08 Nov The Arizona Pool Owner’s Guide to Pool Chemicals
Because Arizona experiences such extreme heat and is home to diverse plant and animal life, pool maintenance can be a bigger task. In addition to seasonal pool care and maintenance and weekly pool cleaning, you also need to tackle a monthly pool maintenance checklist. Using pool chemicals is key to maintaining the delicate balance of your pool and keeping your pool water clean, safe, and beautiful.
At Valley Oasis Pools, we specialize in professional pool maintenance in Tucson, AZ on your schedule. In addition to regularly scheduled pool cleaning and chemical balancing, we also offer deep cleaning, seasonal pool maintenance, pool opening and closing, pool inspections and safety checks, and pool sitting services. Here is our guide to pool chemicals for Arizona pool owners.
What are the Key Pool Chemicals I Should be Using?
You should add certain pool chemicals to your pool on a weekly or monthly basis to maintain a healthy balance in your pool water. When your water is out of balance, your pool can grow dangerous bacteria that could cause skin rashes, infections, or illness. Poor pool water quality can also cause mold, mildew, and algae growth and damage your pool wall or liner and your pool equipment. The key pool chemicals you will be using are:
- Chlorine – Chlorine sanitizes your pool and eliminates bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
- pH balancers – pH balancers maintain the ideal pH level of your pool water. A high pH means your water is too alkaline, and it can cause skin rashes, scaling on pool equipment, and cloudy water. A low pH means your water is too acidic or corrosive, which can cause skin and eye irritation, corrosion of pool parts, damage to pool surfaces and equipment, and reduced chlorine effectiveness.
- Algaecides – Algaecides prevent the growth of algae, moss, and mildew, which are a greater concern in spring and summer months.
- Cyanuric acid – Cyanuric acid protects the chlorine from becoming inactive due to the sun’s UV rays.
- Calcium – Low calcium in your pool’s water can make the water more corrosive, which can damage your pool equipment and pool surfaces.
- Clarifiers – Clarifiers are used to prevent cloudy water and keep your pool clean and beautiful.
- Stain and scale preventers – Scale and stain preventers remove metal and minerals from the water that could cause stains or build up in deposits on pool surfaces.
- Pool shock treatments – Shock treatments should be used whenever your pool hasn’t been used in a long time, if it has undergone heavy use, or if there was a big storm that affected the cleanliness or safety of the pool water. Shock treatments use a large amount of chlorine to sanitize your pool.
What is the Ideal pH Range and Chemical Balance for Arizona Pools?
The ideal pH range for pools in Arizona is between 7.4-7.8. Because Arizona is so hot, your pH levels may rise rapidly, so you should check them every one or two weeks. The ideal cyanuric acid (CYA) range for Arizona pools is between 20-50 ppm. The ideal alkalinity range is between 80-120 ppm. The ideal sanitizer range is between 1-3 ppm. The ideal calcium range is between 150-400 ppm.
How Often Should I Test My Pool’s Water?
The answer to this depends on how often you use your pool and what the weather is like. If you use your pool more than once a day, you should be checking the pool water four or five times a week. If you are using your pool less, you should test it about once a week. If the temperatures are 90 degrees or above, you should test your pool twice per week. If your pool is regularly used by kids and pets, you should test your pool twice per week.
Schedule Fall Pool Maintenance Today
If you don’t have the time, energy, or desire to do your own pool maintenance, our experts at Valley Oasis Pools can help. We specialize in routine, scheduled, and specialty pool care and pool maintenance tasks, from pool cleaning and water balancing to pool sitting while you’re on vacation. We can winterize your pool and close it down for the season, or provide regular pool cleaning and care so that you can use it year-round.
We also offer pool inspections and safety checks so that you can make sure the pool in your new home is safe to use, or assess your pool’s safety if it will be used by young children or teens. Contact us online to schedule a consultation for pool maintenance services in Tucson, AZ.
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