When maintaining your pool or spa, you should do more than regularly skim the water or clean your pool filter – it’s essential to routinely test your water and balance it if needed. Fortunately, with easy-to-use products from our Crystal Clear Pools shop, doing so isn’t as difficult as you may think.
What To Test Your Pool Or Spa Water For
There are many different chemicals in pool and spa water, and this is to maintain safety and keep your water clean. For instance, chemicals like chlorine help manage germs and bacteria – but too much chlorine can cause unpleasant side effects like itching and nausea. Routine testing allows you to keep an eye on the status of your water so you can make adjustments if needed.
Here are a handful of chemicals and levels that you can test for:
- Phosphate. Phosphate is unwanted in pools because high concentrations of phosphate can lead to algae growth.
- Alkalinity. Alkalinity helps control pH in pool and spa water, as alkalinity acts as a buffer when substances are added to prevent unwanted pH fluctuations.
- pH. Testing your water for pH will reveal how acidic or basic your water is. This is essential because too-high pH puts swimmers at risk of skin rashes and other uncomfortable side effects. On the other hand, too-low pH can sting eyes and deteriorate equipment.
- Chlorine. Chlorine is added to water to kill germs and keep your water safe. However, too much chlorine may cause eye and skin irritation, respiratory issues and many other unfortunate effects. You’ll need to keep the chlorine levels in your water at a reasonable level to kill bacteria while still being safe to swim or relax in.
- Bromine. Bromine is often used as a spa sanitiser to disinfect the water. Too much bromine can cause allergic reactions and oxidise skin.
- Water Hardness. Water hardness indicates how much calcium is in your water. Not enough calcium may deteriorate your equipment, but too much can lead to mineral buildup and scaling on your pool or spa surfaces.
Testing your water for various substances and levels is actually very simple – consider the easy testing kits we have at Crystal Clear Pools. Perhaps the easiest kind of testers to use are tester strips. These are strips that you dip into your water and, depending on the concentrations of chemicals in your pool, the colours on the strip will change. Then, you just need to compare the colours on your strip to the printed guide that comes with the product to learn about your water.
There are also tablets and more complex testing kits available, so you can select the one that suits your needs the most.
Balancing Your Pool Or Spa’s Water
What happens if you test your water only to discover that there are dangerous imbalances present? Fortunately, balancing your water is also fairly simple when you use the right products. There are products for both pools and spas, so if you have a pool, then use pool balancers. If you have a spa, then use spa balancers. As always, read through the instructions for the product so that you can use it safely and as intended.
These products include pH buffers, pH increasers, pH decreasers, calcium hardeners and so on. Consider the imbalances you discovered when testing your pool water to pick the right products.
For best results, make sure you:
- Test Twice A Week. Test your water twice a week so you can monitor the status of your pool or spa.
- Test Before And After Balancing Your Water. Always retest your water after you add balancing chemicals. You should test your water for imbalances, balance it with appropriate products and then retest your water to ensure that your water is now at the proper levels. It’s easy to go overboard or not do enough when balancing water, so double-checking is a must.
- Clean Your Pool Or Spa Once A Week. Routine maintenance helps to remove contaminants that may have built up in the water, disrupting your water chemistry. Skin flakes, hair, sunscreen, makeup, debris and other particles can all mess with your water. Additionally, keeping your pool clean helps you maintain a clean and hygienic environment.
- Keep A Stock Of Testers, Balancers And Other Necessary Products. You certainly don’t want to go to test your water only to find that you’re all out of tester strips. Be sure you stay stocked with the testers, balancers and other products you use so that you have them when you need them.
Keeping Your Pool Or Spa Clean, Safe And Beautiful
We at Crystal Clear Pools are dedicated to helping you keep your water clean and crystal clear. Our online shop is full of top-notch products that you can use to test and balance your water, clean your pool or spa, maintain your water pump and more.
Would you like some assistance? Please feel free to call our team on (09) 391 0002 or use our contact page to get in touch.
Stay safe, stay happy and enjoy the water with Crystal Clear Pools.