Balancing pH and alkalinity levels in your pool are key elements of pool care for a safe and clean swimming environment. But it can be tricky to know which to tweak first. Do you modify the pH or the alkalinity first? In this blog, we take a closer look at the best way to fix these levels, and how a robot pool cleaner can help you maintain the right water balance.
Alkalinity and pH Explained: Why You Need Both.
Before determining which needs to be adjusted first, it’s essential to understand the functions of pH and alkalinity in the pool water:
pH is a measure of your water’s acidity or alkalinity. The perfect range for pool water is 7.4 to 7.6. A pH that’s too high or low can make swimming uncomfortable, interfere with the operation of your pool cleaning robot, and cause damage to your pool equipment.
So alkalinity helps buffer the water against extreme changes in pH. For pools, the ideal alkalinity level is between 80 and 120 ppm. Too low of an alkalinity can lead to extreme swings in pH, and too high of an alkalinity can make it hard to properly adjust the pH.
Is it important to adjust the pH or alkalinity first?
How you change the relative amounts of these two chemicals to each other makes a difference in the effectiveness and durability of the result. Why adjust alkalinity first — the general recommendation?
Adjust Alkalinity First
If your pool’s alkalinity is low it will lead to major fluctuations in pH. Lack of alkalinity means that you don’t have a pH buffer, thus pH is very susceptible to changes, particularly with the addition of chemicals.
Making alkalinity adjustments before pH adjustments creates a more stable environment to work in where the pH corrections you make will be more effective and will stick long-term. Use an alkalinity increaser (typically found in a baking soda form) to stabilize the water and help with the predictability of pH adjustments.
Adjust pH After Alkalinity.
The greater your pool’s alkalinity, the easier it is to then adjust the pH once it’s in the ideal range. At this point, you’re going to want to use a pH increaser (sodium carbonate) or pH decreaser (muriatic acid) to adjust your pool’s pH level into the desired range of 7.4–7.6. However, if you need to change your pH without stabilizing your alkalinity, you may find it more difficult to keep your pH where you want it.
For Proper Chemical Circulation, Use a Robot Pool Cleaner
Circulate the water well after adjusting pH and alkalinity. To help mix all the chemicals evenly in the entire pool, we recommend a pool cleaning robot such as Beatbot AquaSense Pro. The robotic pool cleaner’s movement ensures that the adjustments are evenly mixed in, allowing you to reach balanced water more quickly.
So why should you use a robot pool cleaner in the process?
A swimming pool robot cleaner helps to ensure the proper distribution of chemicals in every part of your pool and is therefore very important.
Circulation: Your robot pool vacuum will efficiently circulate the chemicals once you’ve balanced the pH and alkalinity. If you don’t circulate your water, your pool’s water balance may take longer to adjust.
Cleaning Efficiency: A pool skimmer or pool vacuum robot will clear debris and dirt that would otherwise obstruct chemical treatments. A clean pool means less work for your chemicals and maximizes the efficiency of your robot pool cleaner.
Maintenance of Chemical Balance: A robot pool cleaner for regular use keeps your pool water in balance with proper levels of pH and alkalinity while significantly minimizing the frequent need for chemical adjustments.
The Beatbot Advantage: Roto-Vacuum Robotic Cleaning Technology
Endless Pools Beatbot AquaSense and Beatbot iSkim Ultra Clean your pool with state-of-the-art technology that also helps monitor water balance. With better filtration and smart navigation systems, these models keep your pool clean and your chemicals in check. Use it along with a regular pool cleaning robot and you really can achieve the ideal water chemistry with very little effort.
It goes without saying that you need to balance chemicals to keep the water safe.
The ideal order is to adjust for alkalinity first and then pH adjustments. This keeps your pool’s water healthy and easy to swim in. A robot pool cleaner is an awesome little tool that can help circulate those chemicals and help the cleaning process, leading to a better pool experience overall. Use models like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro to increase the ease and efficiency of your pool maintenance routine.
