Swimming Pool Water Maintenance explained
Is Your Swimming Pool Water Clean
In the sun and pool, you protect them with sunscreen, you make sure they have their floaties on, you insist on NO swimming after eating. But do you know how clean and healthy the water is that your family is swimming in?
Regular testing of the water chemistry in your pool or spa (hot tub) can help you keep it healthy, clean and sanitized. Untreated or unbalanced water can become a host to all kinds of contaminants that are harmful or undesirable. Living organisms including bacteria, algae, mold, and other microorganisms may multiply, or wastes such as perspiration or suntan lotions can build up. How well pool or hot tub water is maintained is the difference between a clean, refreshing swim and skin or eye irritations.
Learning to keep your pool or hot tub in check isn't as complicated as it may seem. Pool and spa test strips are the newest innovation in water testing. A test strip is a plastic strip with a chemically treated pad, or pads, which can be dipped directly into the water. The pads turn various colors and are compared to a chart for readings.
Testing with strips is convenient and hassle-free. Just dip and read the strip, and you will get the information you need to determine if the water is sanitized, disinfected and balanced properly. Test strips deliver accurate results and require no detailed chemistry lessons to use. AquaChek Pool & Spa Test Strips offer a way to test commonly used sanitizers such as chlorine and bromine, as well as other factors that play into the balance of water, such as total alkalinity, pH and water hardness.
Use test strips to test the water often. A pool should be tested at the minimum twice a week, and more often when use has increased or when the pool environment changes, such as when it rains, when leaves blow into the pool, or when the dog goes swimming. A spa's higher ratio of "people to water volume" can cause the chemistry to change quickly, so the water should be checked and adjusted continually.
Having the right water balance can also save you money by protecting your pool or spa equipment. If the water of your pool is corrosive, it may cause etching and pitting of concrete and plaster-lined pools, and may cause the vinyl liner to wrinkle. Corrosive or acidic water can also damage the heater, pump and filter, leading to hundreds of dollars in unnecessary repairs. If the water is over-saturated with mineral content, it will deposit excess minerals on the pool and equipment in the form of scale.
About the Author
Steve Merillat has been in the Pool industry for 35 years. He has pioneered many pool installation techniques that are used in the industry today. You can learn how to properly take care and maintain your pool yourself saving time and money, from on of the most experienced people in pools.
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