Last Updated on April 26, 2017
If you want to have a swimming pool with the correct environment, you’re going to need to make sure that the pH level is appropriate. This makes all the difference in the world. The pH scale measure the acidity of something, and the spectrum goes from extremely acidic to extremely basic. It might not seem like much of a problem for a swimming pool to be too basic or too acidic. However, the pH makes all the difference when it comes to which organisms will survive or even thrive there and whether or not the disinfectants are going to work.
First of all, water has a pH of seven under perfect conditions. Most of the water that you’re going to encounter will be a little more basic or acidic than that, but that’s the basic pH of water. A pH of seven is the middle of the scale, and it’s considered neutral as opposed to either acidic or basic. Basically, you want the pH of your pool water to be slightly basic at 7.4. The human body and human organs have their own pH. Human eyes and human mucous membranes tend to have a pH of 7.4. As such, if your pool has a pH like that, you’re going to have an easier time swimming there. No one is going to get their eyes burned by the pool water, or at least not as easily.
Of course, getting your pool to the pH of exactly 7.4 is going to be tricky at the best of times. You’re better off just trying to get it to a healthy range. Healthy pool water should be between 7.2 and 7.8. So basically, it still needs to be slightly basic. If your pool water dips too far outside of that range, it might be time to raise the acidity level or to make the pool water more basic. Sodium bicarbonate can make a pool significantly more basic. Sodium carbonate can do the same thing. Both muriatic acid and sodium bisulfate can be used to make pool water more acidic, which can make a huge difference for the people who are in areas that are at risk for infestations by algae and similar hazards. The acidic level is a low pH, and the basic level is a high pH.
Pool water that has a pH of 7.4 is going to be better on your skin in general, which is good. Lots of people who swim a lot have a tendency to develop skin problems as a result, and having pool water with a more stable pH can make a big difference in that regard. If you want to measure the pH of your pool water, it is relatively easy to do so with cheap pH strips. There are also equally inexpensive pH meters that you can purchase online these days, and this can help you keep track of the health of your pool water in general and whether or not anything is wrong with the water. Maintaining a health pool pH is an important part of pool maintenance.
