Why you need to have your pool water tested by a professional.

So you just opened your pool, the water is clear and you think you are good to go…. not quite…. Here are 5 reasons why you need to get a pool water sample to Nicholas Pools today.

• Sanitary Swimming Water. Testing your water and adjusting the chemicals to the recommended levels will keep your pool water healthy to swim in. When PH, Alkalinity and Chlorine levels are off they can cause water to become contaminated or irritating resulting in itchy or burning eyes, skin rashes, hair discoloration, digestive issues or other health problems. Having your pool water tested by a pool professional will ensure the water quality of your pool is safe and properly adjusted to swim in.
• Clean and Clear Water. No one wants to swim in cloudy or contaminated water. All your levels need to be tested and adjusted to make sure your pool water is safe to swim in. A pool professional will be able to test for Chlorine, Salt, PH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Phosphates and Metals. All of these levels need to be adjusted so your pool water is safe to swim in. It is important for the water to be clear to see who and what is in the pool.
• Saves you Money$. Testing your water and following instructions by adding the recommended amounts of chemicals to balance your pool water will be beneficial and can save you money by avoiding issues created by imbalanced chemicals. Not having enough chlorine will allow algae to grow and cloud up the pool water resulting in having to add algaecides, shock and clarifiers to remove it. Minerals can discolor the pool water and stain the liner, steps, skimmers and returns. Phosphates can latch on to other chemicals and not allow your sanitizer to do it’s job allowing bacteria to breed and causing unsanitary water.
• Healthy Pool Equipment. Balancing your chemicals is imperative to having well functioning pool equipment. It is important to have the proper levels so that you do not strip the inside of your heater with acidic water levels. Hardness levels that are off can leave deposits of calcium in the filter and pipes. High levels of chlorine can bleach out a liner and low levels will allow algae growth.
• Diagnose Issues before they become Problems. Bringing water to be tested once every three weeks to a pool store and talking to your pool professional can help prevent problems with the pool water or equipment. Often filters need to be cleaned, if chemicals are balanced and pool water is not clearing up a dirty filter can be the culprit. Sand needs to be replaced once every 5 years and DE needs to be added after each backwash, grids need to be cleaned at least once a year. Low salt levels will not produce enough chlorine to sanitize your pool ensuring there is enough salt in the pool and that the cell is clean and generating chlorine is important. Large amounts of minerals like copper can be a result of a heater going bad. All types of issues can result because of poor water quality and having cloudy water can be a result of poor functioning equipment.