What Is the Effect of Alkalinity in Pool Water?

A pool's water needs proper balancing.

The balance of chemicals, including the pH, within a pool changes along with environmental factors, such as outside weather and dust accumulation. The pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline a water body is at a given time.

Identification

Alkalinity gauges specific levels of hydroxides, bicarbonates and every carbonate in the water. The alkaline level is considered the base of a solution of water, whereas the opposite is called the acidic solution of water.

Effects

An effect of alkalinity, when out of balance, is scaling. When carbonates start accumulating on the pool surface or even on equipment that is in contact with the water, the pH and alkalinity are out of balance. This effect allows minerals to dissolve out of the water because they are not within the stable middle area between acidic and basic.

Prevention/Solution

For proper water balance, alkalinity should be kept at 80 to 120 ppm for typical concrete or gunite pools, and 125 to 170 ppm for other constructed pools, such as fiberglass or paint-covered pools.

References

• Poolcenter.com: Water Balancing