Maintaining the proper pH and alkalinity balance within your pool is essential to allow the water to remain clean, clear, and safe for swimming. It helps to ensure that your robot pool cleaner, pool vacuum robot, skimmer, and vacuum cleaner for the pool all function in peak condition as clean water chemistry is essential to the proper working of your pool equipment. Healing other things in your pool robotic pool cleaner (for example, Beatbot AquaSense Pro and Beatbot iSkim Ultra, etc.) will become challenged to do its functions inappropriately and will not clean adequately.
In this blog, we are going to discuss how to balance pH and alkalinity levels in your pool and how these levels affect water quality, and cleaning of a swimming pool.
The Difference Between pH and Alkalinity in Pool Water
Before jumping into the steps of balancing pH and alkalinity, it’s valuable to have a grasp on what these two factors are and why they matter.
pH: The acidity or alkalinity of the pool water is measured by the pH level. A balanced pH level also keeps the water comfortable for swimmers and helps ensure that pool cleaning chemicals — like chlorine — will do their job. The pool water pH level should be maintained around 7.4 to 7.6.
Alkalinity: The alkalinity serves the purpose of stabilizing the pH of the pool and prevents sudden changes that might make the pool water overly acidic or overly basic. Alkalinity is best when pool water maintains between 80–120 ppm (parts per million).
An imbalance in any of these levels may lead to improper functioning of your swimming pool robot cleaner, including Beatbot AquaSense models, and your robot for cleaning the pool, causing ineffectiveness for your cleaning process.
How to Balance Pool pH and Alkalinity Levels
Test both pH and alkalinity levels before you can balance them. Test strips for pools or a liquid test kit are both reliable and simple to use.
Test the pH: Submerge the test strip or apply the liquid test to a sample of your pool water. Match the results against the color chart on the test kit. If the pH is above 7.8, the water is too alkaline; if it’s below 7.2, the water is too acidic.
Test the Alkalinity: You can test alkalinity in the same way. If the total alkalinity is less than 80 ppm, the water will be too acidic, while if the reading is greater than 120 ppm, the water will be too alkaline.
After determining the pH and alkalinity, you will know the specific adjustment that is needed.
Managing pH and Alkalinity Levels in a Swimming Pool
You now know what pH and alkalinity are as well as how to test for them; now let’s see how to adjust these levels.
Lowering pH in Your Pool
If the pH level of your pool is too high (above 7.8), the water is too alkaline. Adding an acid will lower the pH. Most people use either muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate.
Steps to Lower pH:
Use the Right Amount: Consult a pool calculator or read the acid container to determine how much acid you need according to your pool size.
Add the Acid: Always add acid to water, never water to acid, to avoid splashing. Around the outer edge of the deep end, pour the diluted acid.
Step 6 Wait and Test: Let the acid run for several hours with the pump on, then retest the pH. Adjust with extra acid as needed to bring the pH comfortably into the target zone of between 7.4 and 7.6.
Raising pH in Your Pool
If the pH level is too low (below 7.2), you’ll need to raise it with a pH increaser, which usually contains sodium carbonate (soda ash).
Steps to Raise pH:
Determine how much to use: You should find a guide to the correct quantity of pH increaser to use according to your pool size in the manufacturer’s instructions on the product.
Pour the Increaser: Using the pool water, pour the increaser into the pool slowly, making sure to ensure the best distribution that you are close to the pool’s return jets.
Wait and Retest: Let the product sit for a few hours before testing the pH again. If required, add more increaser in order to get the pH into the proper range.
How to Adjust Alkalinity in Your Pool
Alkalinity and pH are extremely correlated, so both must be dealt with at the same time. Too high without control(above 120 ppm) will make the pH very difficult to drop and too low (below 80 ppm) will cause pH fluctuations.
To Increase Alkalinity: Use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It will make it more alkaline and slightly raise the pH. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations according to your pool size.
To Lower Alkalinity: You’ll need to use an acid, the same way you would to lower the pH. If you need to lower both the pH and alkalinity sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid can be used. Adding acid should be done carefully, as excessive addition can drop both values too much.
The Role of Proper pH and Alkalinity in Keeping Your Pool Clean
Maintaining balanced pH and alkalinity levels in your pool is vital not only for the quality of your water— it also affects the efficacy of your pool vacuum, robot pool cleaner, and other cleaning equipment like your skimmer.
Enhanced Cleaning Action: Proper pH and alkalinity levels allow your robotic pool cleaner to operate optimally, preventing the buildup of grime, debris, and algae on pool surfaces.
Extended Lifespan of Equipment: Maintaining the right water chemistry can safeguard the internal components of your cleaning equipment, whether it be a pool vacuum robot or a swimming pool robot cleaner, against corrosion and wear.
Crystal, Cozy Water: A proper balance of pool chemistry means you can have clear, safe, and cozy water in your pool for the swimmers and those robot corners to operate efficiently.
Final Thoughts: Proper Water Chemistry for the Best Pool Care
Adjusting the pH and alkalinity in your pool is to a large degree the process to make sure your water is clean, clear, and safe. Keeping proper chemical levels helps your robot pool cleaner, pool vacuum, skimmer, and other pool-cleaning robots work effectively.
With regular testing, the right chemical adjustment, and the best cleaning products, such as Beatbot AquaSense Pro and Beatbot iSkim Ultra, you can keep your pool swimmingly all year round. Just follow these few easy steps and your pool’s pH and alkalinity levels will be balanced in no time, giving you clear water and allowing for an efficient clean!