Balancing pool chemicals is the most fundamental part of Sarasota pool maintenance. And in many ways, keeping the chlorine, pH, and mineral balance of your pool the most important part. After all, your pool’s chemicals are what make or break the comfort, health, and safety of your pool.
As beautiful as it is here, Sarasota is a particularly tricky place for balancing pool chemicals—especially this time of year. And this year in particular has already been very tricky for Sarasota pool maintenance, weather-wise. Humidity, sunshine, rain, and salty air—not to mention storms, bugs and other critters, debris, rapidly changing temperatures and fluctuating pool use through-out the year—all affect a pool’s chemical balance and how much of certain chemicals will be needed at certain times.
If you don’t yet have a trustworthy, family-owned, worry-free pool service to clean your pool, balance your chemicals, and check your equipment on a regular basis, then you really need to find one ASAP. In the meantime, here are some signs that your pool’s chemicals are out-of-balanced and potentially hazardous to swimmers.
Algae Growth
If you see algae stains popping up in or around your pool, it’s not the end of the world—but it is a sign that your chemicals need to be remedied ASAP. Algae can happy super-quickly in warm and welcoming Florida. Cleaning and chemical balancing are a priority.
Water Discoloration
Maybe you don’t see stains so much as an overall odd tint to your pool’s water. That is not a great sign. Of course, a quick pool service visit may correct that color in a matter of minutes. Or it may be a sign that your pool needs to be shocked before it will be safe to swim in again.
Cloudy Water
Likewise, if it looks like the fog has rolled in…but inside your pool, then it’s not some cool effect. You might have something growing and blooming in the water, or it might be a clogged or broken filter that’s failing to remove debris. Or there could be a buildup of harmful chemicals. No way of knowing what it is and how it can be fixed without a Sarasota pool maintenance expert on hand.
Scale Buildup
Not everything that contaminates your water is organic. Sometimes high calcium levels (a common problem in Florida water) creates scale buildup along the sides of the pool and—worse still—inside of your equipment, creating all kinds of problems. Calcium levels can be tested and remedied fairly easily, but you’ll need the right Sarasota pool care company to do it properly so it works best in our environment.
Chlorine Smell
Despite what your instincts tell you, a strong smell of chlorine doesn’t necessarily mean the pool is over-chlorinated. In fact, in most cases, that smell that we associate with chlorination is actually a sign that the pool is overwhelmed with organic matter and the chlorine isn’t able to handle it all. Not only do you need to make sure your pool gets cleaned and balanced ASAP, but you need a Sarasota pool expert to tell you why your chemicals got to that point, and what needs to change (even if it’s just more frequent maintenance) to keep it from happening again.
Itchy Eyes and Skin
Some people’s eyes are naturally sensitive to pool water. But swimming in the pool shouldn’t be a painful experience. If it is, then something isn’t right with your pool’s chemicals.
Dangerous Bacterial Growth
While all of these signs should be taken seriously, sometimes unbalanced pool chemicals can lead to a dangerous situation before you’re even able to detect it. This is especially true when we’ve had a lot of rain, which waters down our pools and allows for bacterial growth in what might appear to be “fresh” water. This is why regular maintenance is so important. Sarasota pool water should be tested and balanced regularly, even if there aren’t signs of trouble.
You can’t balance your pool’s chemicals the same way every time, on any kind of a regular schedule. But you can rely on Sarasota’s best pool care to show up on time every week, test your water, and do what needs to be done to ensure that your pool is healthy, balanced, and ready to go whenever you need it.
Deckard & Company |