When you think of swimming pools, you’ll probably think of clear waters to swim in. Clear pool water means that the alkalinity and pH levels are balanced which makes it great to swim in.
Once the water gets cloudy and murky, you know that there is something wrong with your pool water. High alkalinity causes pool water to become cloudy. Not only that, keeping alkalinity levels high can cause other issues to your pool.
To lower alkalinity levels in your pool’s water, you need to shock it with muriatic acid or dry acid. Using testing kits or testing strips before and after treatment will let you know the alkalinity level of your pool.
If you’re wondering what alkalinity is and what the process is on how to lower alkalinity in a pool, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will be talking about what alkalinity is to understand why lowering the alkalinity level of your pool water is important. If you find your pool water cloudy, read until the end to find out how to lower the alkalinity level of your pool water.
What Is Alkalinity?
Alkalinity refers to the measurement of the water’s ability to resist acidic changes. The water’s ability to neutralize acid is an important part of a body of water or a swimming pool’s water chemistry. Alkalinity is the water’s buffering capacity which helps stabilize pH levels and prevent it from fluctuating.
Alkaline substances such as bicarbonate and hydroxide ions are the substances that act as the buffer when pH levels change. Alkalinity is measured in parts per million (ppm) and it is equivalent to one milligram per liter of water.
When it comes to pool water, the recommended total alkalinity level is between 80 ppm to 120 ppm. Although, the acceptable range for total alkalinity for pool water is 60 ppm to 180 ppm.
Alkalinity levels that are above 180 ppm can cause several problems for your swimming pool. High alkalinity in pool water will result in cloudy pool water, rough pool wall surfaces, reduced circulation, and clogged filters and heater elements.
Low alkalinity levels, on the other hand, can cause eye and skin irritation as well as damage to the pool’s walls and surfaces. Large fluctuations in pH levels can also be a result of alkalinity being lower than 60 ppm.
When the pool’s water is not balanced, it can also cause excess calcium, meaning the water will be too hard. Calcium hardness refers to the measurement of how hard or soft the pool water is. It also measures how much calcium and magnesium is dissolved in your pool.
What Causes Alkalinity In Pools?
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Alkalinity in pool water rises when there are excess chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate or hydroxide ions that are left behind by hypochlorite chlorines. When the alkalinity level is high, there are too many carbonates and bicarbonates in the water.
Using too much soda ash, or sodium carbonate, when raising your pool’s pH levels will cause the water’s total alkalinity to rise. High mineral content, like calcium and magnesium, can also lead to high alkalinity in your swimming pool.
When your pool’s water becomes cloudy, it might be an indication that the calcium hardness level is high. This can cause your pool’s plumbing to clog and block the flow of water. Not balancing your pool water will keep the water cloudy and cause damage to your pool and pool equipment.
How To Lower Alkalinity In Pool
When your pool water’s total alkalinity becomes high, you should immediately act on it and lower the pool’s alkalinity. To lower the alkalinity of your pool water, you will need to give some acid – muriatic acid or dry acid (sodium bisulfate).
Here are the steps on how to lower alkalinity in a pool:
- Test the Pool’s Alkalinity Before Adding The Acid
Before adding acid to your pool water, test your pool’s alkalinity first. If you notice your pool water looking a bit murky or if the pool’s filter is clogged by calcium deposits, it’s time to take out your test kit.
There are test strips or test kits that you can buy to test out your pool’s alkalinity. Test strips or kits have a color scale included so you can compare the color of the strip to the scale.
To test your pool’s alkalinity, hold a test strip and submerge it into the pool water for a few seconds. Take the test strip out of the pool and let the strip’s reagent react to the pool water. You will see the strip change color then you can compare it to the color scale provided on the test strip’s container.
If using a test kit, get a sample of your pool water and put it in a test tube that is included in the kit. Apply a few drops of the reagent to the water and wait for it to react to the water. You can then compare the color of the water inside the test tube to the color scale that is included in the kit.
- Add Dry Acid or Muriatic Acid
Once you have tested your pool’s total alkalinity, it’s time to put on your protective gear. Make sure to wear protective gloves, goggles, a face mask, and a long-sleeve top to prevent inhaling fumes and prevent the muriatic acid from burning your skin.
You can use a pool alkalinity calculator to know how much muriatic acid you should put in your pool. To treat your pool, dilute the muriatic acid and the recommended pool water to muriatic acid ratio is 10:1. However, you would still want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make sure to add the muriatic acid to the bucket filled with pool water and not the other way around, and mix the solution using a wooden stick. Pour the solution into the pool while going around its perimeter. To make sure that the muriatic acid solution circulates around your pool water, keep the pump running for at least an hour.
If you are going to use dry acid, fill a bucket with pool water and dry acid. The water-to-dry acid ratio is also 10:1.
- Test the Pool Water’s Alkalinity After 24 Hours
After pouring the diluted muriatic or dry acid into your swimming pool, wait at least 24 hours before testing the alkalinity level again. If the reading is still high, you can repeat the process again.
Will Alkalinity Decrease On Its Own?
Pool alkalinity can decrease on its own, however, it will take longer than if you just if you would just treat it with acid. Letting your pool alkalinity levels be high for quite some time can lead to algae and other pool issues like high pH levels.
A swimming pool with a high pH level ( greater than 7) can cause skin rashes and can sting your eyes. Treating your pool when at the root of the issue will prevent your pool water from being cloudy and it will be easier to treat when you are able to address the issue quickly.
How to Prevent High Alkalinity In Pool
To keep your pool’s water alkalinity balanced, you need to keep the water’s pH level from rising. Regularly testing your pool’s water will keep you updated about the water’s alkalinity and pH levels so you can take the appropriate action before the alkalinity level becomes too high.
When treating the pool, make sure to keep the alkalinity live in the ideal range of 80 to 120 ppm and the pH levels are kept at the recommended range of 7.2 to 7.8. Make sure to also add the right amount of acid to your pool to avoid over-dosing your pool with acid.
This can cause an imbalance in your pool’s water and can cause the alkalinity level to go up. High alkalinity is also caused by evaporation so keep your pool covered, especially when not in use, to reduce water evaporation.
Aside from doing all of the tips mentioned, regular maintenance of your pool can keep the water chemistry balanced as different contaminants can affect the water’s alkalinity level. If you are still unsure about how to keep your pool’s alkalinity level in the ideal range, it is best to seek a professional’s advice to make sure you are doing the process correctly to keep your pool from being damaged.
FAQ
Does Baking Soda Lower Pool Alkalinity?
Using baking soda will actually raise both the pH and alkalinity levels of your pool water. If your pool water’s alkalinity level is already high, avoid using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as it is already naturally alkaline.
How Does High Alkalinity Harm Your Pool?
High alkalinity levels in pool water will cause the pool water to be cloudy. It can also cause circulation issues if the water is too alkaline. Aside from that, high alkalinity levels can also cause irritation to your skin and eyes.
How do I lower my alkalinity without bringing the pH down?
Adding acid to your pool water will cause the alkalinity and pH levels to go down. If you don’t want to bring the pH level down, aerate the pool so you can balance the pool’s pH level.
Conclusion
Balancing your pool’s water chemistry is key to a clear and clean swimming pool. Using muriatic acid or baking soda (sodium bisulfate) will lower the alkalinity levels of your pool water. Using aerating or using soda ash will increase the water’s pH levels.
Finding out how to balance your pool’s water chemistry is essential to every pool owner. Hopefully, this guide helped you to keep your pool clean and sparkly!
