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Keeping your pool clean and safe will mean you have to commit to a maintenance routine. And for new pool owners, it could be challenging to prepare the right mix. While you can find tablets and easy-to-use solutions, you also need to know which chemicals are suitable to use. But before we get into the details of how much pool chemical is safe to use in your pool treatment, let’s first talk about the chemicals you should be using in your pool
What are the Right Pool Chemicals?
The main aim of this category for water accessories aims to treat the water and make it safe for bathing. Keeping a mass of water in a pool will undoubtedly encourage bacteria and other foreign substances. And while you can’t get a boiler in there to treat the water, there are different ways to do it right. Enter pool chemicals.
These are specifically made to make the swimming experience safer. With many people bathing in the water and the constant exposure to the elements, you can expect there to be consequences. And while you don’t have to constantly flush out and refill the water, you can easily use the proper treatment to ensure the area is safe. You can find here how to keep the swimming area safe.
Dry Acid
You can use dry acid to reduce the alkalinity levels of your outdoor swimming water. The right mixture for a 10,000-pound capacity pool is 2 pounds of dry acid. You can up the levels using this measurement to ensure the pH is balanced.
Sodium Bicarbonate
On the other hand, you can use sodium bicarbonate to increase the alkaline levels of your pool water. You want to keep alkaline levels between 80 and 120 ppm, and a pound of this chemical can increase alkaline levels by 10ppm for every 10,000 gallons. Most people make use of baking soda which is okay provided you get the measurements right.
Soda Ash
Another good solution to increase water pH is to use soda ash to balance it to the ideal levels of between 7.2 and 7.6 to enable the chlorine to perform better. This can keep neutrality and restrict corrosive buildup in the water.
Cyanuric Acid
Using cyanuric acid could help with stabilizing the strength of the water. This makes it easy to warm up to the body temperature, especially when exposed to the sun or in the cold. Using a pound of the chemical can improve the CYA levels by 12 ppm for every 10,000 gallons.
And it is best to keep this chemical composition in your water between 30 and 50 ppm. Too much chlorine would undoubtedly affect the eyes and skin, and CYA helps limit the harsh effects of chlorine to make it safe for the skin.
Algaecide
You will also have to treat algae in your water which is standard to prevent the spawning of algae in the surrounding. Before using an algae treatment, you first want to balance the chlorine and pH levels, so the conditions are ideal. Doing this before will not be effective as it is likely some spores will spring up when you increase or reduce pH. You can check this link https://www.livestrong.com/article/151809-health-effects-of-swimming-pool-algae/to find out the dangers of algae in your water.
Chlorine
The best option for pool sanitizers is chlorine. It is affordable and available to use. And with the right mix, you could get it to prevent the buildup of bacteria and algae in your surroundings. Chlorine tablets are the easiest way to treat your pool weekly. A tablet for every 5000 gallons is the ideal measurement, and you can do this as you fill the pool or after.
Bromine
If you want to run the water for an additional day or two but don’t want to use chlorine? You can add bromine instead. It is easily absorbed by heat and will only provide a temporary treatment. It could work better indoors where there is less exposure to the sun. While there are no ideal measurements for bromine, you want to ensure the sanitizer levels are no less than 2 or more than 5.
Salt Levels
For saltwater pools, you will need to balance the salinity levels, which can be done using salt stabilizers. An additional 2 pounds can increase salinity levels by 1,000ppm in a 10,000-pound capacity structure. 6 bags of salt can up levels for 0 to 3000ppm for a freshwater supply.
Getting the Right Mix
You want to use the correct pool chemical test kit according to the measurements of your pond. This will usually be in gallons. And for above ground outdoor installations, you want to take note of the holding capacity when you treat. Ideally, measurements are in either a 5000 or 10000 holding capacity.
Final Note
The measurements are usually provided on the product package, but you can always find instructions online on how to make sure things are appropriately balanced in your pond. You want to ensure that you source quality chemicals and be sure to observe swimming safety rules to prevent accidents in the pool.
