Pool and spa maintenance tips
Pool and spa owners tend to have a number of common problems, below we have listed some of them together with recommended solutions.
We have divided this into Pool and Spa tips.
Pool Tips
| Problem | Solution |
| Green or cloudy pool water, slimy walls | This is normally caused by algae and is easy to treat using a granular shock or liquid chlorine (cannot be bought on-line, due to shipping laws, please visit our shop). A good rule of thumb for dosage of granular shock is 500g per 10,000 gallons or for liquid chlorine 5ltrs per 10,000 gallons. These doses may need increasing if the algae is deemed more serious, ask for advice |
Spa and Hot tubs
| Problem | Solution |
| Cloudy water or slimy walls | This is a build up of bacteria or algae which is easily treated with 'granular spa shock' or 'Blue Horizon spa fusion'. |
Good water balance will provide benefits such as:
- Efficient use of chlorine
- Good quality bathing conditions
- Less likelihood of pool problems like algae and scale formation
- Clear and clean water
| HIGH | IDEAL | LOW | |
| PH | Chlorine released slowly. Scale on pool, skin-eye discomfort | 7.2 to 7.6 | To raise PH use pool alkali / soda ash (sodium carbonate). To reduce PH use pool acid (sodium bisulphate or hydrochloric acid). |
| Total alkalinity | Scale forming ph hard to move. Cloudy water likely |
80 to 120 mg / ltr (ppm) | ph (bounces) around. Water more aggressive. Corrosion more likely in pool. |
| Calcium hardness | Scale forming | min 200mg/I (ppm) and corrosive | Water is likely to be aggressive |
| Cyanuric acid(ppm) | Sunlight will destroy chlorine faster |
25 to 30 mg / ltr (ppm) | Max level 55 to 60 mg / ltr |
| Total dissolved solids | Chlorine less effective, can promote scale | max 1500mg/I(ppm) | No problems |
WHAT AFFECTS BALANCE ?
Chemical properties will have an effect on the ph.
Acid rain can reduce the ph.
Water from the mains can be hard or soft depending on where you are in the country.
HOW TO ADJUST LEVELS
| ph | 7.2-7.6 | to raise use alkali (soda ash) to lower use acid (sodium bisulphate) |
| total alkalinity | 80-150/I(ppm) | to raise use sodium bicarbonate to lower use sodium bisulphate or to lower use hydrochloric acid |
| calcium hardness | 200-500/I(ppm) | to raise use Calcium Chloride Flakes |
| cyanuric acid | 30-60mg/(ppm) | raise use pool conditioner. |
| total dissolved solids | max 1500mg/I(ppm) | regular backwashing will help keep this in line. |
