A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SWIMMING POOL CHEMICALS
Cleaning your swimming pool
A swimming pool is one of the coolest things you can own. It is a fun and exciting little home asset. However, cleaning and maintaining it can be a hassle. If you are owning a swimming pool for the first time, maintaining the water chemistry can be difficult to grasp. You also need to learn how to drain the pool, remove the dirt, and scrub the pool. It is a lot of difficult work. To get your pool clean and safe, you need a range of swimming pool chemicals. If you want to enjoy your swimming pool and have it serve you for years, you need to take care of it properly.
What do I need to take care of my swimming pool?
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Test Strips
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pH Increaser & Decreaser
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Alkalinity Increaser & Decreaser
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Pool Shock
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Chlorine/Bromine Tablets
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Algaecide
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Pool Clarifier
Test Strips; They are a simple color-coded tool that helps swimming pool owners test for salt, chlorine, and bromine. When you dip your test strip into the water, it tells you what the water needs. You can also use it to test for the level of acidity, softness, and hardness of the water. Test strips usually come in bags with 50-100 pieces in them.
pH Increaser & Decreaser; As the name suggests, this swimming pool instrument works to increase and decrease pH levels of the water. The balance of pH is important in the swimming pool, and you can use this to find the balance.
Alkalinity Increaser & Decreaser; This chemical also helps to balance the pH levels of the water in your swimming pool. Keep pH levels between 7.4 and 7.6. It is the optimum level to avoid etching and scaling on the surfaces.
Pool Shock; A pool shock helps to keep the water clean and it works to get rid of water contaminants. Pool shock also removes algae from the water and prevents it from smelling.
Chlorine/Bromine Tablets; They are tablets that decontaminate the water and kill off bacteria. Both tablets are used to keep the water clean. While both tablets do the same work of keeping the pool chemically clean, they work and react with the body in different ways.
Algaecide; These are biocides that kill algae in the water. They also prevent the growth of algae.
Pool clarifier; If the water is dirty, pool clarifiers clear the water and make it clean. It is not a compulsory element that you’ll need every other pool maintenance day but having it never hurts. They keep the pool water looking extra clean and fresh.
Constant Maintenance is what your pool needs and deserves
Like most things in life, if you want your swimming pool to serve you for a long time then you have to constantly clean, maintain, and service it. The chemicals listed above will help you keep your pool in the best conditions. If you are new to pool ownership, get professional help to maintain and take care of the pool for you because all this knowledge of chemicals and balance can be intimidating. Leave it to the experts while you focus on enjoying your clean pool.