Pool Chemicals 101: How To Raise pH In Pool Water
When testing and balancing your pool water, there are two main things that everyone should test daily and that is Chlorine levels and pH. The one we’ll talk about today is pH and what you can do to raise the pH level if it becomes too low.
pH Levels in Pool Water Affects Many Things
pH levels below a 7.0 reading means your pool water is too acidic. When your pool water is under 7.0, any one or more of the following can happen:
- Corrosion of vinyl liners or metal parts inside pool or equipment
- Staining of pool walls
- Grout or plaster being worn away
- Inability to maintain proper Chlorine levels
And that’s just what can happen to your pool! If you happen to swim in a pool with a low pH you may encounter stinging or burning eyes, dry skin, and your swimsuit and pool toys can even start wearing away over time.
Now don’t think that low pH will immediately make your swimsuit disappear from corrosion as that is not the case, but extended exposure can begin the process of breaking down the materials and that means your bathing suit won’t have much of a long life to live.
There are Many Reasons Why Pool pH Levels Can Drop
Chemical levels in pools change daily so do not be alarmed when your chlorine, alkalinity, or pH levels increase or drop. There are many reasons why pH in particular will change and these are the main culprits:
- Heavy pool use. If you recently had a pool party or your kids invited the entire class over for a late night swim, they can introduce things that can lower the pH in your pool such as saliva, perspiration and the dreaded nightmare of all pool owners —> #1 and #2 (Yuck!)
- You might have added too much pH Reducer in the past.
- The local water that you used to fill the pool may have low pH levels.
- You recently shocked your pool.
- Did it recently rain? A summer rain storm can affect pH too.
- Do you have a lot of bugs jumping into your pool? How about leaves from nearby trees or debris from mowing your lawn? All of this can change pH.
Pool pH By The Numbers
So what’s the end result of having low pH readings? A lot of not so good things which is why you want to find a quick, easy and inexpensive way of increasing your pool pH to a comfortable level of between 7.2 and 7.8. It’s in this range that you will find the perfect balance to make sure your pool is not slowly corroding and your eyes and nose are not burning when you take a dip.
How to Raise pH in Pool Water
- First, you need to make sure you're testing the pH level in your pool daily and sometimes more than once a day if the pool is getting a lot of use. With a pool water test kit, you can check the pH in less than 5-minutes every day and know exactly if it's too high or too low.
- Second, if you have a pH reading of between 7.2 and 7.8, leave it be. Too many pool owners are quick to starting tossing in chemicals to try and get the level to exactly 7.4 or so. Take it from me….DON'T mess with a good thing. If you're in between 7.2 and 7.8, don't mess with it.
- Third, if your pH reading is under 7.0, you need to take immediate action to get it raised to that 7.2 to 7.8 range. Here are the products you can use to INCREASE THE pH in your pool:
- Soda Ash - Sold at your local big box retailer, Amazon or your local pool store, Soda Ash is 100% sodium carbonate that comes in a powder form in different size jugs. It is sometimes referred to as "pH PLUS" or by some other similar name, but these products are 98% sodium carbonate (aka Soda Ash.) Most retailers tell you to add 1-lb per 10,000 gallons of water in your pool, but how do you really know how much that will raise your pH levels? You don't which is why I always use my favorite online tool called The Pool Calculator. Just enter in the size in gallons of your pool, enter your current pH, your target pH and let the calculator tell you how much to use. Super simple.
- Borax - So am I saying you can go to Walmart and pick up a box of Borax in the laundry detergent aisle and use that to lower your pH? YES!! It's part of the BBB METHOD that I have followed for years now in adjusting the chemical levels in my pool. The best thing is that not only does Borax do the same thing to lower your pool pH levels as Soda Ash, but it's WAY cheaper. Just go to the Pool Calculator and enter the same numbers as mentioned above and it will tell you exactly how much to add. Super simple … and CHEAP!
Raising pH Is Important For You and Your Pool
If you let your pool become to acidic, there are too many bad things that can happen and no one likes costly pool repairs. Make it a routine to check the pool pH daily and adjust as you go. Stay in that sweet spot of 7.2 to 7.8 and your pool will last you many fun summers.
