Pool Chlorine Ph

For most pool owners chlorine is added using chlorine tablets chlorine granules salt chlorine generators and liquid chlorine.

Pool chlorine ph.

If it is below 7 the water is acid. On june 28th if you recall we discussed with pool spa water chemistry expert richard falk the impact of sodium hypochlorite on ph in our piece titled liquid chlorine raises ph or does it. Simply put it determines whether your pool is acid or alkaline base. In this scenario you can add all the chlorine you want and your ph levels will render it useless.

Free chlorine should be maintained at 2 to 4 ppm and ph should be maintained at 7 4 to 7 6. The most common sanitizer for swimming pool water is chlorine. Although chlorine is the single most important component in terms of taking care of your pool it is not independent from the other components of your pool water. It has cyanuric acid also known as chlorine stabilizer or pool stabilizer added to it.

For shocking it should be between 7 2 and 7 6. The ph is a measure of the acidity of the water. For normal use your pool s ph should be between 7 4 and 7 6. If the ph is above 7 the water is basic.

A ph of 7 4 also gives good chlorine disinfection. It s important to remember that ph can measure anywhere from 1 to 14 but pool s ideal ranges are 7 2 7 6. In addition it is more difficult to keep chlorine in the pool because while more effective as a sanitizer at the low ph chlorine is also much less stable resulting in the consumption of larger quantities of chlorine than would be used at normal ph levels. Free chlorine has a difficult time sanitizing contaminants as ph increases.

For this post we will focus just on chlorine but ph is a factor in almost all pool water sanitizers effectiveness. The optimum ph for pool water is 7 4 since this is the same as the ph in human eyes and mucous membranes. Pool total alkalinity. The cyanuric acid protects the chlorine so it stays in the water three to five times longer which means it s more effective at keeping the pool clean and doesn.

A low ph of 7 1 is desirable for shocking and sanitation but 7 4 is best for swimmer comfort surface protection and overall water balance. The ph scale goes from 0 to 14 where ph 7 is neutral. Use this pool ph dosage chart to determine the correct amount of pool ph adjustment chemical to add for a desired change in ph level. Whether it s low or high unbalanced ph is the super villain of your pool s germ fighting hero.

Richard explained that the ph rise folks typically experience in swimming pools comes from the outgassing of carbon dioxide and not from hypochlorites. Water s ph level is just a measure of total acid alkalinity balance. Unbalanced ph kills chlorine s power. Free chlorine 2 0 to 4 0 ppm.

Unless the water has a sufficient level of free chlorine algae will grow and make your pool green and cloudy.