Pool Chemical Balancing Cheat Sheet: Keep Your Pool Water Clean, Clear, and Swim-Ready!

---

Maintaining the right chemical balance in your pool is key to keeping the water safe, clear, and inviting for swimmers. It also helps prevent damage to your equipment and surfaces, meaning you'll need a pool remodel—like tile repairs or a replaster—less often by keeping your pool in top shape. Here’s your go-to pool chemistry guide.

Ideal Pool Water Balance Levels

To ensure your pool is always at its best, make sure the following levels are in check:

• Free Chlorine: 1 – 3 ppm
  (Sanitizes water & prevents bacteria/algae)

• pH: 7.2 – 7.8
  (Keeps water comfortable & prevents equipment damage)

• Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm
  (Helps stabilize pH)

• Calcium Hardness: 150 – 400 ppm
  (Prevents plaster damage & scaling)

• Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer): 30 – 50 ppm
  (Protects chlorine from sunlight)

• Phosphates: Below 100 ppb
  (Prevents algae growth)

How to Adjust Your Pool Water

Here’s how to adjust your pool chemicals to keep things in balance:

• Free Chlorine

🔻 Too Low? Add liquid chlorine or chlorine tablets

🔺 Too High? Let sunlight naturally burn it off or use a chlorine neutralizer

• pH

🔻 Too Low? Add sodium carbonate (pH Increaser / soda ash)

🔺 Too High? Add muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate (pH Decreaser)

• Total Alkalinity

🔻 Too Low? Add sodium bicarbonate (Alkalinity Increaser / baking soda)

🔺 Too High? Add muriatic acid (slowly to avoid drastic pH drops)

• Calcium Hardness

🔻 Too Low? Add calcium chloride

🔺 Too High? Partially drain & refill with fresh water+

• Cyanuric Acid (CYA/Stabilizer)

🔻 Too Low? Add stabilizer (cyanuric acid)

🔺 Too High? Partially drain & refill with fresh water

• Phosphates

🔺 Too High? Use a phosphate remover to prevent algae growth

Shocking & Chemical Handling Tips

To ensure your pool stays sparkling clean, here are some additional tips:

• Shock your pool weekly with liquid chlorine shock—avoid granular shock.

• Run your filter for 12–24 hours after shocking for best results.

• Add chemicals slowly and in small doses—test before adding more.

• Distribute chemicals evenly around the pool, and avoid pouring them near skimmers or returns.

• Never mix chemicals together—add them separately to the water.

• Turn off your pump before adding chlorine tablets to prevent damage to equipment.

Refresh with a pool Remodel

If you’re noticing stains, rough plaster, or outdated tile, it might be time for more than just chemical balancing. While maintaining good water chemistry is key, a pool replaster might be exactly what you need to bring your pool back to life. There's still time this season to upgrade and get your pool looking its best!

---