The Three Best Ways To Test Swimming Pool Water
During the summer months, your swimming pool will get maximum usage, and as a pool owner, you’ll need to be testing the water regularly to ensure it is fit to swim in.
Hot weather will lead to water evaporation which can deplete chlorine levels and pH levels causing more algae and bacteria. That’s why it’s essential in the high season to test your pool water regularly every week or so, to find out if it’s healthy, clean and clear.
Taking Your Water Sample
When you undertake a pool test, you’re investigating levels of chemicals in your water. As a rough estimate, your pH should be between 7.2 to 7.6, chlorine 1-3 ppm, total alkalinity 80 – 120 ppm, calcium hardness 180 – 220 ppm and stabiliser or cyanuric acid of 20 – 50 ppm.
Ensure you take your water sample from a central area of your pool and not close to any jets or the skimmer opening.
Pool Test Strips
The most common method of testing your water is with pool test strips. They are simple to use, and you can get results fast, and these strips are inexpensive.
Dip one in the water for just ten seconds, and it will change colour. Check this against a colour chart with corresponding chemical readings, and you’ll be able to assess the chemical levels in your pool.
You can pick up these pool test strips for free at some of the larger DIY hardware stores.
Digital Pool Readers
Digital pool testers are convenient, practical and very simple to use. They feature an LCD display so you can get a result immediately. Just dip the hand-held reader in the water and with a simple press of the button your levels are digitally displayed.
Digital pool testers measure chemical levels using electrodes and are highly reliable. They are more expensive than other tests but offer ease of convenience.
Liquid Test Kits
Liquid test kits have been around a long time, just put a few drops of a chemical – for example, pH into a container of a measured amount of water. Watch it change colour, and the shade of the colour against a chart will give you your reading.
Liquid tests kits are less accurate than using a digital reader, and sometimes it’s a little difficult to read the low end of the colours.
Of course, you can always take a sample of your water to a pool shop, who will test it in great detail and offer you a print out of the results.
Don’t forget the more you test your water, the sooner you can address any problems and make the water healthier once more. Our team at Barrier Reef Pools Perth can offer expert advice on pools, maintenance and much more. Our fibreglass pools are backed with a 35year structural warranty for peace of mind. We have pools on display at three showrooms in Perth so you can see exactly what you’re buying, so give us a call today.
