Pool Water Chemistry

Your swimming pool will offer years of leisure time and pleasure if the proper control & maintenance procedures are performed.

If your pool water is not balanced it will either become corrosive (too few chemicals) or form scale (too many chemicals). Both are bad for you, your pool equipment and the surface of your pool. Chemically balancing your pool water ensures it is neutral to bathers, doesn't damage your pool surface or your pool equipment.

We understand that testing your own pool water chemistry takes time and can be somewhat confusing.

At Image we take the hassle out of swimming pool water maintenance, allowing you to enjoy your pool all season long.

We take pride in our accurate water testing procedure – assuring that all recommended levels are met with precision and care.

There are multiple variables that are tested during our  MOBILE POOL TESTING water analysis to ensure a sparkling clear swimming pool all season.

Below are the Variables that we test for during our pool water analysis:

FC - Free Chlorine

Maintaining an appropriate FC level is the most important part of keeping your water in balance. It is important that you do not allow FC to get too low, or you run the risk of getting algae. If FC gets down to zero, or you have algae, the pool is not safe to swim in. Free chlorine shows the level of disinfecting chlorine available (active plus reserve) to keep your pool sanitary. FC should be tested, and chlorine added daily. If you have an automatic feeder or salt water generator, the pool can be tested once a week. FC is consumed by sunlight, and by breaking down organic material in your pool. The level of FC you need to maintain good sanitation depends on your CYA level and how much the pool is used.

CC - Combined Chlorine

Combined chlorine is an intermediate breakdown product created in the process of sanitizing the pool. CC causes the "chlorine" smell many people associate with chlorine pools. The CC should not go above 0.1 if it does then CC indicates that there is something in the water that the FC is in the process of breaking down. In an outdoor pool, CC will normally stay at or near zero as long as you maintain an appropriate FC level and the pool gets some direct sunlight.

BR - Bromine

Bromine has a very similar chemical element to Chlorine. Bromine is only slightly affected by heat and sunlight. Unlike Chlorine, it remains in the water for reuse. The Bromine sanitizer is Hypobromous Acid, which is not affected by the stabilizer, Cyanuric Acid. Bromine kills, controls and combines with debris (just like chlorine).

PH - Acidity/Alkalinity

PH indicates how acidic or basic the water is. PH should be tested weekly. 
PH levels below 7.2 tend to make eyes sting or burn. PH below 6.8 can cause damage to metal parts, particularly pool heaters with copper heat exchange coils. High PH can lead to calcium scaling.

TA - Total Alkalinity

Total Alkalinity indicates the water's ability to buffer PH changes. Buffering means you need to use a larger quantity of a chemical to change the PH. At low TA levels, the PH tends to swing around wildly. At high TA levels, the PH tends to drift up.

CH - Calcium Hardness

Calcium Hardness indicates the amount of calcium in the water. In a vinyl liner pool there is no need for calcium, though high levels can still cause problems. A plaster pool should have CH levels between 250 and 350 if possible. Calcium helps fibreglass pools resist staining and cobalt spotting. If you have a spa you might want to keep CH at least 100 to 150 to reduce foaming.

CYA - Cyanuric Acid

Cyanuric Acid, often called stabilizer or conditioner, both protects FC from sunlight and lowers the effective strength of the FC (by holding some of the FC in reserve). The higher your CYA level, the more FC you need to use to get the same effect. You increase CYA by adding Cyanuric acid, often sold as stabilizer or conditioner. CYA is available as a solid and as a liquid. Solid stabilizer can take up to a week to fully register on the test and the pump should be run for 24 hours after adding solid stabilizer and you should avoid backwashing/cleaning the filter for a week. In nearly all cases the best way to lower CYA is to replace water. If replacement water is extremely expensive you might want to look into a reverse osmosis water treatment.