Balancing your pool water’s pH, which is a measure of acidity, is vital for ensuring a safe and healthy environment for everyone in your pool, as well as an important part of keeping your pool equipment in tip-top shape.

The more acidic your pool water is (when pH is too low), the more unstable chlorine becomes, burning eyes and causing itchy, dry skin and even respiratory issues. Acid can erode pool surfaces and corrode metal components such as pipes, pumps, heaters and railings. It can also make your pool water cloudy.

When pH levels are too high, you can experience eye and skin irritation and cloudy water, as well as decreased chlorine effectiveness, which can lead to algae growth. Calcium build-up and scaling of pool surfaces and equipment can also result from high pH levels.

Your pool’s pH should be tested weekly or after heavy rain. Here are the steps you should take to test the pH level in your pool:

You can test pool water with a testing kit, testing strips or digital tester and what you are shooting for is somewhere between the 7.2 and 7.8 range.

If you need to lower the pH level in your swimming pool, you can sprinkle sodium bisulfate, which is granular, over your return jets or pour muriatic acid slowly into the deepest end of your pool (away from skimmers and jets) – approximately 1 pound to 10,000 gallons for a significant drop.

If you want to raise your pool’s pH, spread (1 pound to 10,000 gallons for a significant increase) sodium carbonate evenly over the pool water surface.

For proper chemical distribution, make sure that your pool pump and filter are working. Also keep an eye on alkalinity, as balanced alkalinity (ideally 80 to 120 ppm) can help stabilize pH levels. Debris can also affect pool water balance, so keep your pool clean.