What happens if the pH level is too low in a pool?

Low pH water will cause etching and deterioration of plaster, grout, stone, concrete and tiling. Any vinyl surfaces will also become brittle, which increases risk of cracks and tears. All of these dissolved minerals will hold in the solution of your pool water; which can result in staining and cloudy pool water.

How do I fix the pH in my pool?

To raise the pH levels in your pool, try adding sodium carbonate (soda ash) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) until your pool’s pH levels are between 7.2 and 7.8.

Is it bad to swim in a pool with high pH?

A swimming pool with a high pH is considered alkaline, which can cause issues with the pool and swimmers. This means bacteria and other microorganisms may thrive in your pool. While you cannot see with your naked eye, bacteria in your pool water can be harmful when they enter your body.

How important is pH in pool water?

To ensure that everyone enjoys using your pool, it is important to keep the swimming pool pH levels in balance at all times. If the pH is too high, it could cause skin irritation and corrode metal parts on the pool. If the pH is too low, it could create a situation where the chlorine in the pool isn’t as effective.

Does adding chlorine increase pH?

Using liquid chlorine raises the pH of the water. Liquid chlorine does not raise pH. When added to water, liquid chlorine (which has a pH of 13) makes HOCl (hypochlorous acid – the killing form of chlorine) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide), which raises pH. So the net effect on pH is zero (or almost zero).

Does pool shock raise pH?

When you shock a pool, you test and adjust the pH level for a reason. With that said, if you shock a pool outside of the 7.2 to 7.4 pH range, not only will you waste a significant amount of the chlorine used, you will also end up with cloudy water.

Is 7.8 pH too high for pool?

Proper pool pH is right in the middle — pool pros recommend that pH be between 7.3 and 7.6 for optimum performance and cleanest water. If the pH gets higher than 7.8, the water is becoming too alkaline. Water with a pH that’s too high also can cause skin rashes, cloudy water and scaling on pool equipment.

Is it better to have high or low pH in pool?

Does chlorine increase pH?

What raises pool pH?

The two primary chemicals to increase pH are sodium carbonate, aka soda ash (Na2CO3), and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Both raise the alkalinity, but soda ash has a stronger impact on raising the pH.

Should I adjust chlorine or pH first?

Rule of thumb is to do the PH first. And do not bother to drive to pool store to spend the extra money for a PH DECREASER. Buy a plain baking soda for 50cents a pound in Walmart! Chlorine will not work fully until your PH is in the proper range.

Why does my pool pH keep going up?

Here are common causes of an alkaline pool: Algae can raise the pH. Adding strong liquid chlorine, calcium or lithium hypochlorite chlorine may raise it. Suddenly heating the water, whether from a pool heater or a string of sunny days, could up the pH.

What should your pH level be in your swimming pool?

If you want you avoid any issues, the best thing you can do is to keep your pool pH at a value of anywhere between 7.2 and 7.6. This is the ideal range, even if you do go under/over these values a little bit you don’t have to worry, but try to get as close as possible to them.

What causes a high pH in a swimming pool?

If the pH levels of your pool water are too high, the water becomes too alkaline and it starts to form scale on the surface of the pool and equipment. If the pH level is too low, then the pool water is acidic. This causes corrosion on the pool surfaces and the equipment in your pool thus damaging them.

What is the ideal pH for swimming pools?

The ideal swimming pool pH range is 7.4 to 7.6, with 7.5 being an ideal target pH value. Pool owners need to watch the pH level carefully, as too low or too high pH can cause significant damage to swimming pools.

Can you swim in a pool with high pH?

No, it is not safe to swim with high alkalinity. The high alkalinity can cause problems with you as well as the pool. A pH above 7.8 can cause cloudiness in the water and scale along the sides of your pool.