Maintaining your Above Ground Pool Water

Above ground pools bring great fun and enjoyment for the whole family during the warm summer months. In order to maximize this enjoyment, it is important to care of and maintain your pool water and equipment properly. This includes sanitizing the water properly with swimming pool chemicals to eliminate bacteria build up, and keeping the pool water in proper balance.

Importance of Caring For Your Pool Water Chemistry

The chemistry of your pool water is one of the most important factors of overall pool care. Maintaining proper water chemistry takes care of both the swimmers and the pool itself. There are some basic pool water components that must be maintained and kept in proper balance.

Total dissolved solids (TDS) is the measure of the total amount of dissolved material in the water, which is influenced by factors such as the pH, chlorine, water hardness, alkalinity, debris, and so forth, which all increase its level. The following are some of the most influential factors of TDS:

Total Hardness - This component refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium found in the pool water. This hardness must stay within an acceptable range, which can be measured with proper testing. If total hardness is too high, it will cause the water to become cloudy. On the other hand, if the total hardness is too low, then corrosion on pool equipment will occur.

pH - The pH level deals with the level of acidity or alkalinity of the pool water, which is measured on a scale of 1 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely alkaline). The ideal, neutral pH level is at 7. If it is too high, the water will cause skin and eye irritation on the swimmers. If this level is too low, it can also cause irritation to swimmers in addition to corroding pool fixtures and equipment.

Total Alkalinity - This level measures the amount of alkaline material found in the pool water, which buffers the pool water against changes in the pH level. If the total alkalinity level is too low, corrosion of the pool's metal fixtures will occur. On the other hand, if the total alkalinity is too low, it can stain and weaken the pool's vinyl liner.

Stabilizer - Your pool water needs to be kept clean and sanitized to prevent bacteria and infectious microorganisms to keep the swimmers safe. Two of the more common sanitizers are chlorine and bromine. In order to extend the life of your chlorine, stabilizers must be added to the pool water.

Keeping your pool water in proper balance is one of the most important things you can do for pool maintenance. As you can see, keeping various factors in proper balance can help to maintain healthy pool water, and also help to maintain your pool's equipment to ensure a long life-span of the pool itself.

Sanitizing Your Pool Water

Sanitizing and keeping the pool water clean is a vital part of above ground swimming pool care. Two of the more common above ground swimming pool chemicals used to sanitize pool water include chlorine and bromine. These substances keep swimmers safe by preventing contraction of illnesses or infections within the water through the elimination of bacteria and harmful microorganisms.

Chlorine has been one of the most popular above ground swimming pool chemicals used to keep pool water clean and kill contaminants. However, many people also commonly use bromine to sanitize their pool water, which is also very effective in keeping the pool water clean by getting rid of microorganisms.

Regardless of the specific sanitizer used, it is vital that pool water is sanitized using either one of these chemicals to keep swimmers safe. Always keep a supply of above ground swimming pool chemicals on hand, along with water test strips.