How Do You Clean Swimming Pool Water?
Let’s face it–the only thing essential about a swimming pool is that the water be fresh and clean. Let’s face something else, too: Achieving this can involve more chemistry than you may have seen since junior year in high school–if then. Don’t worry, though. Here are all the important concepts and terms you need to know to keep your pool clean. Just be sure to follow all manufacturer’s directions on the package of a chemical carefully. Note: The three factors mentioned here–pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness–all affect one another, so it will take some trial and error to get all three in the proper range at once. Also note that before you add any chemical–especially an acid–to the water, you need to first turn on the pool’s filter. Use a water-testing kit to measure the calcium hardness (how “hard” or “soft” the water is). The proper calcium hardness is between 200 and 400 parts per million (ppm). Following package directions, add calcium carbonate dihydrate to raise calci
