Rain, we need it badly and then we wish it would go away. Pool owners, we feel your pain. The flash floods that occurred earlier this month here in Texas have left some pools looking a bit like a swampy marshland but fortunately, we can offer a solution.
Rain causes many changes in the chemistry of the water. The biggest issues are the way the water makes your skin feel after a swim and of course how safe it is to even swim in your pool after a rain. Although some issues can take weeks to present themselves, after a good rain your water balance is beginning to change.
When your pH and TA change your pool quickly becomes unsanitary and can cause irritation to your eyes and allergies as well as your skin. We want to address this issue this week since Mother Nature has brought us some much-needed rain and possibly caused you some irritation.
Almost as soon as the rain falls and hits your pool the pH begins to rise while rapidly bringing down the TA. For those who may not know, pH is the Potential Hydrogen in your water and TA is the Total Alkalinity in the water, both are natural and both can be stabilized with proper pool treatments. As the pH climbs the chlorine content in the water becomes sleepy or inactive causing it to be less effective per gallon of water in your pool. Rainwater is a blessing but to your pool, it is a burden that if left neglected can cause your pool to become destabilized and your skin irritated.
When chlorine is added to your pool it is meant to be a superhero to the water. Chlorine’s main objective is to kill germs! While this superhero chemical is trying to do its job, when the pH goes up the superhero’s powers decline. Low pH=Strong Chlorine!
Hopefully, Mother Nature isn’t too mean and the chlorine can continue to keep the pool safe and clean, but if any discomfort arises we know that the pH isn’t between 7.2 and 7.8. Those numbers are a safe range for swimmers’ comfort both on the skin and the eyes, if it dips below or is above 7.8 the chlorine isn’t effectively doing its job. To keep our pool safe after rain, always check our pH and TA levels before a swim.
When the germs fall from the sky and muddy up the pool, give us a call and we will get your water safe to swim in for you and your family!