Total Alkalinity in swimming pools and the buffer effect

Total Alkalinity in swimming pools can be best described as the a means to control pH from bouncing or fluctuating wildly in the water.

This ability to control the pH levels from wide swings is known as buffering and resists the dramatic wandering changes when acids or base ( alkali ), chlorine's and other pH altering agents are added, hence when you buy a chemical to control this, it is known as " Buffer ", actually the household term is sodium bicarbonate, a white powder which is generally harmless, easily mixed in a bucket by hand and broadcasted around the pool surface.

Without a correctly balanced total alkalinity in the water, pH bounce can occur, damage can result from the extreme pH swings and can effect all surfaces or equipment, including stainless steel ladders.

The ideal range which Total Alkalinity should sit at when being tested, is between 80 - 120 ppm ( ppm being parts per million ) outside of this range can cause the pH to bounce in varying degree's the lower or higher from these ranges you are.

Another factor which should be considered in balancing Total Alkalinity is the effect of Acids on this.

As acid is introduced to the pool water to bring down the pH level as discussed previously, this also in turn lowers the Total Alkalinity level.

So ironically pH and Total Alkalinity are always fluctuating, as either Acid is introduced or Buffer is introduced, this generally means that an amount of each is added to drive them both to neutrality.

Below is a guide as to how much Buffer you should add or Acid to add to balance the Total Alkalinity and pH levels.

Use test strips as a guide also on where the levels are before adding either, or consult your local pool shop.

Next we will discuss Calcium Hardness

The Pool Professor

Why is the pH level important in swimming pools

I have started with pH as the first of the elements we need to consider for good water balance, as it is the most important.

Without a balanced pH level of between 7.2 and 7.6 problems can start to arise, chlorine becomes ineffective when the ranges are in the extreme range, as the chlorine molecules become inert thus reducing their ability to control bacteria and organisms.

So what does the term pH mean?

pH is the measure of hydrogen ion concentration in a water based solution. This measurement of acidity or Alkalinity is shown on a scale with 7.4 being neutral, 7.4 to 1 being acidic, increasing in strength to the lower  number and 7.4 to 14 being alkaline, increasing in strength to the highest number.

The term pH was first used by Peter Lauritz Sorensen in 1909 who was an accomplished Dansih biochemist, pH is an abbreviation for " the power of hydrogen ", in German it is " potenz Hydrogen ".

Below is a scale which can best describe the pH Scale, as you can see, once the range of pH moves out of neutral, problems can start to occur.

pH generally is always rising in swimming pools if any type of chlorine solution is used as the primary sanitation means, this includes chlorinators and cell combinations, which convert salt or minerals in the water into chlorine gas and fed back into the pool.

Chlorine, and there are many types, have a higher range of pH in them which can go up to 14 on the pH scale, so when chlorine is introduced to neutral water, 7.4, the abundant levels of alkaline raises the pH level of what was neutral water, this can keep climbing up to the pH levels of the chlorine used, unless a pH reducer is introduced to bring this back down.

So we have to add acid, which is at the opposite end of the scale to achieve this, bringing the pH level back to neutral. Liquid Hydrochloric Acid, Muriatic Acid are types of liquid acids to use or pH dry powder, consult your local pool shop for other pH reducers for more options, these can be introduced either straight into the pool water using a plastic measuring jug and broadcasting ( broadly spreading ) this around the pool.
Note where gloves and eye protection. Or dilute in a bucket of plain water and then broadcast around pool.

The best way to test these yourself is with Test Strips, easy to use and fairly accurate depending on their age as they don't last forever. You can buy Test Strips HERE these have everything you need to test your water.

Extreme pH effects in your pool

• Cloudy water
• Sore eyes
• Irritated skin
• Algae growth
• Staining
• Equipment damage
• Scale forming
• Staining on walls
• Metals etching or corroding
• Vinyl can wrinkle
• Filtration not performing

As you can see from all the above, if your pH is under control, then your pool and the combined chemicals will work in harmony, making life a lot easier, all by just by testing your pH levels regularly.

Please note that any swimming pool chemicals must not be mixed together, they can only be mixed separately, then placed into the pool by themselves. Mixing these chemicals together can cause catastrophic results, even death. 

Water being pH neutral and inert makes it possible to have the chemicals all mixed in together in your pool and spa. 

Next we will discuss Total Alkalinity 

The Pool Professor 

Swimming pool water balance

In our quest for capturing water and using it for our own enjoyment comes responsibilities.

Owning a pool can be as easy or as hard to maintain as we want it to be, essentially if you check the water regularly, check your equipment regularly, add the correct amount of chemicals if required and clean it frequently then your pool will remain gleaming and inviting most of the time.

Don't do all the above and a recipe for disaster is destined to follow.

Liken your pool to a vehicle, it has needs, fuel, oil, service, tyres and so on, neglect your vehicle and it wont be going anywhere at all. 

The swimming pool is the same analogy, neglect it and problems will surface that can cost more money to fix than if you just looked after it in the first place.

They are a Luxurious asset to your home and should be treated as such, if they weren't, everyone would own one.

The water we capture and hold in most cases will be there for a long time, we will of course top this up after water loss, but for the most part it will be the same all the time.

To ensure a healthy water system, one we can swim in, requires the water to be balanced.

Balanced water means that all the chemicals and sanitisers are at the appropriate levels, which will not damage ourselves or equipment from being there, maintaining a healthy system overall.

Unbalanced water systems can result in:

• Algae growth
• Bacteria and infections
• Discoloration of pool surfaces
• Cloudiness of the water
• High calcium build up on equipment
• Calcium nodes forming on pool surfaces
• Skin irritations
• Sore eyes
• The smell of chlorine
• Discoloration of water
• Equipment failure

Of course some of the above can also be contributed to other factors within your filtration system or current equipment you have running at the moment, more on these later.

Next we will start to break down each part of water balance from PH to Iron and discuss each one in depth from what they are, to their cause and effect of a swimming pool, plus some remedies for problems associated with each one.

The Pool Professor

Swimming Pool History

Welcome to the wonderful world of swimming pools and the start of a series of handy information to make your pool experience so much better.

But first some history and thoughts.

Swimming pools have been in existence for thousands of years, some of the first known pools date back as far as 2,500 B.C. in ancient Egypt, the Romans and Greeks also implemented swimming schools as part of their educational system.

The swimming pool however never really gained popularity till after the 1896 Olympics held in Athens, Greece, where the sport was first hosted and has always been a part of the Olympics ever since.

When you consider the overwhelming requirement for water in our everyday lives to survive, having been nurtured in our mothers womb of liquid, the fact that we are approximately 65% water and as a species evolved from the oceans eons ago, it is no surprise that being in water for most is as natural as breathing.

As you can see below our Planet is abundant in water, albeit only a small proportion of it is drinkable, but that is a discussion for another time.

So the urge to capture and tame water for our own enjoyment is natural to us and one of the best ways to do this is with the humble swimming pool, to be enjoyed all year round if we choose, our own liquid connection to nature.

Over time these pools have evolved from simply built holes in the ground filled with water, to luxurious architectural masterpieces.

Advances in equipment for swimming pools have brought about easier maintenance and with technology advances, actual swimming pool water qualities have evolved to give you everything from basic straight chlorine to fresh water bio systems and a lot in between, which we will all cover later on.

As we go through each type of system i will provide you information to help you make your swimming pool experience just that much easier and make your pool what it should be, Enjoyable.

See you next time where we will discuss the importance of water balance in your pool.

The Pool Professor