A quick look into why your pool requires Acid regularly to maintain the pool’s pH.
If you feel like Acid is always on the to-do list when you get the water tested, you’re not alone, and you’ve come to the right place to find out why. I will be going over why your pool needs it, and why it will benefit you to add it regularly.
Why do Swimming Pools need acid?
The reason we add acid to swimming pools is reduce the pH (Potential Hydrogen) of the water. The pH is always slowly rising due to either chlorine being added manually or produced through salt chlorination. This Chlorine generally has a high pH of around 14 and brings the total pH of the pool up when added to the water. The water’s pH naturally rises anyway when exposed to air, so even if you’re not using chlorine, this is why acid is still required, just in small doses.
Why do we even need to lower the pH?
The recommended range (as you may have seen on the test printouts) is between 7.2 - 7.6 - This is because this is the same pH of our skin, and allows the water to be comfortable. Also, our sanitiser chlorine works effectively in this range. As the pH rises above 7.8, Chlorine stops working as effectively even if the level is high. This can lead to bacteria build up and Algae formation! Nobody wants a Green Pool
Quick benefits of keeping the pH within range.
- Keeps White Calcium in solution and slowes the build up on the Cell and Pool Surface.
- Enables your cleaner to clean the pool more effectively, as high pH cause the walls and floor to become slippery.
Great, so how often should I add Acid?
We recommend adding Acid weekly! Adding a little and often is better for your water and can actually save you money overtime. Large doses over longer periods of time take a larger portion of your ‘Total alkalinity’ away.This way you’d be adding more ‘alkalinity up’ over the season costing you more. To reduce this further, the best way to add Acid is to mix it in a bucket of water (water first) and pour it around the edge. Talk to us in the store to find out what your weekly amount should be for your pool!
Best Regards,
The JC Pool Services Team.