How do I correct bad chlorine or pH balance?
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The correct level of chlorine or pH balance for your swimming pool
Owning a swimming pool can be very exciting at first because you are like bringing the fun and relaxing vibe of a resort to the comfort of your home. But you need to be responsible enough to maintain it so that there will be no issues and everyone will fully enjoy it. And one way of dealing with pool maintenance is to put chlorine on it to clean and kill those unwanted bacteria that are in the water.
But since we are not an expert on that matter, the majority of us experienced putting too much chlorine to ensure that it is crystal clear without knowing if it is safe for everyone to dive in. But, why are some people making this a big deal? Is adding too much chlorine to a swimming pool can bring danger to our health? How should we fix it?
The danger of too much chlorine
Liquid or sold chlorine is dangerous for humans. Excessive exposure can cause pulmonary congestion, a condition of an extreme buildup of liquid in the lungs that results to having difficulty of breathing. It can also cause skin and eye irritation, coughing, asthma, and other body pains. Not only bad for your health, but your swimming pool as well. The high presence of chlorine can make the water acidic, and the pH won't be at the right amount of level. Acid water can lead to corrosion which can bring problems to the piping and other pool accessories.
You can not just detect a high chlorine level through your sense of smelling and feeling, because you need an accurate detection tool like a chlorine test to ensure that it is safe to use the pool. If you have an uncovered pool, it is best to run a chlorine test every day.
How do I correct bad chlorine or pH balance?
Get a chlorine test kit to determine the chlorine level in your pool water. If the result is too high, you need to fix it through the different options below. And if it is just slightly high, you just need to wait for a couple of hours to use the pool.
Option ＃1 - Stop adding chlorine. Turn off the chlorinator, and if you're using a tablet or floater, take it out from your pool. But if the chlorine level is just slightly high, that dirt, debris, and other stuff will fix it for you.
Option ＃2 - Add a neutralizing chemical. If you’re throwing a pool party and need to quickly correct the chlorine level, add in the chlorine neutralizer chemical. The common ones that most people use are Sodium Thiosulfate and Sodium Sulfite. Always follow the instructions carefully, and check the pH level as well.
Option ＃3 - Let the sunshine in. Uncovering your pool for about 2-3 hours while monitoring it is a natural process of lessening the chlorine level of your pool.
Option ＃4 - Water replacement. If you will choose this option, make sure you will test all the levels of pH, alkalinity, and other chemical needed in the water.