The Importance of Proper Pool Water pH

by Felicia A. Williams

Having your pool at the proper pH helps prolong the chemical’s cleaning ability (among other things). A pH that’s too low allows your chemicals to quickly dissipate, and a pH too high prevents optimal sanitizing action. Since I’m currently struggling with high pH, I’ll share my tale of high pH woe

If you’ve read any other posts, you know I’m starting with a real dirty pool this summer. I’m at the stage where the last thing I have to do is get rid of the algae. One of the steps for getting rid of algae is increasing the chlorine levels.

That’s all well and good, but if your pH level is too high, you end up wasting your money because the chlorine won’t work as well as it should. As a result, the chlorine will have a more difficult time in fighting the algae. And guess what, the mere presence of algae raises the pool water’s pH (sneaky little nuisance, it affects its environment in a way to help it thrive).

The Steady Chlorine Level Drop

When I checked my chemical levels early this morning, the chlorine levels were at 10 (just where I wanted it to effectively kill the algae), but my pH was also very high. So, my immediate goal was to lower the pH level so I added two pounds (one pound every 2 hours) of Blue Shield’s pH Decrease. It worked like a charm.

Since I was able to get the pH level within the optimal range (between 7.4 and 7.6) rather quickly I was able to add more shock to keep the chlorine levels up (never add chlorine at the same time as adding acid). I checked the levels every couple of hours to make sure the sun hadn’t totally rendered the chlorine useless. For at least 24 to 48 hours my goal is to keep the pH on target and the chlorine levels high.

I’ve got to say, I’m seeing improvements already.

About the Author: Felicia Williams is a wife, mother and grandmother who likes to write about a host of topics.

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: HouseholdTidbits.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Comments: If you wish to comment, leave a tip or have questions about an article, please email me at comments[@]householdtidbits[.]com. Understand, however, that if you do send a valid tip, comment or question, it may be added to the comment section. Don't fret if you don't see a comment section. I create them on an as-needed basis (spam is automatically deleted).

Last Modified: 24 March 2020