​Water Test & Chemical Treatment

Water is complicated. There are a lot of elements that need to be perfect or you risk problems to your surfaces, equipment, or, most importantly, swimmers. There are four main areas that swimming pool maintenance and cleaning companies need to look at: ph, total alkalinity, chlorine, and calcium hardness. It is possible to perform the tests yourself, but it can be hard to read the tests accurately and know how to correct any problems that you encounter. We recommend that you hire a professional for your water testing needs. Pro Pool Service Roseville has the experience necessary to test your water and make the appropriate adjustments to keep it sparkling and inviting.
 
PH
Your ph level needs to be the proper balance of alkaline and acid. If your level is off, it can impact the effectiveness of the chlorine in the water. What can go wrong if your levels are unbalanced? If your water is too acidic, it can cause skin irritation and corrode the metal elements in your pool. If it is too alkaline, it can cause cloudy water and staining of equipment and surfaces. It’s important to check this regularly to prevent problems connected to unbalanced water ph.
 
Total Alkalinity
As the name implies, this test is for the total alkalinity, or alkaline elements, in your pool water. This may sound similar to the ph test, but there is a difference. Where the ph test tests the balance of alkaline and acid, the total alkalinity test tests the amount of alkaline elements in the pool. This is not weighed against the acidic elements for this test. In other words, this test is the concentration of alkaline by itself and it unrelated to the acidic elements. Your alkaline elements are what help to keep the ph levels balanced and stabilized.
 
Chlorine
Chlorine help to keep your pool water clean. It kills the bad bacteria in the water and keeps your swimmers safe. So, we want a lot of chlorine, right? Wrong. We want to have a good and balanced level of chlorine. If you have too little, the bacteria will not be eliminated. If you have too much, it can be hazardous to swimmers. There is the obvious problem with the smell. More than that, it can cause itchy skin and faded fabrics (like your swimsuits). If your levels are very high, it can even cause breathing problems.
 
Calcium Hardness
The calcium hardness test is important. If you have the wrong level of calcium hardness it can cause a lot of problems for your pool. This is true for both high and low calcium levels. If your calcium levels are too high it can lead to cloudy water, though this is not a given as the alkalinity and ph levels can sometimes keep the water clear regardless of the high calcium levels. High calcium can also cause stains or clog your filter. Low calcium levels are not good either. It causes damages to your surfaces, including your grout, concrete, and plaster.