
#Pool water chemistry calculator free
Being able to accurately test cyanuric acid, free and total chlorine and acid and base demand is also important. How do we know when our water is over or under saturated?īuy a good test kit (with fresh testing reagents) to measure the chemical levels of pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Water which is over-saturated will attempt to throw off some of its content by precipitating minerals out of solution in the form of scale. Water which is under-saturated will attempt to saturate itself by dissolving everything in contact with it in order to build up its mineral content. The cliché that " water seeks its own level" certainly applies here. So then, balanced water is that which is neither over or under-saturated. When water is over saturated and can no longer hold the minerals in solution it is in a scaling condition.

When water is considerably less than saturated it is said to be in a corrosive or aggressive condition. It reminds me of the school science experiment, where you dissolve spoonful after spoonful of salt (or sugar) in a beaker, until at last - the water will dissolve no more salt into solution, and the grains just sit on the bottom of the beaker. This concept of water balance is derived from the fact that water will dissolve and hold minerals until it becomes saturated and cannot hold any more water in solution. It may also be defined as water that is neither corrosive or scaling.

Chlorine levels should remain constant in the 1-3 ppm range. These are: pH: 7.2-7.8, Total Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm, Calcium Hardness, 180-220 ppm and Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer): 30-50 ppm.

A pool that is "balanced" has proper levels of pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness. Continuous filtration and disinfection removes contaminants which keep the water enjoyable but this is does not balance your water. You will probably not change the water in your pool for many years. Everything that comes into your pool will affect your pool water balance - in short, anything that comes in contact with your pool water. Your pool water is constantly changing, year round. It is simply the relationship between different chemical measurements in your pool water. Pool Water balancing is not such a complicated exercise.
