Maintaining the right pH levels in a swimming pool can be a bit tedious if you don’t understand the science behind it. If not done correctly, it can lead to all kinds of health hazards for swimmers, including skin rashes, eye and nasal passage stinging, as well as dried-out skin and hair.
When carbon dioxide is dissolved in water, it releases hydrogen ions and bicarbonate, essentially creating carbonic acid. This means that the more carbon dioxide is present in a water solution, the more carbonic acid is formed, therefore resulting in lowered pH levels. Various swimming pool CO2 systems help achieve this with little to no effort.
Let’s examine the overall effect CO2 has on a swimming pool’s pH levels and understand how to maintain a safe balance.
What Is pH in Water?
In the field of chemistry, pH is also referred to as acidity or basicity and is considered a logarithmic scale. When it comes to swimming water, there are a total of 14 different pH ranges, with the 7 rating being neutral. pH values lower than 7 indicate the water is acidic, while values above 7 indicate that the solution is alkaline. A swimming pool can be regularly tested with a pH test strip to maintain proper balance.
How to Control Water pH Levels with CO2
There are quite a few ways that pH levels in an aquatic solution can be properly managed. Assuming that you are performing regular pH testing on your pool, you should always aim for a result anywhere between 7 and 7.6, primarily for health’s sake. If your tests show levels higher or lower than the recommended range, it’s time for you to roll up your sleeves.
Lowering pH Levels
The more carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into a water solution, the lower the pH levels you can expect. With the use of swimming pool CO2 systems, you can introduce carbon dioxide into the water on-site. You can also use acids such as muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate, to yield some promising results and get your pH balance in order.
Increasing pH Levels
If you struggle with low pH levels in your swimming pool, the water has increased CO2 levels. To increase alkalinity, you would resort to adding high pH additives, such as sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or non-stabilized chlorine.
You might take an alternative approach by aerating the water naturally or artificially. Natural aeration works by letting evaporation run its course, whereas artificial aeration uses spa jets, infinity pool edges, and spillways. As soon as the excess CO2 leaves the water, your pool’s pH levels will stabilize.
Get Your Pool Water pH Level Balanced Organically
With over 20 years of providing alternative technology solutions on the market, Poolsmith Technologies can be your trusted partner and get your pH levels straightened out for good. Utilizing our original and patented acid-alternative swimming pool CO2 systems, we made it our mission to clean our residential customers’ pools in a strictly organic manner.
Get in touch with us now to learn more about our unique process of using CO2 in swimming pools and how we can help you get your pool that sparkly appearance we all love and cherish.
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