Once the debris has been removed from your pool, phosphates purged, and the filters cleaned, you can move on to steps 4-6.
#4 Get your water tested. Test for: 1. Free Chlorine (or bromine and salt if applicable) 2. Total Chlorine 3. pH 4. Total Alkalinity 5. Ca Hardness 6. CYA Many pool stores offer a water analysis service. We at aqua vista pro also perform this as a complimentary service for our neighbors. We use a photometer to get 100% accurate readings. Wait to attempt to balance the water.
#5: Partial Draining. Some chemicals are added to the pool in a solid state. Once added, these chemicals do not evaporate or get used up. Because of this, they can continue building up in the water and adversely affect water quality. After completing a full spectrum water analysis, you will be able to know if your pool water has too high a level of dissolved solids. Depending on the results, you may need to drain water from your pool. For example, Many people use chlorine tablets to sanitize their pool water. Chlorine tablets contain a significant amount of Cyanuric acid. Cyanuric acid is needed to stabilize your chlorine (protecting it from UZ rays) and pH levels. However, Cyanuric acid only leaves the pool if you have water loss via leaks and/or draining. Chlorine levels must be 7.5% of the total Cyanuric acid level to sanitize the water effectively. Anything lower than this level will lead to cloudy water and algae blooms. This means you will spend more and more on chlorine as time passes. The only remedies include reverse osmosis (very expensive) or performing a partial pool drain (yes, I know it hurts. It feels like you’re wasting water. But in some cases, it needs to be done to have a safe and sanitary pool).
#6: Refill the pool to the proper level and retest your water. Look out for the last few steps in our next post! Feel free to call/text me at 707-716-6658 if you prefer a professional to handle the hard work.
