Water Chemistry

Pool chemicals need to be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, kept in their original containers, and kept apart by type — chlorine products away from acids and other chemicals never mixed together. Always test the water first and follow the label on the exact product in hand. This sounds simple, but chemical storage … Read more

Scale is the hard, chalky or crusty mineral deposit that forms when pool water is carrying more dissolved calcium (and sometimes other minerals) than it can keep dissolved. As conditions push that calcium out of solution, it crystallizes onto the nearest surface — tile, plaster, metal, or the inside of equipment. What actually is scale? … Read more

Phosphate is a nutrient that washes or blows into pool water from leaves, dust, fertilizer, and some tap water sources. It does not harm swimmers directly and isn’t a sanitizer or pH issue. It matters mainly because it can act as food for algae, especially when chlorine levels slip. What exactly is phosphate? Phosphate is … Read more

Algae takes hold whenever chlorine drops too low to keep up with the algae spores that constantly enter the water, usually combined with weak circulation, warm temperatures, and nutrients like phosphates or nitrates that give it something to feed on. Fix any one of those and a bloom is far less likely to establish. How … Read more

Rain changes pool water chemistry mainly by diluting it. Fresh rainwater has none of the chlorine, pH buffers or dissolved minerals that pool water does, so a heavy downpour waters everything down at once. Rain can also carry acidity, dust, pollen and runoff into the pool, which pushes readings further off balance. Does rain really … Read more

Yes. A saltwater pool still relies on chlorine to sanitize the water — it just doesn’t come out of a jug or a bucket of tablets. A device called a salt chlorinator uses electricity to convert dissolved salt into chlorine, continuously, right in the plumbing. The chlorine itself works exactly the same way once it’s … Read more

A saltwater pool is still a chlorine pool. Dissolved salt passes through a cell in the equipment pad, and an electrical process called electrolysis splits it apart, generating chlorine on the spot. The pool never runs on salt alone — it runs on chlorine the system makes itself, continuously, instead of chlorine added by hand. … Read more

Test strips are faster and easier for a quick daily check, while liquid test kits give more precise readings for the numbers that matter most — chlorine, pH, and alkalinity. Most pool owners get the best results using strips for routine glances and a liquid kit for weekly, more careful testing. What’s the difference between … Read more

Liquid chlorine, tablets and granules all sanitise pool water, but they differ in strength, how they’re added, and what else they bring with them. Liquid works fast and adds nothing extra. Tablets are slow-release and usually contain stabiliser. Granules dissolve quickly and vary by type. The “best” one depends on the pool and the routine. … Read more

Shocking a pool means adding a large, one-time dose of a chlorine-based (or non-chlorine) oxidizer to raise chlorine sharply above its normal level. The jolt breaks down built-up waste — sweat, oils, urine, algae — that regular daily chlorine dosing hasn’t been able to keep up with. It’s done periodically, not every day. What does … Read more