. Without a good water balance, the sanitizer does not work properly or efficiently. The water can become cloudy (high pH) or aggressive (low pH; the water is often very clear). It will also protect your friends and family who use your pool.
1. Maintain a constant level of sanitizer in the pool – What does that mean? It means consistently maintaining a good solid level of chlorine, bromine, biguanide, or other disinfectant level in the pool water at all times. Chlorine: 1.0 – 2.0ppm; bromine: 2.0 – 6.0ppm; Biguanide: 30 – 50 ppm; Pristine Blue: 0.5 – 1.0 ppm.
When kept at those levels, bacteria and algae are kept in check. The water feels and smells clean. Higher levels of sanitizers are generally not necessary unless recommended by your pool professional in certain circumstances, such as pool parties. Slow dissolving chlorine such as BioGuard® Silk Tabs®, Silk Sticks® and Smart Sticks® can be applied to the pool through the skimmer or an automatic chlorinator. What about granular chlorines? They work well, but you have to add these products every day.
Chlorine floats are not recommended because they can be thrown out of the pool or get stuck causing a buildup in one area of the pool. Bromine should always be dosed with a bromine. Biguanides like BioGuard® Soft Swim® or copper-based products like Pristine Blue® are liquids that are usually added only once every 2 weeks or so.
2. Shock the pool weekly or at least every 2 weeks (biguanide shock every 3 to 4 weeks). Shocking oxidizes non-filterable waste and breaks down chloramines leading to cloudy water, algae, smelly pools, and red eyes.
Pool owners who don’t shock them regularly (they think they’re saving money) always end up with algae problems and cloudy, bad water, and wonder why they use so much chlorine. Shocking restores shine to pool water. Shocking breaks up debris that sticks to the sanitizer and prevents it from doing its job. It’s good to flush before a party to prevent icky water from building up while the party is going on AND afterwards to flush out all the “stuff” left behind. In bromine pools, the shock recharges the bromine so it lasts longer.
Use the correct type of shock absorber for your pool. BioGuard® Burn Out Extreme® or Smart Shock® for chlorine and bromine pools, every 1-2 weeks. Soft Swim® “C” or hydrogen peroxide formulated for biguanide treated pools (Soft Swim® or Baquacil®) – typically shock every 3-4 weeks. Pools that use ionizers like Nature2® should use the chlorine shocks listed above or BioGuard® Easy Shock & Swim®. Shock the pool when it is turned on or opened (even if the chlorine or bromine level is good) to oxidize and neutralize contaminants left over from the winter. After that, stick to a regular schedule.
3. Add algaecide weekly or at least every 2 weeks to prevent algae growth. A good quality algaecide (concentrates sold in quarts with active ingredients of at least 40%, plus look for the highest level of carbon 14, at least 58%) backs up bleach or sanitizer in case you run out due to to the large number of bathers or heavy rains.
Good quality algaecides like BioGuard® Back Up® or Algae All 60® are also good surfactants. Surfactants are chemicals that like to stick to or hang around surfaces. They help make the water “wetter.” Because they like surfaces, they stay where the algae like to grow.
Not using an algaecide on a regular basis is asking for trouble at some point. You could have a beautiful light blue pool one day, then it rains and it has turned into a green monster, and you have a pool party in 3 hours! Regular shock and algaecide would have prevented that unfortunate disaster.
4. Maintain a good water balance. Without a good water balance, the sanitizer does not work properly or efficiently. The water can become cloudy (high pH) or aggressive (low pH; the water is often very clear). It will also protect your friends and family who use your pool. Learn more about good water balance with Key 4: Water Testing.
As an option that will save you from a variety of pool care problems (algae, cloudy water, water balance), consider using a borate or boric acid based product like BioGuard® Optimizer Plus®. Optimizer Plus®, when used correctly, suppresses algae growth, helps the sanitizer do a better job of killing bacteria, acts as an additional buffer for pH and total alkalinity, simplifying water balance. Optimizer Plus® is added at the beginning of the season and recharges as needed. Optimizer Plus® is great for use in ANY pool, with any sanitizing system.
By following these 4 steps, from opening to closing your pool, you will virtually guarantee that you and your family will enjoy a crystal clear, sparkling blue pool all season long. Not only that, but it will also bring the pool and its equipment to life.
Remember to follow the other 5 Keys to Pool Care. They are just as important.
